Stimulation of lipid peroxidation and heme oxygenase activity with inhibition of cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase in the liver of rats repeatedly exposed to cadmium.

Exposure of rats to 0.1 and 0.5 mg Cd/kg subcutaneously (s.c.) thrice weekly for 5 weeks resulted in an accumulation of cadmium in the liver in concentrations of 40 and 95 micrograms/g tissue, respectively, and a microsomal burden of Cd amounting to approx. 2-3% of the retained cadmium. The cytoplasm contained about 80% of the cadmium. At an exposure dose of 0.1 mg Cd/kg, stimulation of lipid peroxidation by 22% and inhibition of ALA synthetase by 16% in the liver were observed. The higher exposure of 0.5 mg Cd/kg caused an inhibition of microsomal monooxygenase with depression of cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 by 20% (over 2-fold prolongation of hexobarbital sleeping time and statistically significant decrease of activity of aniline p-hydroxylase). The loss of cytochrome P-450 probably was due to an intensified lipid peroxidation and induction of heme oxygenase (30% and 60% over control, respectively). Sequestration of cadmium by cytoplasm (metallothionein) does not protect microsomes against cadmium accumulation and specific biochemical disturbances.