Effects of a single intraperitoneal administration of cadmium on femoral bone structure in male rats

BACKGROUND: Exposure to cadmium (Cd) is considered a risk factor for various bone diseases in humans and experimental animals. This study investigated the acute effects of Cd on femoral bone structure of adult male rats after a single intraperitoneal administration. METHODS: Ten 4-month-old male Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of 2 mg CdCl(2)/kg body weight and killed 36 h after the Cd had been injected. Ten 4-month-old males served as a control group. Differences in body weight, femoral weight, femoral length and histological structure of the femur were evaluated between the two groups of rats. The unpaired Student's t-test was used for establishment of statistical significance. RESULTS: A single intraperitoneal administration of Cd had no significant effect on the body weight, femoral weight or femoral length. On the other hand, histological changes were significant. Rats exposed to Cd had significantly higher values of area, perimeter, maximum and minimum diameters of the primary osteons' vascular canals and Haversian canals. In contrast, a significant decrease in all variables of the secondary osteons was observed in these rats. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that, as expected, a single intraperitoneal administration of 2 mg CdCl(2)/kg body weight had no impact on macroscopic structure of rat's femora; however, it affected the size of vascular canals of primary osteons, Haversian canals, and secondary osteons.