Effect of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate on placental passage and foetal distribution of cadmium and mercury in mice.

The administration of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate to 18 day pregnant mice, which previously had been given 109Cd2+ or 203Hg2+ was found to result in increased levels of the metals in the foetuses, in comparison with mice given the 109Cd2+ or 203Hg2+ alone. The level of 109Cd2+ in some foetal tissues was increased 30-60 times. In the animals given 203Hg2+ 3-5 times higher concentrations were seen in most foetal tissues of the sodium diethyldithiocarbamate-treated animals compared with animals not treated with this substance. Cadmium and mercury were shown to form highly lipophilic complexes with diethyldithiocarbamate and a facilitated transfer of these complexes through the placental membranes probably explains the increased uptake of the metals in the foetuses.