Relationship between mortality and rice cadmium concentration in inhabitants of the polluted Jinzu River basin,Toyama, Japan: A 26 year follow‐up

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mortality and rice cadmium (Cd) concentration in inhabitants of a polluted area in Japan. The target subjects were inhabitants of the Jinzu River basin who participated in health examinations for screening of renal dysfunction from 1979 to 1984. The mean rice Cd concentration in each hamlet was used as an index of the Cd exposure. We conducted a 26 year follow‐up survey in 3281 inhabitants (1544 men and 1737 women) whose data regarding the rice Cd concentration were available. Mortality risk ratios for all and specific causes were estimated after adjustments for age at baseline, smoking status and history of hypertension using a Cox hazard model or Fine and Gray competing risks regression model. The mortality risk ratios of rice Cd concentration (+0.1 ppm) for all causes in women were significantly increased (risk ratio: 1.04). Furthermore, the relative risks of rice Cd concentration for kidney and urinary tract disease, renal diseases, renal failure and toxic effects of cadmium were significantly increased in both sexes. These findings indicated that increased rice Cd concentration decreased the prognosis for life over a long‐term observation in women. This result provides important information for determining the worldwide standard for allowable rice Cd concentration.     

Adsorption of organic compounds and hydrophilicity of bismuth,cadmium and antimony electrodes

The adsorption behavior of various organic compounds at bismuth, antimony, cadmium, mercury and other “mercury-like” metals has been discussed. The systematic trends of the influence of the chemical nature of electrode metal and adsorbate to the molecular interaction parameter, a; limiting Gibbs adsorption, Γ_{A, max}; and Gibbs energy of adsorption, ΔG_A⁰, have been analyzed. The ingredients of the total Gibbs energy of organic compounds adsorption have been found. A new more general method for obtaining the metal-water; interaction Gibbs energy has been worked out and used. It was found that the dependence of Gibbs energy of metal-water interaction on the chemical nature of metal and aliphatic organic compound studied is weak. Only in the case of chemically very different metals, for example for Sb and Zn, the difference of Gibbs energy of metal-water interaction values is somewhat higher than the exactness of the determination of the experimental values of Gibbs energy of organic compound adsorption.     

Onion and garlic extracts as potential antidotes for cadmium‐induced biochemical alterations in prostate glands of rats

Cadmium (Cd) has been implicated in increased prostate gland malignancy risk in both wildlife and humans. This study examines the chemoprotective roles of onion and garlic extracts on Cd‐induced biochemical alterations in the prostate glands of rats. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into nine groups: control group received double distilled water; Cd group received Cd alone (1.5 mg/100 g bwt per day); extract‐treated groups were pre‐treated with varied doses of onion and/or garlic extract (0.5 ml and 1.0 ml/100 g bwt per day) for 1 week and then co‐treated with Cd (1.5 mg/100 g bwt per day) for additional 3 weeks. Oxidant/antioxidant status and acid phosphatase (ACP_total and ACP_prostatic) activity were examined in prostate glands. Cd intoxication caused a marked (P < 0.001) increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and glutathione S‐transferase (GST) levels, whereas glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase and catalase levels were markedly (P < 0.001) decreased. We also observed significant (P < 0.001) decrease in ACP_total and ACP_prostatic activities in prostate glands and a concomitant significant (P < 0.001) increase in the plasma. However, treatment of Cd‐intoxicated rats with onion and/or garlic extract significantly minimised these alterations. The onion extract offered a dose‐dependent protection. Our findings suggest a chemoprotective capability for onion and garlic extracts against Cd‐induced biochemical alteration in the prostate glands.     

