The effects of cadmium on the hepatic and renal levels of reduced glutathione, the activity of glutathione S-transferase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase.

Cadmium chloride, injected subcutaneously in mice at doses of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/Kg body weight, resulted in the alteration of body weight and relative liver and kidney weights, the hepatic and renal reduced glutathione levels, and the activity of the enzymes glutathione S-transferase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in a dose-dependent manner. Body weight increased insignificantly with dosage, but significant elevations in relative liver weight (29% of control) and particularly in kidney weight (93% of control) were documented in the cases that received the highest dose of cadmium chloride (2.0 mg/Kg body weight). The treatment significantly lowered hepatic and renal reduced glutathione levels and glutathione S-transferase activity. On the other hand, the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was found to increase significantly after treatment, with the highest values in the liver (137% of control) and in the kidneys (204% of control). We found that cadmium chloride at 2.0 mg/Km body weight produced the greatest changes in the abovementioned parameters. A significant correlation (r) was observed in some cases among the abovementioned biomolecules between, as well as within, the organs. The present study showed that the effects of cadmium could be correlated with a decreased level of reduced glutathione and glutathione S-transferase activity and an increased activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in liver and kidney.