Neurotoxic effects of cadmium chloride exposure combined with physical activity and protective effect of bioprophylactic agents

Introduction. Chemical compounds possessing of a neurotropic effect are extremely widespread in industry, which makes the problem of neurotoxicity relevant for occupational medicine. Since industrial workers are often exposed to a combination of both physical and chemical work-related risk factors, a complex adverse health effect of the latter should be considered. Our objective was to study neurotoxic effects of exposure to cadmium chloride combined with physical activity in a subchronic experiment on rats and assess the efficacy of a biological prophylactic complex. Material and methods. For six weeks, 0.77 mg/kg b.w. of cadmium chloride was intraperineally instilled to outbred male albino rats thrice a week. Five times a week, the rodents were forced to run for 10 minutes at a speed of 25 m/min. During the entire exposure period, half of the animals received a specially developed bioprophylactic complex consisting of pectin, monosodium glutamate, and a multivitamin/multimineral supplement with feed and drink. Results. In combination with physical activity, cadmium exposure caused depression, anxiety, low exploratory behaviour, and spatial memory disturbances. The developed bioprophylactic complex helped mitigate toxic effects of cadmium aggravated with intense physical activity and improve the general condition of the rodents. Limitations. The experiment was limited to examining the behaviour of male rats following subchronic exposure to a single dose of cadmium. Conclusions. Subchronic exposure to cadmium combined with physical activity can induce certain neurotoxic effects. Administration of the specially developed complex of biological protectors has shown to attenuate or minimize these effects. Similar measures can be taken to diminish risks of adverse health consequences of the factors studied.