In this study, the toxic effects of cadmium sulfate on adult female Sprague Dawley rats as well as the ameliorating effects of CaNa2EDTA nanoparticles against such toxicity were investigated. The predictive protective effect was compared with CaNa2EDTA macroparticles. Animals were classified at the start of the experiment, into two groups; a control (contains15
rats) and an intoxicated one (contains 45 rats), which received drinking water contains 30 ppm cadmium for 10 weeks. At the end of the 6th week of the experiment, the intoxicated group was subdivided equally into three groups. The second and third groups respectively were injected intraperitoneally with 50 mg/kg/day macroparticles or nanoparticles CaNa2EDTA for 4 courses (4 days each) with an interval of 3 days between the courses. The median lethal dose (LD50) of cadmium sulfate was determined. The effect of CaNa2EDTA nanoparticles against cadmium toxicity was investigated by the assessment of
clinical signs and symptoms, body weight gain, the levels of serum urea and creatinine, cadmium concentrations in serum and urine and histopathological examination of liver, kidney and femur. The obtained results revealed that the estimated LD50 for cadmium sulfate in adult female Sprague Dawley rats was 240mg/kg. Cadmium significantly reduced body
weight and induced a marked depression in the intoxicated rats. The levels of serum urea and creatinine were significantly increased. Serum and urine cadmium concentration were significantly increased in cadmium-intoxicated rats. Cadmium also induced histopathological changes in the liver, kidney and bones examination. These alterations were markedly alleviated by CaNa2EDTA treatment, while CaNa2EDTA nanoparticles treatment induced a marked protective effect when compared to the macrooparticles form. In conclusion, these findings suggested that CaNa2EDTA nanoparticles could be used as an effective chelating agent for cadmium because they have a more powerful chelating capacity than macroparticles and thus could modulate the development of severe toxic effects of cadmium in rats
.