Spasmolytic effect of cadmium and cadmium uptake in aorta

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Abstract
1 The relationship between inhibition of tension by Cd2+ in aorta and the kinetics of cadmium uptake and efflux was studied. Cd2+ (0.01–0.5 mm) inhibited the contraction of aorta to high-K+ (30 mm) in a dose-dependent manner. 2 The high-K+-induced tension completely returned to control values after 60 min washing with a solution containing 5 mm disodium edetate (EDTA) or 5 mm cysteine, following a treatment with 0.5 mm Cd2+ for 30 min; after washing with normal medium only 15% of the control response returned. 3 Cadmium uptake increased with an increase of the Cd2+ concentration (0.01–0.5 mm). 4 Aortae preincubated with 0.5 mm Cd2+ for 60 min were washed subsequently with a medium containing 5 mm EDTA or 5 mm cysteine. About 5% of the original tissue cadmium was retained after washing with EDTA or cysteine. 5 It is suggested that Cd2+ binds chiefly to the surface membrane of aorta. It seems possible that the quantity bound is correlated with the degree of inhibition of tension.