Behavior and brain enzymatic changes after long-term intoxication with cadmium salt or contaminated potatoes

Abstract

This study investigated the cadmium (Cd) intoxication on cognitive, motor and anxiety performance of rats subjected to long-term exposure to diet with Cd salt or with Cd from contaminated potato tubers. Potato plantlets were micropropagated in MS medium and transplanted to plastic trays containing sand. Tubers were collected, planted in sand boxes and cultivated with 0 or 10 μM Cd and, after were oven-dried, powder processed and used for diet. Rats were divided into six groups and fed different diets for 5 months: control, potato, potato+Cd, 1, 5 or 25 mg/kg CdCl2. Cd exposure increased Cd concentration in brain regions. There was a significant decrease in the step-down latency in Cd-intoxicated rats and, elevated plus maze task revealed an anxiolytic effect in rats fed potato diet per se, and an anxiogenic effect in rats fed 25 mg/kg Cd. The brain structures of rats exposed to Cd salt or Cd from tubers showed an increased AChE activity, but Na+,K+-ATPase decreased in cortex, hypothalamus, and cerebellum. Therefore, we suggest an association between the long-term diet of potato tuber and a clear anxiolytic effect. Moreover, we observed an impaired cognition and enhanced anxiety-like behavior displayed by Cd-intoxicated rats coupled with a marked increase of brain Cd concentration, and increase and decrease of AChE and Na+,K+-ATPase activities, respectively.

Blood cadmium and depressive symptoms in young adults (aged 20–39 years)

“…Cadmium association with neurobehavioral effect was found in occupational studies (Hart et al 1989; Viaene et al 2000), as well as in animal studies (Ali et al 1990; Baranski 1984; Goncalves et al 2012; Leret et al 2003). Cadmium exposure was associated with learning disabilities and lower neuropsychological test scores in children (Capel et al 1981; Ciesielski et al 2012; Stellern et al 1983)).…”

Cadmium and Its Neurotoxic Effects

“…The authors studied the changes in the activities of AChE and Na + , K + -ATPase in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and striatum of adult Wistar rats, following a 5-month (long-term) exposure to an experimental diet supplemented with low levels of Cd salt or with Cd-contaminated potato tubers. The authors also assessed the behavioral (cognitive-, motor-, and anxiety-related) outcomes following the above-mentioned treatment [58]. But the other research term queried that their study can be “regarded as a significant contribution to the field, as there is paucity of information on the AChE activity in brain regions following exposure to Cd” and “the experimental protocol used in the aforementioned study [58] is exceptionally well designed in order to simulate long-term dietary-induced exposure to Cd” [59].…”

Potatoes – A crop resistant against input of heavy metals from the metallicaly contaminated soil

“…Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that can accumulate in the human body and the environment for lengthy periods (Gonçalves et al 2012;Zhang et al 2014). Thus, prolonged exposure to it has been linked to toxic effects since it gets accumulated over time in a variety of structures including kidneys, liver and central nervous system and may cause proteinuria, glucosuria, and aminoaciduria with final renal dysfunction (Minh et al 2012;Xu et al 2013).…”