SOLUBILITY AND CELL TOXICITY OF CADMIUM

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd), Cd fume and cadmium oxide (CdO) were more easily dissolved in protein and amino acid solution such as fetal calf serum, albumin, glycine or neutralized cysteine monohydrate solution than in water or Tyrode's solution. But, there was no difference in the dissolution of cadmium sulphite (CdS) between in the former solutions and in the latter. The solubility of Cd, CdO or Cd fume in albumin and glycine solution increased with increasing their concentration.
When the Cd dissolved in protein or amino acid solution was added to the cul-tures, these dissolved Cd showed toxic action on the FM3A cells in proportion to the amount of Cd value irrespective of the sort of the solvent.
On the column chromatographs by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, the Cd dissolved in albumin solution or fetal calf serum coexisted with albumin fractions. In the case of the culture medium containing the Cd dissolved in albumin solution or fetal calf serum, the Cd was also associated with albumin fractions. When, however, metallothionein-Cd was added to the cultures, the Cd in the culture medium was combined mainly with metallothionein fractions and partly with albumin frac-tions and the Cd bound with thionein did not show the toxic action on the FM3A cells.