Influence of low and high cadmium diet in normotensive and hypertensive SH-rats.

Normotensive and SH-rats (Münster strain) were fed a cadmium-rich, normal or cadmium-poor diet. The blood pressure was slightly increased in normotensive rats after feeding a cadmium-rich diet and decreased after a cadmium-poor diet. In contrast, in SH-rats blood pressure was decreased after a cadmium-rich and increased after a cadmium-poor diet. This behavior of the blood pressure corresponded with the intra-erythrocytic Ca2+ activities. Whereas the calcium activities increased in the normotensive group after a cadmium-rich diet, the calcium activities decreased in the SH-group after cadmium feeding. It should be pointed out that normally the calcium activities were found to be elevated in SH-rats. Thus, cadmium feeding here had the same effect as a calcium antagonist.