On the effect of chelating agents and antioxidants on cadmium-induced organ toxicity. An overview

Cadmium (Cd) has been classified as a human carcinogen. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the concentration of Cd in the environment has rapidly increased in the last few years. In many epidemiological studies, the correlation between environmental exposure of humans to Cd and diseases such as stroke, ischemia, renal and hepatic dysfunction, anemia, osteoporosis and diabetes has been discussed. For the treatment of heavy metal intoxications a therapy with chelating agents has been applied. A chelating agent is a compound that binds the toxic metal ion thus promoting its excretion by the living organisms. Recently, it has been found that Cd-induced toxicity is a result of formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results increased the interest towards the antioxidants as possible agents for the treatment of Cd-induced organ toxicity. Herein, we present summary and discussion of the literature data for the influence of chelating agents and antioxidants on Cd-induced pathological conditions in Cd-intoxicated animals.