Study on toxicological effect and the mechanism of cadmium in rice and inorganic cadmium on ICR mice

Xiaoyao Yin; Qian Wu; Wanying Song; Qing Yang; Yongning Wu; Min Fang; Zhiyong Gong

doi:10.1093/toxres/tfab043

Study on toxicological effect and the mechanism of cadmium in rice and inorganic cadmium on ICR mice

Toxicol Res (Camb). 2021 Jun 1;10(3):639-650. doi: 10.1093/toxres/tfab043. eCollection 2021 May.

Authors

Xiaoyao Yin¹, Qian Wu¹, Wanying Song¹, Qing Yang¹, Yongning Wu², Min Fang¹, Zhiyong Gong¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory for Deep Processing of Major Grain and Oil of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Polytechnic University, 68 Xuefu South Road, Wuhan 430023, Hubei, China.
² NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Food Safety Research Unit (2019RU014) of Chinese Academy of Medical Science, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, 37 Guangqu Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100021, China.

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) exposure may induce chronic intoxication, but the harm of cadmium in rice to human at chronic low-level Cd exposure remains unclear. This study employed a mouse model to investigate the toxicity and mechanism of cadmium in rice and CdCl₂. After 8-week exposure to Cd (CdCl₂ and Cd-contaminated rice), the biochemical indicators and oxidation indicators in the serum and liver of mice were determined, and used mRNA sequencing to investigate the mechanism of different forms of Cd. Results showed that the cadmium concentration of the liver in the CdCl₂ + Rice-N group (CdCl₂ mixed with feed and normal rice, 0.4mg/kg.bw) was higher than that in the Rice-H group (0.4mg/kg.bw). However, the cadmium concentration of the kidneys in the Rice-H group was higher than that in the CdCl₂ + Rice-N group. Our study demonstrated that Cd-treated (Cd in rice and CdCl₂) ICR mice generated obviously tissues injury, such as the increased biochemical studies, the activity of antioxidant enzymes debasement. Simultaneously, our data also indicated that there existed difference of the hepatic toxicity between Cd in rice and CdCl₂. By means of transcriptomics, we discovered that CdCl₂ and Cd in rice may affect different gene expression at the molecular level. We hope to provide some theoretical basis for the revision of food security standards.

Keywords: MAPK signaling pathway; PI3K-Akt /mTOR signaling pathway; mRNA sequencing; oxidative damage.