No influence of cadmium on the production of specific antibodies in mice.
The in vivo effect of cadmium on specific antibody production of the immune system was investigated in mice. Female Balb/c mice were given 1, 10 or 100 ppm cadmium as cadmium chloride in the drinking water for 7, 14, 21, 28, 60 or 90 days. Immunization of the mice was carried out twice with a specific antigen (dinitrophenyl-bovine serum albumin) at an interval of 14 days. The antibodies (IgM and IgG) produced by this antigen were determined jointly with the aid of ELISA on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 after the first sensitization. The leucocyte count in the blood of the animals exposed to cadmium was unchanged. In spite of marked spleen and thymus atrophy in the 100-ppm group, the measurement of antibody concentrations in the blood, also, did not show any significant differences from controls. Our results show that orally administered cadmium at the doses selected does not have any effect on the specific antibody production and thus on the most important function of the humoral immune system. The marked loss of weight of the thymus, however, does suggest there were effects on the cellular immune system.