Investigation of the mechanism of cadmium toxicity at cellular level. I. A light microscopical study.

Chromatin condensation occurs within 15 min to 1 h after the addition of CdCl2 in a concentration of 1 microgram/ml to a liver cell culture and seems to be the first event demonstrable by light microscopy. This chromatin condensation, which precedes membrane leakage, is irreversible and leads to cell death of almost all cells. It does not occur after the administration of equimolecular concentrations of some other bivalent metallic ions.