Summary
After the long-term exposure to cadmium chloride in drinking water, the Wistar rats developed peripheral polyneuropathy. The main lesion was of myelin degeneration. Ultrastructural examination of the roots and sciatic nerves revealed segmental demyelination beginning from the node of Ranvier. There was the active autophagocytosis of Schwann cells which contained a number of myelin remmants and dense bodies. There was, on the other hand, the evidence of remyclination with toxic damage, in which the thinner myelin sheaths and abnormal myelinations were observed with increase of Schwann cells containing rich ribosomes. Axoplasmic changes were minimal, but consisted of accumulation of glycogen particles which very often produced glycogenosomes in characteristic appearance with axoplasmal dysfunction.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Axelsson, B., Dahlgren, S. E., Piscator, M.: Renal lesions in the rabbit after long-term exposure to cadmium. Arch. Environ. Health17, 24–29 (1968)
Cavanagh, J. B., Chen, F. C. K.: The effects of methylmercurydicyandiamide on the peripheral nerves and spinal cord of rats. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)19, 208–215 (1971)
Cavanagh, J. B., Fuller, N. H., Johnson, H. M., Rudge, P.: The effects of thallium salts, with particular reference to the nervous system changes. A report of three cases. Q. J. Med.43, 293–319 (1974)
Chang, L. W., Hartmann, H. A.: Ultrastructural studies of the nervous system after mercury intoxication (II). Pathological changes in the nerve fibers. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)20, 316–334 (1972)
Eto, K., Takeuchi, T.: Pathological changes of human sural nerves in Minamata disease (methylmercury poisoning). Light and electron microscopic studies. Virchows Arch. Cell Path.23, 109–128 (1977)
Flick, D. F., Kraybill, H. F., Dimitroff, J. M.: Toxic effects of cadmium. A review. Environ. Res.4, 71–85 (1971)
Gabbiani, G., Bodonnel, M. C., Mathewson, S. M., Ryan, G. B. R.: Acute cadmium intoxication. Early selective lesions of endothelial clefts. Lab. Invest.30, 686–693 (1974)
Gabbiani, G., Baric, D., Déziel, C.: Toxicity of cadmium for the central nervous system. Exp. Neurol.18, 154–160 (1967a)
Gabbiani, G., Gregory, A., Braic, D.: Cadmium-induced selective lesions of sensory ganglia. J. Neuropath. Exp. Neurol.26, 498–506 (1967b)
Haddow, A., Roe, F. J. C., Dukes, C. E., Mitchley, B. C. V.: Cadmium neoplasia: Sarcomata at the site of injection of cadmium sulphate in rats and mice. Brit. J. Cancer18, 667–673 (1964)
Health, J. C., Daniel, M. R., Dingle, J. J., Webb, M.: Cadmium as a carcinogen. Nature (Lond.)193, 592–593 (1962)
Herman, S. P., Klein, R., Talley, F. A., Krigman, M. R.: An ultrastructural study of methylmercury-induced primary sensory neuropathy in the rat. Lab. Invest.28, 104–118 (1973)
Kameda, T.: Pathological study on toxic polyneuropathy (III). Light and electron microscopic observations on regeneration of rat peripheral nerves in methylmercury poisoning (Jap. Ed.). J. Kumamoto Med. Soc.45, 985–999 (1970)
Kar, A. B., Das, R. P., Karkun, J. N.: Ovarian changes in prepuberal rats after treatment with cadmium chloride. Acta Biol. Med. German.3, 373–399 (1959)
Kar, A. B., Das, R. P.: Testicular changes in rats after treatment with cadmium chloride. Acta Biol. Med. German.5, 153–173 (1960)
Knorre, V. D.: Örtliche Hautschädigungen an der Albinoratte in der Latenzperiode der Sarkomentwicklungen nach Cadmiumchloridinjektion. Zbl. allg. Path.113, 192–197 (1970)
Lampert, P. W., Schochet, S. S.: Demyelination and remyelination in lead neuropath. J. Neuropath. Exp. Neurol.27, 527–545 (1968)
Lampert, P. W., Garro, F., Pentschew, A.: Tellurium neuropathy: Acta neuropath. (Berl.)15, 308–317 (1970)
Lucis, O. J., Lucis, R., Aterman, K.: Tumorigenesis of cadmium. Oncology26, 53–67 (1972)
Malcolm, D.: Potential carcinogenic effect of cadmium in animals and man. Ann. Occup. Hyg.15, 33–36 (1972)
Matsumoto, H., Tomio, N., Kameda, T.: Pathological study of toxic polyneuropathy (I). Experimental formation of polyneuropathy by methylmercury (Jap. Ed.). Adv. Neurol. Sci. (Tokyo)13, 660–669 (1969)
Matsumoto, H., Kameda, T.: Electron microscopic observastion of myelin, axon and Schwann cell in methylmercury poisoning (Jap. Ed.). Saishin Igaku25, 939–950 (1970)
Miyakawa, T., Deshimaru, M., Sumiyoshi, S., Teraoka, A., Udo, N., Hattori, E., Tatetsu, S.: Experimental organic mercury poisoning. Pathological changes in peripheral nerves. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)15, 45–55 (1970)
Ohnishi, A., Dyck, P. J.: Personal communication
Parizek, J., Zahor, A.: Effect of cadmium salts on testicular tissue. Nature (Lond.)177, 1036 (1956)
Pentschew, A.: Intoxication. In: Handbuch der speziellen pathologischen Anatomie und Histologie, Bd. 13, pt. 2 B. Berlin: Springer 1958
Sato, K.: Histochemical demonstration of cadmium in tissue cells by fluorescence technique. Acta histochem. cytochem.8, 75 (1975)
Spencer, P. S., Schaumburg, H. H.: Central peripheral distal axonopathy—The pathology of dying-back polyneuropathies. Progress in Neuropathology. Vol. III. ed. Zimmerman. pp. 253–295. New York: Grune & Stratton 1976
Spencer, P. S., Schaumberg, H. H.: Ultrastructural studies of the dying-back process (III). The evolution of experimental peripheral giant axonal degeneration. J. Neuropath. Exp. Neurol.36, 276–299 (1977)
Takeuchi, T., Kambara, T., Morikawa, N., Matsumoto, H., Shiraishi, Y., Ito, H.: Pathologic observations of Minamata disease. Acta Path. Jap. (Suppl.)9, 769–783 (1959)
Tellez-Nagel, I., Korthals, J. K., Vlassara, H. V., Cerami, A.: An ultrastructural study of chronic sodium cyanate-induced neuropathy. J. Neuropath. Exp. Neurol36, 351–363 (1977)
Townshend, R. H.: A case of acute cadmium pneumonitis: Lung function tests during a four-year follow-up. Brit. J. indust. Med.25, 68–71 (1968)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported a part by Grant-in-Aid of Education, Science and Culture, Ministry of Education, Japan
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sato, K., Iwamasa, T., Tsuru, T. et al. An ultrastructural study of chronic cadmium chloride-induced neuropathy. Acta Neuropathol 41, 185–190 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690433
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690433