电子垃圾污染区新生儿胎盘镉含量及金属硫蛋白表达水平

目的：检测贵屿电子垃圾污染区新生儿胎盘镉含量及胎盘金属硫蛋白（metallothionein,MT）表达量,评估贵屿地区新生儿镉暴露情况及对新生儿的可能影响。方法：选取贵屿当地医院妇产科2006年7~9月出生的足月健康新生儿胎盘100例为实验组,纳入研究的产妇为贵屿镇当地居民,妊娠期间在贵屿居住。取汕头市潮南民生医院妇产科2006年5~6月出生的足月健康新生儿胎盘52例为对照组,产妇来自贵屿周边乡镇。石墨炉原子吸收法检测胎盘镉含量。链霉菌素_生物素（S_P）免疫组化技术检测胎盘组织MT的表达水平。问卷调查收集可能影响镉负荷的产妇年龄、家庭、环境、健康、饮食等因素。结果：实验组新生儿胎盘镉水平的平均值为（0.17±0.48）μg/g,明显高于对照组（0.10±0.11）μg/g,差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.01）。相关分析表明产妇在贵屿居住时间、产妇妊娠期间在贵屿居住时间、产妇怀孕期间在公路附近活动时间是影响胎盘镉水平的主要因素。S_P免疫组织化学检测显示胎盘组织中蜕膜细胞、合体滋养层细胞、绒毛间质细胞均有MT的表达。实验组胎盘组织MT阳性表达率（67.00%）高于对照组（32.69%）（P〈0.01）。新生儿胎盘MT表达量与胎盘镉水平呈显著正相关（r=0.761,P〈0.05）。结论：贵屿部分新生儿处于高镉负荷状态,贵屿当地环境和从事电子垃圾作业是影响当地新生儿高镉负荷的危险因素。贵屿地区新生儿胎盘可能通过增加MT的表达拮抗镉的毒性。     

氧化锗对氯化镉诱发小鼠骨髓细胞微核率的影响

本文结果表明氧化镉能显著增高小鼠骨髓多染红细胞的微核率,与对照组比较有显著差异,即氧化锗可降低氯化镉诱发的微核率.     

Cadmium exposure and hypertension in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

INTRODUCTION: Cadmium induces hypertension in animal models. Epidemiologic studies of cadmium exposure and hypertension, however, have been inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the association of blood and urine cadmium with blood pressure levels and with the prevalence of hypertension in U.S. adults who participated in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). METHODS: We studied participants > or = 20 years of age with determinations of cadmium in blood (n = 10,991) and urine (n = 3,496). Blood and urine cadmium were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were measured using a standardized protocol. RESULTS: The geometric means of blood and urine cadmium were 3.77 nmol/L and 2.46 nmol/L, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, the average differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure comparing participants in the 90th vs. 10th percentile of the blood cadmium distribution were 1.36 mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI), -0.28 to 3.00] and 1.68 mmHg (95% CI, 0.57-2.78), respectively. The corresponding differences were 2.35 mmHg and 3.27 mmHg among never smokers, 1.69 mmHg and 1.55 mmHg among former smokers, and 0.02 mmHg and 0.69 mmHg among current smokers. No association was observed for urine cadmium with blood pressure levels, or for blood and urine cadmium with the prevalence of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Cadmium levels in blood, but not in urine, were associated with a modest elevation in blood pressure levels. The association was stronger among never smokers, intermediate among former smokers, and small or null among current smokers. Our findings add to the concern of renal and cardiovascular cadmium toxicity at chronic low levels of exposure in the general population.     

微量元素锌、铜、硒对胎盘镉转运的影响

目的:评价微量元素锌、铜、硒对胎盘镉转运的影响。方法:于2002年11月至2003年1月选择湖北省大冶市的待产孕妇,进行问卷调查和体格检查,同时检测全血锌、铜、硒和镉水平。采集新生儿脐血和胎盘标本用于测定镉含量。分析孕妇锌、铜、硒的营养状况是否与胎盘镉转运存在显著关联。结果:47例20～34岁孕妇全血镉(μg/L)为0.8～25.2,新生儿脐血镉(μg/L)为0.020～1.48,孕妇血镉显著高于脐血镉(T=564P<0.01)。孕妇胎盘组织镉含量(μg/g干重)为0.082～3.97。多因素线性回归分析显示,低血铜孕妇与血铜水平正常者相比新生儿脐血镉显著增加,低血锌孕妇的胎盘镉显著高于血锌正常者,低血硒孕妇的胎盘镉显著低于血硒正常者。结论:微量元素铜、锌、硒可能影响胎盘镉转运。     

