Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous non-essential transition metal that can be harmful to both human and animal health. Wheat germ oil (WGO) is a by-product of the milling of grain into flour which believed to have anti-oxidant properties contributing its protective effect against different toxins. So we aimed to study toxic effects of cadmium on liver and kidneys in adult male albino rats and to evaluate protective effect of wheat germ oil against these toxicities through biochemical, histopathological and PCR studies.

Methods: The study was conducted on 50 adult male albino rats, divided into: negative control group received regular diet and tap water; positive control group received 0.25 ml corn oil; cadmium group received 3.5 mg/kg CdCl2 daily; a WGO group received 100 mg/kg WGO daily; and combined Cd + WGO group for 12 weeks. Blood samples and target organs were collected for biochemical, gene expression and histopathological studies.

Results: Cadmium administration significantly elevated levels of ALT, AST, ALP, LDH, bilirubin, urea and creatinine while decreasing total proteins, albumin. Cd increased Bax, Caspase-3 and TNF-α and decreased Bcl-2 and IL-10 gene expression. Histopathological studies revealed that cadmium exposure caused hepatic and renal damage. Co-administration of WGO resulted in moderate improvement.

Conclusion: Cadmium exposure causes significant biochemical and histopathological damage to liver and kidneys. WGO administration significantly ameliorated biochemical parameters and histopathological findings, indicating its potential as a protective agent in reducing cadmium toxicity.