Abstract
This study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary protein and calcium levels on cadmium detoxication in rats. Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 208 $\pm$ 19 g were blocked into 10 groups of 7 animals according to body weight. Five groups were fed 15% protein-0.6% calcium diet with 100ppm cadmium in drinking water for first 15days and the other 5groups fed same diet without cadmium in drinking water for same period and served as controls. After this 15-day intoxication period, each one of cadmium intoxication and control groups were fed each of 4 kinds of detoxifying diets different with protein(40%, 15%) and calcium(1.3%, 0.6%) levels without cadmimum in drinking water for following 15 days of detoxifying period. Results were summarized as follows: 1) Food intake, body weight gain, F.E.R. and weights of liver, kidney and femur were increased by detoxifying diets and high protein diet was most effective in weight gains of liver and kidney. 2) When cadmium and metallothionein contents of initial intoxication group and those of all detoxication groups were compared, cadmium and metallothionein contents in the liver were not changed, but those in kidney increased, and those in intestine decreased markedly. 3) Only dietary protein level affected cadmium and metallothionein distribution among organs, and cadmium contents of whole blood, liver, kidney and femur were lower in high protein diet, but metallothionein contents in liver and kidney were higher in high protein diet. 4) Gel filtration chromatogram showed that most of cadmium in the cytosol was bound to metallothionein fractions in high protein-high calcium group. Results obtained indicated that high protein diet was effective in cadmium detoxication by increasing the induction of metallothionein synthesis. But high calcium diet did not play a role in cadmium detoxication.
