Effects of acute and chronic cadmium administration on the vascular reactivity of rat aorta.

The effect of acute and chronic cadmium (Cd) administration on the vascular function of the rat aorta was studied. The rats were randomly divided into four main groups (A: saline controls under chronic administration, B: Cd-treated rats under chronic administration, C: saline controls under acute administration, D: Cd-treated rats under acute administration). After their sacrifice, the aortic rings were divided into rings with endothelium (E+) and without (E-), and suspended in an isolated organ bath with Krebs - Henseleit buffer.

Cadmium effects on brain acetylcholinesterase activity and antioxidant status of adult rats: modulation by zinc, calcium and L-cysteine co-administration.

We have previously reported that cadmium (Cd) as 3CdSO4 . 8H2O decreases rat brain total antioxidant status and L-cysteine (Cys) has a protective effect against it. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of subacute Cd administration, either alone or (almost simultaneously) with zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca) and Cys, on brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and brain total antioxidant status in male adult rats.

In vivo and in vitro effects of cadmium on adult rat brain total antioxidant status, acetylcholinesterase, (Na+, K+)-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase activities: protection by L-cysteine.

This study was undertaken in order to investigate a) the short- and long-term in vivo effects of cadmium (Cd) on brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE), (Na+, K+)-ATPase activities in adult rats, b) the concentration-dependent in vitro and in vivo (acute experiment) effects of Cd on the activity of those enzymes, c) the in vivo and in vitro effects of the antioxidant L-cysteine (Cys) on the above enzyme activities, and d) the evaluation of brain total antioxidant status after in vivo Cd, L-cysteine, or L-cysteine+Cd administration in rats. In vitro, CdSO4 inhibited pure and brain AChE in concentrations higher than 0.1 mM, while it activated by approximately 70% (P<0.