Modification of the adverse effects of cadmium exposure by steroid compounds in rodents: A review

Cadmium is a very important m etal toxin and environmental pollutant. In rodents, the acute and chronic toxic effects of cadmium are pronounced in several tissues including the lung, liver, kidney, prostate, and testes. The toxic effects of cadmium can be modulated by pretreatments or concurrent treatments with various m etallic and nonmetallic substances. This review focuses on theeffects of steroid hormones and steroid antagonists on cadmium toxicity in vivo. Steroids can have a variety of effects on cadmium toxicity including both mitigation and exacerbation of the adverse effects of this metal. Steroids or steroid antagonists that have been reported to modify cadmium toxicity include testosterone, progesterone, cyproterone, estradiol, and stilbestrol. Some steroids, like dexam ethasone and corticosterone, are inducers of metallothionein (MT), a cadmium-binding protein thought to be im portant in cadm ium tolerance. From these reports several possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain the m odul...