Interactions of cadmium with copper, zinc and iron in different organs and tissues of the rat.

The effect of cadmium on tissue concentrations of iron, zinc and copper was studied in male rats. Two littermate groups were fed a stock diet with or without a supplement of 100 microgram cadmium per g. Every three weeks ten animals from each group were sampled and the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, spleen, testes, muscle, fur, faeces and urine were individually analyzed. Except for the fur, all the other organs showed highly significantly increased levels of cadmium when compared with the control group. The iron levels were significantly depressed in all organs. As the content of the faeces remained unchanged and the urinary excretion showed an increase, it could be concluded that the cadmium supplementation resulted in a depletion of the body stores of iron. The zinc levels showed a significant increase in the liver and testes and a correspondingly significant decrease in the spleen. The levels of copper generally showed no significant changes.