The effect of combined exposure to lead and cadmium on serum lipids and lipid peroxides level in rats.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the combined exposure to lead and cadmium on serum lipids and lipid peroxides level in rats and to compare the obtained results with the effects of a single metal. Experiments were performed on male Buffalo rats which were intragastrically administered of lead acetate in doses of 70 mg Pb/kg body wt. twice a week and/or cadmium chloride in doses of 20 mg Cd/kg body wt. once a week for a period of seven weeks. One day after the feeding was over, the following parameters were measured: serum lipids, serum lipid peroxides, blood superoxide dismutase activity, and plasma cholesterol-lecithin-acyltransferase activity. Metal content (lead, copper, cadmium and zinc) in blood and liver was determined by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. No clinical signs of lead or cadmium toxicity were observed. In comparison to controls, rats poisoned with cadmium and simultaneously with lead and cadmium displayed lower total, free, and HDL-cholesterol concentrations in serum. Rats poisoned with lead displayed lower total and HDL cholesterol levels in comparison to controls, but it was associated with increase of free cholesterol concentration and hypertriglyceridemia. Rats poisoned with cadmium displayed decrease of serum lipid peroxides level and increase of blood dismutase activity. It may be a consequence of redistribution of zinc and copper (increase of copper and decrease of zinc concentrations in blood). In rats treated with lead and cadmium jointly serum lipid peroxides level increased and superoxide dysmutase activity decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)