Essential metal contents and metallothionein-like protein in testes of mice after cadmium administration.

To study the testicular injury by Cd from the viewpoint of essential element levels, male mice were injected with Cd subcutaneously at a dose of 30 mumol/kg body weight singly and the concentrations of 8 elements (Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, and Cd) in the testis were measured for 6 weeks. The most pronounced alteration was an increase of Ca content with time after the injection; the experimental group had 270 times more Ca than the control despite a decrease of the testis weight to one-third of the control at 4 weeks. K content decreased markedly and Fe remained at an elevated level throughout the experimental period. Decreased Mg, P, and Zn levels started to be restored after 2 weeks. Metallothionein (MT)-like Zn-binding proteins were studied in the cytosol fraction with a high performance liquid chromatograph-atomic absorption spectrophotometer. MT-like proteins were observed at a higher concentration in the control than in the Cd-injected group. No indications of new induction of MTs or MT-like proteins could be detected.