Electrocardiographical, Biochemical and Morphological Effects of Chronic Low Level Cadmium Feeding on the Rat Heart

The vascular endothelium as a target of cadmium toxicity

“…Interestingly, some of the recognized causes of DCM include heavy metals such as cobalt, lead, and mercury (Mohan et al, 2002). While it is widely recognized that Cd is concentrated in the liver and kidney, exposure to low doses of Cd can also result in significantly increased (900 fold) levels of Cd in the mammalian heart (Kopp et al, 1978). Several studies have suggested that Cd plays a role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic DCM; blood and urine levels of Cd are significantly elevated in DCM patients when compared to controls (Muller, 1989;Smetana et al, 1985Smetana et al, , 1987Smetana and Glogar, 1986).…”

“…In addition, Cd has been shown to have teratogenic and carcinogenic activites (Degraeve, 1981;IARC, 1993;Mahalik et al, 1995;Pearson and Prozialeck, 2001;Waalkes et al, 1992). With regard to the cardiovascular system, exposure to Cd has been associated with a wide variety of cardiovascular pathologies including hemorrhagic injury (Nolan and Shaikh, 1986), atherosclerosis (Navas-Acien et al, 2005), hypertension (Tomera et al, 1994;Varoni et al, 2003) and cardiomyopathy (Jamall and Smith, 1985;Kopp et al, 1978;Kopp, 1986).…”

Gender Differences in Cardiac Remodeling Induced by a High-Fat Diet and Lifelong, Low-Dose Cadmium Exposure

“…Reduction of the provisional tolerable weekly intake of Cd from 7 to 2.5 μg/kg by the European Food Safety Authority in 2009 reflects evidence that low-dose Cd exposure can also induce adverse health effects . After the discovery that the heart also accumulates Cd after low-dose exposure (5 ppm for 24 months) in rats, animal studies began to focus on low-dose and long-term Cd exposure and its related cardiac injury. Turdi et al exposed adult male mice to Cd for 4 weeks (20 nmol/kg, i.p.…”