Cadmium-induced testicular damage in a rat model of subchronic intoxication

Background: Cadmium (Cd)-induced testicular damage in relation to spermatogenesis has not been well studied. We studied the mechanism of Cd-induced testicular damage in a rat model of subchronic intoxication.
Methods:  Male Sprague–Dawley rats were subcutaneously injected with 0.6 mg Cd/kg per day for 6 weeks. The concentration of Cd in urine, serum and testes was measured by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Testicular damage was evaluated by counting the spermatogonia (SG) and spermatocytes (SC) on one cut-surface of five seminiferous tubules in stages VII or VIII of spermatogenesis every week. The location of intratesticular cadmium was determined by using oxine-fluorescent cytochemistry.
Results: There were no differences in the testes/bodyweight ratio between the study and control groups. The concentration of Cd in the testes increased more than 100-fold that in serum after week 2, suggesting active testicular Cd accumulation (1–3 mg/g tissue). Cadmium accumulation was detected in SG and SC. The number of SG and SC diminished significantly in the study group (week 2: SG 74%, SC 90%; week 4: SG 47%, SC 75%; week 6: SG 30%, SC 54% of the control, respectively).
Conclusions: Cadmium accumulated in SG and SC, consequently reduced the number of these cells, and disturbed the spermatogenesis in this rat model of subchronic Cd intoxication. Therefore, the number of SG decreased in this rat model of subchronic Cd intoxication. (Reprod Med Biol 2002; 1 : 59–63).     

Dose-response relationship between total cadmium intake calculated from the cadmium concentration in rice collected from each household of farmers and renal dysfunction in inhabitants of the Jinzu River basin,Japan

The association between total cadmium (Cd) intake and abnormal urinary findings was investigated in the Cd-polluted Jinzu River basin. In 1967 and 1968 the most systematic and large-scale health examinations were conducted among the entire population aged over 30 years of this region. We performed this study by targeting the subjects participating in the 1967 health survey conducted mainly in the heavily polluted area. From subjects who had eaten household rice of known Cd concentration, 1,075 inhabitants who had either resided in their current household since birth or who had moved there from a non-polluted area (group A), and 780 inhabitants who had resided in the current household since birth (group B), were selected as the target population. The total Cd intake for each person was calculated from the Cd dose ingested from rice and other foods. Logistic regression analysis was performed using the prevalence of abnormal urinary findings (proteinuria, glucosuria and proteinuria with glucosuria) as the criterion variable and the total Cd intake and age as explanatory variables. In subjects of groups A and B the odds ratios became higher as the dose of total Cd intake increased. Odds ratios in subjects of group A were statistically significant except for glucosuria of men and proteinuria of women. In subjects of group B the odds ratios were also significant for proteinuria + glucosuria of men and glucosuria of women. It was demonstrated that the greater the increase in total Cd intake, the greater the increase in abnormal urinary findings in the Jinzu River basin, and the association of the two factors was very close.     

Prediagnostic toenail cadmium and zinc and subsequent prostate cancer risk

BACKGROUND: Cadmium is a recognized human lung carcinogen that has also been positively associated with prostate cancer mainly in occupationally exposed men. The association between dietary and supplemental zinc intake and prostate cancer has not been consistent in epidemiologic studies. We evaluated the association between prediagnostic toenail cadmium and zinc concentrations and risk of prostate cancer in a cohort in which the primary route of exposure to cadmium and zinc is the diet. METHODS: Included in the analysis were 115 prostate cancer cases and 227 age-matched controls nested in the prospective CLUE II study located in Washington County, MD. Participants provided toenail samples at baseline in 1989. Furnace atomic absorption and flame atomic absorption were used to determine toenail cadmium and zinc concentrations, respectively. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: Median toenail cadmium and zinc concentrations did not statistically significantly differ between prostate cancer cases (cadmium, 45.9 ppb; zinc, 155.3 ppm) and controls (cadmium, 54.5 ppb; zinc, 164.0 ppm). Prostate cancer risk did not increase with increasing concentrations of cadmium (P trend = 0.9) and did not decrease with increasing concentrations of zinc (P trend = 0.2). For both metals, the ORs for the top four fifths were each below 1.0 when compared with the bottom fifth. CONCLUSION: Men who have high toenail cadmium concentrations in the range observed in this general population sample were not at an increased risk for prostate cancer. Although there was no evidence of a linear dose-response, these findings suggest that risk of prostate cancer may be slightly lower among men with moderate and higher zinc intake.