Iron and trace elements in rat cerebral structures

The aim of this work is to assess the interrelationships between several el ements in health and disease (anemia), principally in control animals expos ed to heavy metals, here with cadmium. In anaemic condition, heavy metals a re highly absorbed and this fact is here corroborated. The concentrations a re established by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Cadmium chloride is ad ministered to male Wistar. rats by intraperitoneal route 0.5 mg/Kg during 5 days, organ and cerebral regions were dissected and processed, dried, weig hed and in quart ampoules submmitted to NAA. Iron concentrations in rat org ans and cerebral structures are generally lower than cadmium in rats inject ed with cadmium. It is known that cadmium binds tighter to the proteins tha n zinc and other elements. In cerebral cortex and hypocampus, iron concentr ation in cadmium administered rats are lower than in control animals. The c onnection between the increase of cadmium administration with the increase of cadmium concentration and the decrease of iron, show that both ions are connected with its absorption and distribution. The competitive binding of both cations to metallothionein show that cadmium is hold more tightly than iron by this molecule, and the first has higher number of orbital electron s and higher radius than iron. The induction of metallothionein by cadmium show this protein as a bioindicator of cadmium exposure, pollution and the possibility to use it as environmental biomonitoring.