Effects of Vitamin C on Kidney and Bone of Rats Exposed to Low Doses of Cadmium

In this study, the effect of vitamin C on cadmium-induced toxicity was investigated. Wister rats were exposed to cadmium (as CdSO4.8H2O), by sub-cutaneous injection, at doses of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 μg/kg body weight, with or without vitamin C supplementation, for four weeks. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity of the group of rats not supplemented vitamin C (group III) significantly (p<0.05) increased, all the groups supplemented with vitamin C also had significantly (p<0.05) increased serum alkaline phosphatase. The bone protein level and serum calcium of the vitamin C untreated group of rats, significantly (p<0.05) decreased relative to control. The bone calcium of the vitamin C treated rats significantly (p<0.05) decreased (group IIIc from 2896.30 ± 344.64 mg Ca/dl to 1049 ± 101.43 mg Ca/dl) while the bone phosphate of this same group of rats, significantly (p<0.05) increased. For some parameters evaluated, such as serum calcium and bone protein concentration, the effects of cadmium on the vitamin C treated rats were less pronounced, indicating that vitamin C may be protective against cadmium-induced toxicity.