Effect of cadmium ingestion on cadmium and zinc profile in male and female rat liver cytosol

A study of the changes in rat liver cytosol zinc and cadmium metalloprotein profiles obtained by G-75 Sephadex chromatography of male and female rats given oral cadmium chloride chronically at different low doses showed that the changes were dose related. Marked disturbances in the zinc-containing regions of the protein profile preceded any extensive formation of metallothionein, and the earliest signs of cadmium metalloprotein formation involved three equally prominent regions, a high molecular weight region (I), the metallothionein region (V) and a low molecular weight region (VI). The low molecular weight region (estimated at 3500 daltons) is of interest in that it is a newly recognized zinc-containing region even in the controls. Significant quantitative differences were found between males and females. Female livers consistently contained higher concentrations of cadmium and zinc. There also were important quantitative differences in the zinc and cadmium-containg cytosol fractions of the protein profiles of livers of males and females exposed to oral cadmium.