Life-term Effects of Nickel in Rats: Survival, Tumors, Interactions with Trace Elements and Tissue Levels

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Abstract
In order to evaluate recondite toxicity of nickel, rats of both sexes were exposed to 5 ppm nickel in drinking water for life. The 104 rats given nickel and a control group containing 104 rats each received the following essential metals in water (ppm): zinc 50, manganese 10, copper 5, chromium 5, cobalt 1, molybdenum 1. There was some increased growth in the nickel-fed rats, but the metal was virtually innocuous, not affecting survival, longevity, incidence of tumors or specific lesions. Five organs were analyzed for zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum and nickel by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The feeding of nickel was associated with increased concentrations of chromium in heart and spleen, and manganese in kidney, and decreased copper in lung and spleen, zinc in lung, and manganese in spleen. Nickel did not accumulate in tissues. Uric acid levels in serum were unaffected. Nickel appeared to interact with all four of the essential trace metals studied.