Abstract
Cadmium is chemically related to zinc and found wherever zinc occurs in nature. Cadmium is emitted to air and water by mines, metal foundries, viz. brass and industries using Cadmium in alkaline accumulators, alloys, paints and plastics. Cadmium exposure results in increase of concentration of a protein, called metallothionein, which plays an important role in detoxification of heavy metals. In persons not exposed to high amounts of cadmium, the concentration of cadmium in blood, bound mainly to red blood cells, is very small, less than 1 µg/100 mL whole blood. Gontzea and Popescu1 revealed that rats reared on low protein (casein 8.8%) diet were more susceptible to the adverse effects (blood and liver enzyme parameters) of injected Cd, than control given a diet with 17.8% casein. The present study was conducted on rats maintained on normal (21% protein) and protein malnourished (8% protein) diets. Exposure to cadmium in growing rats induced structural anomalies in the erythrocytes and leukocytes. Microcytic hypochromic anemia with erythrocytopenia and leukocytopenia were evident. Protein malnutrition appears to enhance the vulnerability of the animals to these changes.
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