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Cadmium chronotoxicity at pituitary level: effects on plasma ACTH, GH, and TSH daily pattern

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Abstract

Cadmium is an endocrine disruptor that has been shown to induce chronotoxic effects. The present study was designed to evaluate the possible cadmium effects on the daily secretory pattern of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), growth hormone (GH), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. For this purpose, animals were treated with cadmium at two different doses [25 and 50 mg/l cadmium chloride (CdCl2)] in the drinking water for 30 days. Control age-matched rats received cadmium-free water. After the treatment, rats were killed at six different time intervals throughout a 24-h cycle. Cadmium exposure modified the 24-h pattern of plasma ACTH and GH levels, as the peak of ACTH content between 12:00 and 16:00 h in controls appeared at 12:00 h in the group treated with the lowest dose used, while it appeared between 16:00 and 20:00 h in rats exposed to 50 mg/l CdCl2. In addition, the peak of GH content found at 04:00 h in controls moved to 16:00 h in rats exposed to 25 mg/l CdCl2, and the highest dose used abolished 24-h changes of GH secretion. The metal treatment did not modify ACTH secretory pattern. Exposure to cadmium also increased ACTH and TSH medium levels around the clock with both doses used. These results suggest that cadmium modifies ACTH and TSH medium levels around the clock, as well as disrupted ACTH and GH secretory pattern, thus confirming the metal chronotoxicity at pituitary level.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Xunta de Galicia (PGIDT99PXI38301B).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Toxicología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Vigo, Campus de Orense, Las Lagunas, 32004, Orense, Spain

    Ana Caride, Belén Fernández-Pérez, Teresa Cabaleiro, Marta Tarasco & Anunciacion Lafuente

  2. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Ana Isabel Esquifino

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  1. Ana Caride
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Correspondence to Ana Caride.

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Caride, A., Fernández-Pérez, B., Cabaleiro, T. et al. Cadmium chronotoxicity at pituitary level: effects on plasma ACTH, GH, and TSH daily pattern. J Physiol Biochem 66, 213–220 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-010-0027-5

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