Cadmium transport in isolated perfused rat liver: zinc-cadmium competition.

The hypothesis that one component of cadmium uptake by rat hepatocytes involves a mediated transport pathway normally operative for zinc transport was tested in the isolated perfused rat liver preparation. Excess zinc in the perfusion medium suppressed cadmium uptake as indicated by the decrease in the normalized clearance (initial clearance divided by liver weight) from 0.340 +/- 0.019 (ml/min)/g in the presence of normal zinc concentrations (Zn:Cd molar ratio, 1.6) to 0.138 +/- 0.017 (ml/min)/g (Zn:Cd molar ratio, 13.0). In excess-zinc control experiments (no cadmium present) little zinc is accumulated by the liver, apparently due to competition between intrahepatic and extracellular binding. Exposure to cadmium increases both zinc secretion into the perfusion medium and biliary excretion of zinc. The effect at the sinusoidal membrane is probably a result of both the blockage of zinc resorption during cadmium uptake and the displacement of intrahepatic zinc. The effect on biliary excretion of zinc is due solely to displacement of intrahepatic zinc. These results are consistent with the proposed hypothesis for cadmium transport.