Cadmium-glutathione complex formation in human t-cell and b-cell lymphocytes after their incubation with organo-cadmium diacetate.

Cadmium intake is associated with oxidative stress that causes depletion of intracellular as well as extra cellular reduced glutathione. There is strong evidence indicating that reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species generated in the presence of cadmium could be responsible for its toxic effects in many cells and tissues. Depletion of reduced glutathione in various cells, especially in T and B-lymphocytes, causes extreme damage to the antioxidant defense system of body. The aim of this research work was to investigate the metabolic changes that occur in T and B lymphocytes after their incubation with organ cadmium diacetate by using Ellman's spectrophotometric method of thiol quantification. The results of the present study indicate that cadmium depleted T and B lymphocytes GSH to a harmful extent. It is proposed that this depletion is due to the bivalent cadmium glutathione complex formation, oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH) to its oxidized form, or both.