title: Cadmium/zinc relationships in kidney cortex and metallothionein of horse and red deer: histopathological observations on horse kidneys.
abstract: Cadmium and zinc were determined in kidney cortex of 63 horses and 51 red deer (Cervus elaphus). Cadmium and zinc were also determined in protein fractions obtained by Sephadex chromatography of kidney cortex from 10 horses and 4 red deer. Histopathological parameters in kidney cortex of horses were compared to cadmium content. The metal contents (on wet weight basis) in kidney cortex of the horses were 0.31 +/- 0.22 mmole Cd/kg (range 0.03-1.21) and 0.63 +/- 0.17 mmole Zn/kg (range 0.36-1.23). The Zn content increased with the Cd content, the Zn increase being less at higher concentrations. No significant increase of the Cd content with age of the horses (range 2-19 years) was found. The metal contents in kidney cortex of the red deer were 0.030 +/- 0.031 mmole Cd/kg (range 0.002-0.13) and 0.51 +/- 0.37 mmole Zn/kg (range 0.30-2.82). Here the Zn content did not increase significantly with Cd content, and in this case a positive linear relation of Cd content with age of the deer (range 0-11 years) was observed. The molar Zn/Cd ratio in the metallothionein fractions of horse kidney cortex was less variable at higher Cd contents. All Cd and the increase of Zn above an average basal level of 0.36 mmole Zn/kg was recovered in the metallothionein fractions. No gross histopathological changes could be observed in kidney cortex of the horses. Nevertheless a slight increase of the thickness of the basement membrane of Bowman's Capsule and also of the diameter of Bowman's Capsule in relation to Cd content up to 0.3 mmole/kg could be observed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003670:Deer; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D006736:Horses; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008668:Metallothionein; D013045:Species Specificity; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc