Effect of maternal cadmium exposure on maternal health and fetal development in rat fetuses and the protective role of antioxidant therapy

Abstract EN

Background : Cadmium is a widespread environmental pollutant, naturally occurring in soil and water.

Cadmium levels in soil are increasing due to the disposal of domestic sewage sludge in agricultural areas and wide use of phosphate fertilizers contaminated with cadmium.

Cadmium is accumulated in food materials causing many hazardous effects on the human health.

Very limited evidences and conflicting results were available about the detailed fetal developmental effects of prenatal cadmium exposure of pregnant women.

Moreover, the potential role of selenium to ameliorate cadmium toxicity on the fetal development was not well studied.

Materials & Methods : pregnant rats were divided into : Group (I) was left without treatment (control group).

Group (II) and group (IV) were treated with 1 and 2 mg / Kg / B.W / day of cadmium chloride respectively, group (III) and group (V) were treated with 1 and 2 mg / Kg / B.W / day of cadmium chloride and 1 mg / Kg / B.W / day of selenium respectively.

Results : This study showed that cadmium exposure resulted in a dose-dependent toxicity for both mothers and fetuses in the form of : decreased maternal weight gain, fetal weight, number of live fetuses with increased resorptions, diminished fetal growth parameters, occurrence of internal and external congenital malformations.

These changes were prominent in group (IV) fetuses & co-administration of selenium demonstrated a significant improvement of these toxic changes.

Conclusion : Cadmium exposure during pregnancy led to deleterious effects on, maternal health and fetal development, and that co-administration of selenium with cadmium resulted in significant improvement of these deleterious effects.