Abstract:
Background: Cadmium is one of hazardous heavy metals, broadly spread as water and food-borne toxicant. The first organ to be targeted by food-borne cadmium is the gastrointestinal tract, causing intestinal damage and Deficits in metal trace elements. In contrast Zinc is one of the most vital nutritional minerals motivating other heavy metals' metabolism, such as cadmium.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the histopathological and biochemical effects of cadmium on intestinal wall, through investigation of possible oxidative and inflammatory pathways, moreover, to determine whether zinc may have a preventive function against this potential toxicity.
Methods: Rats were divided to 4 groups (control, zinc, cadmium, zinc/cadmium), after 14 days of cadmium supplementation (6 mg/kg) ± 500 mg zinc chloride, rats were weighted and jejunal samples were obtained for histological and biochemical analysis.
Results: administration of cadmium caused decrease in rats' body weight, increase in the activities of inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-1β levels) and intestinal oxidant/antioxidant imbalance (increase in malondialdehyde level, plus decrease in SOD and GPx activity). Moreover, Cadmium triggered intestinal structural damage (short blunt or long desquamated villi's tip, distorted enterocytes, vacuolations, hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltrations), decrease goblet cells' number and index, inflammatory reaction with overexpression of NF-kb and low expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2.
Conclusions: this study has revealed that zinc chloride supplementation can improve the Cd induced inflammatory reaction and villus pathology, mitigate oxidative stress and the weight loss through inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers.