Severe damage of cultured vascular endothelial cell monolayer after simultaneous exposure to cadmium and lead

• DOI: 10.1007/bf00217612
• Publication Date: 2004-08-31T15:39:00Z
• Authors: T. Kaji; M. Suzuki; C. Yamamoto; A. Mishima; M. Sakamoto; H. Kozuka
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; Lead; Animals; Cattle; Drug Synergism; Metallothionein; Endothelium, Vascular; Aorta; Cells, Cultured; Cadmium

This study evaluates the toxicity of lead in the presence or absence of cadmium on the maintenance of a monolayer of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. It was histologically shown that lead at 50 microM or less induced a slight formation of de-endothelialized areas on the monolayer after a 24-h incubation. Although lead accumulated in endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner, the cytotoxicity (evaluated by the [3H]adenine release assay) was not detected. However, cadmium (1.0 or 2.0 microM)-induced de-endothelialized areas on the monolayer was considerably larger in the presence of lead at 10 microM; the cytotoxicity of cadmium was significantly enhanced by lead. It was concluded that vascular endothelial cell monolayer is severely destroyed by a greater cytotoxicity of combination of cadmium with lead.