Investigation for the mechanism of cadmium toxicity at cellular level. II. An electron microscopical study.

With quantitative techniques at electron microscopical level chromatin condensation and emptying of the interchromatin space have been established in the nuclei of the endothelial cells of small uterine vessels. The nuclear and cytoplasmic changes after cadmium administration show much similarity between endothelial cells of small uterine vessels and cultured liver parenchymal cells. Cytoplasmic changes in both cell types after cadmium administration are suggestive of a disturbance in ribosomal RNA synthesis as the main cause leading to ultimate cell lysis.