Effects of Cadmium on Bovine Corneal Endothelial CellsIn Vitro

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Abstract
Cadmium at a concentration of 0.5 µg/ml has been shown to be toxic to bovine corneal endothelial cells in vitro. The toxicity could be observed within 24 hr and exhibited a dose-response relationship. After exposure to 0.1 µg/ml cadmium for 24 hr, the cells were morphologically normal. Prolonged treatment, however, caused a decrease in the density of nuclei at 168 hr. At higher dosages (0.5 and 1.0 µg/ml cadmium), a similar decrease in the density of nuclei was observed at 48 hr. The effect was aggravated by extending the exposure time to 168 hr. We propose that cadmium may interfere with the energy metabolism in bovine corneal endothelial cells in vitro, leading to the disruption of the monolayer structure and cell shape.