title: Inhibition of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activity in the small intestines of rats exposed to dietary cadmium.
abstract: Male and female rats, 8 weeks old, were exposed for 40 days to a sole source of drinking water containing 0.2 g cadmium/l. Similar control rats received deionised water over the same period. Post mortem, selected areas of small intestinal tissue from each rat were examined histologically and assayed for cadmium burdens and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activity. A significant inhibition of LAP activity occurred in the duodenums of experimental rats, whilst in the distal ileums LAP activity was slightly higher than that of control rats. Cadmium burdens, however, showed a small increase in ileums as compared to duodenums.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase