Research Article
Osifo CU
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of varying duration of cadmium exposure on anabolic-catabolic ratio. The study involves adult male Wistar rats divided into 8 groups of 5 rats each. Groups 1 and 2 served as control groups on to clean tap water for 1 and 6 weeks while groups 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 served as test groups exposed to Cadmium-contaminated drinking water (50 mg/L) for 1 through 6 weeks respectively. At the end of each treatment period, final body weight, and blood sample were obtained for the estimation of the variables herein presented. Appropriate statistical analysis (ANOVA) was conducted on the variables and presented as means ± SEM in charts and tables with p<0.05 (LSD) considered significant. The results showed that cadmium exposure stimulates significant increase in body weight lost, serum cortisol and protein levels and anabolic catabolic ration in acute state but improve by the 5th and 6th weeks. However, there was a significant duration dependent decrease in serum testosterone activity with cadmium exposure. These findings indicate that cadmium exposure induces an early catabolic damage. However, this may not be the case at the organ level and thus the need for further studies.