Dependence on chelating agent properties of nephrotoxicity and testicular damage in male mice during cadmium decorporation.

An examination of the histopathological appearance of the kidneys of mice treated with cadmium chloride (s.c.) and simultaneously given 1 of 3 chelating agents (i.p.) reveals that the extent of nephrotoxicity is greatest when L-cysteine is the chelating agent. When either of 2 dithiocarbamates capable of mobilizing cadmium from its intracellular deposits, i.e. sodium N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (NaG) or sodium N-benzyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (NaB) is used as the chelating agent, no morphological renal damage was evident. Under these same conditions the testes of the mice were protected to the extent of 95% by both of the dithiocarbamates, whereas the protection afforded by the L-cysteine was only about 50%. One factor governing the extent of nephrotoxicity appears to be the stability of the cadmium complexes which are formed and the manner in which this affects their behavior in vivo. Complexes which are preferentially excreted in the bile, cause little or no renal damage.