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Effect of Graded Levels of Cadmium on Tissue Uptake of ⁶⁵Zn by the Chick Over Time¹

Department of Food Science and Biochemistry, College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

To ascertain if part of the interference of dietary cadmium with the utilization of dietary zinc might be due in part to competition for sites on a blood transport system, and to detect other early interference, chicks were fed graded levels of cadmium with each of three levels of a single dose of ⁶⁵Zn. Uptake by the blood, liver and tibiae was measured over a 24-hour period. Interference with uptake of 3 µg of ⁶⁵Zn was not found when zero, 5, 10 or 50 ions of Cd (mole equivalents) were included in the dosage. When a basal dose of 18 or 27 µg of ⁶⁵Zn was fed, 5 or 10 molEq of cadmium caused a marked decrease in absorption of ⁶⁵Zn. The difference in blood levels persisted over 24 hours, suggesting that cadmium was occupying some of the blood-binding sites. The ⁶⁵Zn accumulated in the liver of the chicks fed cadmium so that uptake did not differ from the basal group from 8 to 24 hours. The increase in liver uptake was not reflected in uptake by the tibiae, the latter being significantly lower than the basal group. It is postulated that cadmium interferes with the absorption of zinc through occupation of some of the binding sites of a transport system in the blood; further interference with utilization of the absorbed zinc occurs at a more fundamental level. It is suggested that the effect of dietary cadmium on dietary zinc will depend on the absolute amounts of each, the proportions of one to the other, and the length of the feeding period.

² Present address: School of Home Economics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59715.

Manuscript received 22 July 1968.