The effect of cadmium exposition on the structure and mechanical properties of rat incisors

• Published in: PloS one 2019-04, Vol.14 (4), p.e0215370
• Main Authors: Świetlicka, Izabela, Tomaszewska, Ewa, Muszyński, Siemowit, Valverde Piedra, Jose Luis, Świetlicki, Michał, Prószyński, Adam, Cieślak, Krystian, Wiącek, Dariusz, Szymańczyk, Sylwia, Kamiński, Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Applied physics; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biophysics; Cadmium; Cadmium - administration & dosage; Cadmium - pharmacokinetics; Cadmium - toxicity; Cadmium chloride; Crystallization; Crystals; Dental enamel; Dental Enamel - drug effects; Dental Enamel - pathology; Dental Enamel - physiopathology; Dental research; Drinking water; Durapatite - chemistry; Durapatite - metabolism; Enamel; Female; Gender differences; Hardness - drug effects; Health aspects; Hydroxyapatite; Hydroxyapatites; Incisor - drug effects; Incisor - pathology; Incisor - physiopathology; Incisors; Life sciences; Male; Males; Mechanical engineering; Mechanical properties; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Microscopy; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Minerals - metabolism; Morphology; Physical properties; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Proteins; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Research and Analysis Methods; Structure; Teeth; Toxicology; Trace elements; Veterinary medicine; Water; X-Ray Diffraction; Zinc
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215370

Alterations in the structure and mechanical properties of teeth in adult Wistar rats exposed to cadmium were investigated. Analyses were conducted on two sets of incisors from female and male specimens, that were intoxicated with cadmium (n = 12) or belonged to the control (n = 12). The cadmium group was administered with CdCl2 dissolved in drinking water with a dose of 4mg/kgbw for 10 weeks. The oral intake of cadmium by adult rats led to the range of structural changes in enamel morphology and its mechanical features. A significant increase of cadmium levels in the teeth in comparison to the control, a slight shift in the colour and reduction of pigmented enamel length, higher surface irregularity, a decrease of hydroxyapatite crystals size in the c-axis and simultaneous increase in pigmented enamel hardness were observed. The extent of these changes was sex-dependent and was more pronounced in males.