X-Ray Microanalysis Of Proximal And Distal Tubule Cells In The Mouse Kidney, And The Influence Of Cadmium On The Concentration Of Natural Intracellular Elements

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Abstract
Quantitative X-ray microanalysis of frozen freeze-dried sections of mouse cortex have been used to determine the concentrations of Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K, Ca and Cd in normal mice and those subjected to 0·7 μmol of cadmium chloride in two subcutaneous injections. These injections result in tissue levels of approximately 100 mg Cd/kg dry weight (<1 mM) in whole kidney when analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry. There were distinct and characteristic differences – ‘fingerprints’ – in the elemental composition of both cytoplasm and mitochondria in proximal and distal tubules of normal mice that were disturbed by the cadmium treatment. The most significant effect of the cadmium injections was a highly significant increase in the sulphur content of the cytoplasm and mitochondria of distal tubules and a loss in concentration of Mg, P, Cl, K, and particularly Na, from the mitochondria. These results are discussed in the light of current concepts of metallothionein induction (metallothionein is a sulphur-rich protein that acts to bind, amongst other metals, cadmium) and the lack of damage observed in the distal tubules.