EFEITO DO pH DA ÁGUA NA GÊNESE DE LESÕES CARDIOVASCULARES POR INTOXICAÇÃO POR CÁDMIO EM RATOS WISTAR

Abstract

Cadmium is a heavy metal and the most abundant non-essential elements found in the environment, being widely used in the industry. There is evidence that cadmium can cause cardiovascular injury. Objective: The purpose of our study was to investigate the effect of water pH in the genesis of cardiovascular injury caused by cadmium poisoning. Methods: For this study, 90 male Wistar rats were used. The animals were divided into 6 groups (n=15): A - cadmium chloride (CdCl2 400 mg / L) in drinking water at a neutral pH of 7.0; B - CdCl2 (400 mg / L) in drinking water at an acidic pH of 5.0; C - CdCl2 (400 mg / L) in drinking water at a basic pH of 8.0; D - water at an acidic pH of 5.0; E - water at a basic pH of 8.0; F - water with a neutral pH (pH 7.0). Animals in all groups were sacrificed after 6 months. We collected the heart and aorta of each rat for microscopic analysis. Results: No microscopic changes were observed in the heart. In aortic, there were fatty streaks in most animals of group A (50%) and B (46%) and in a minority of animals of group C (15.3%), D (0%), and (7%) and C (13.3%) (p <0.05). Conclusion: Cadmium caused the development of fatty streaks in the aorta of animals exposed and exposure of this metal in basic pH decreased the formation of this lesion.