The effects of cadmium exposure on ethanol pharmacokinetics.

Twenty-four adult male rats were exposed in the home cage to water containing 100 ppm added cadmium chloride. An additional 24 animals were pair-watered with water containing no added cadmium. Following 60 days of exposure to their respective watering regimens, one third of the animals in each exposure group (N = 8/condition) received IP injections of 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 g/kg ethanol (20% v/v). Serum alcohol concentrations were measured at 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 360 min postinjection. Although serum alcohol concentrations increased with dose for both cadmium-exposed and control animals, there was no indication at any dose of group differences. The lack of differences in ethanol pharmacokinetics reported here is instructive with respect to improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cadmium/ethanol interactions.