Preventative Effects of Caffeic Acid Phenyl Ester on Cadmium Intoxication Induced Hematological and Blood Coagulation Disturbances and Hepatorenal Damage in Rats

The preventative effect of caffeic acid phenyl ester (CAPE) against hematological, blood coagulation, and hepatorenal disturbances in cadmium (Cd) intoxication was investigated in rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into control group, Cd-group, and Cd + CAPE group. Cd intoxication was induced by intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of CdCl(2) (1 mg/kg/day) for 21 days, and CAPE was daily given (10 micromol/kg; i.p.) for also 21 days. The results showed that Cd intoxication impaired hepatorenal function and significantly prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time and decreased fibrinogen level, red blood cells and platelets counts, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. Interestingly, all these hematological, blood coagulation, and hepatorenal deteriorations of Cd toxicity were significantly prevented by CAPE. Additionally, CAPE significantly reversed the significant decreases in levels of total reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase and increases in levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances that were observed in the sera and liver and kidney homogenates of Cd group. It is concluded that CAPE is a promising compound that can counteract the hematological and blood coagulation disturbances, oxidative stress, and hepatorenal damages in Cd intoxication. However, further studies are crucially needed to improve this treatment in patients.