Cadmium activates a programmed, lysosomal membrane permeabilization-dependent necrosis pathway

► Cadmium causes a necrotic cell death in endothelial cells. ► Cd-induced necrosis is a programmed, BCL-XL-inhibitable process. ► Lysosomal membrane permeabilization and release of DNAse II are central in the execution of cell death. ► DNAse-mediated degradation of nuclear DNA results in “apoptosis mimicry” in several cell death assays.