Modified distribution of lymphocyte subpopulation in blood and spleen from mice exposed to cadmium.

The effect of cadmium (Cd) on the lymphocyte subpopulation in peripheral blood and spleen was studied in ICR mice given a daily subcutaneous injection of 0.5 and 1.0 mg Cd/kg body weight for 5 days or mice fed with the drinking water containing 3, 30 and 300 ppm Cd for 10 weeks. The reduction of blood B lymphocytes observed in Cd-injected mice was accompanied by the increase of the number of splenic B lymphocytes. On the other hand in Cd-fed mice the reduction of blood T lymphocytes was found and associated with the increase of the number of splenic T lymphocytes. These findings suggest that circulating lymphocytes may redistribute differentially in lymphoid organs responded to the Cd exposure.