Toxic effect of lead on fertility of inbred strain mice.

Males of inbred strains were orally given lead acetate water solution during 150 days. Changes were found in the structure of the seminiferous tubules and in spermatozoa. The pathological changes in Leydig cells brought about a decline in levels of androgens.

Effect of cadmium on the thickness of compact bone and on bone repair in cadmium-sensitive mice.

Cadmium administered intraperitoneally to male mice from a cadmium-sensitive KE strain brought about a decrease in thickness of the cortical bone layer accompanied by osteoporosis and widening of the marrow cavity. The extent of these changes was assessed by calculating the cortical index. No differences were observed between animals examined four months and eight months after cadmium administration.

Resistance of KP and CBA mice to cadmium chloride assessed on the basis of the bone marrow stromal cell growth in vitro.

Using a culture of bone marrow stromal cells, resistance of two inbred mice strains, KP and CBA, to cadmium chloride was assessed. Mice were administered with a single dose of CdCl2 (12 mumoles (kg b. wt) and bone marrow cells were examined after 7 days of culture.