Female reproduction and pup survival and growth for mice fed a cadmium‐containing purified diet through six consecutive rounds of gestation and lactation

Abstract

Female CF1 mice were bred for 6 consecutive, 42-d rounds of gestation-lactation. Their purified diets contained cadmium added at either 0.25, 5.0, or 50.0 ppm Cd; at each cadmium level, the diets were either sufficient or deficient in certain vitamins, minerals, and fat. The deficient diet at 5 ppm cadmium was designed to simulate conditions implicated in the etiology of itai-itai disease among multiparous women in Japan. Fertility, litter size, pup survival, and pup growth (weaning weight) are reported for mice on the six diets during each of the six rounds of gestation/lactation. Except for fertility, decreases in reproductive measures that occurred in response to dietary deficiencies or cadmium during round 1 of reproduction were repeated, unchanged in magnitude, in each successive round. For sufficient diet groups, 50 ppm cadmium had no effect on fertility or pup survival during lactation, but caused a 15% decrease in litter size at birth and a 25% decrease in pup growth. Dietary deficiencies alone decreased all four measures of reproductive performance: fertility by 12%, litter size by 30%, pup survival by 18%, and pup growth by 42%. In addition, dietary deficiencies strikingly decreased the incidence of consecutive pregnancies. Combined effects of 50 ppm cadmium and dietary deficiencies were additive for all reproductive measures except fertility; for fertility, cadmium caused no decrease in the fertility of sufficient-diet animals, but caused a striking 45% decrease in deficient-diet animals. Relating our results to humans, women who contracted itai-itai disease (analogous to mice on the deficient, 5 ppm cadmium diet), in addition to their characteristic bone disease, could have experienced decreases in fertility and in growth of their offspring related to their dietary deficiencies. In addition, their diet-related decreases in fertility could have been enhanced by their combined exposure to cadmium.

Effect of Cadmium on Trophoblast Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Different Gestation Periods of Rat Placenta

“…In these experiments, low birth weight [38,39] was shown for the babies born as a result of Cd exposure in pre-gestational period and during gestation. Huel et al [40] reported that low birth weight was seen in the babies of mothers who were exposed to Cd in 1984.…”

Oral cadmium exposure during rat pregnancy: assessment of transplacental micronutrient transport and steroidogenesis at term

“…By maternal oral Cd exposure in feed, reduced birth weight in rats was found at a dose of 10 mg Cd kg –1 of either iron‐sufficient or iron‐deficient diet (Blanuša et al ., ) and at 200 mg Cd kg –1 (Pond and Walker, ). Reduction in pup growth was found in mice at 50 mg Cd kg –1 (Whelton et al ., ). Sutou et al .…”

“…By maternal oral Cd exposure in feed, reduced birth weight in rats was found at a dose of 10 mg Cd kg -1 of either iron-sufficient or iron-deficient diet and at 200 mg Cd kg -1 (Pond and Walker, 1975). Reduction in pup growth was found in mice at 50 mg Cd kg -1 (Whelton et al, 1988). Sutou et al (1980) found decreased foetal weight and length at 10 mg Cd kg -1 body weight a day by gavage during 6 weeks, including a period of mating and 20 days of gestation.…”

Effect of Cadmium on Rat Maxillary Molar Junctional Epithelium During Lactation: Efecto Del Cadmio Sobre El Epitelio De La Zona De Unión Maxilo-Molar De Ratas Durante La Lactancia

“…In this paper, it was observed a significant lower body weight of pups from animals intoxicated with cadmium. Reduced pups weight was also observed in rats by Crowe & Morgan (1997), in mice by Whelton et al (1988), and in newborn lambs by Floris et al (2000).…”