Alteration of Testicular Macrophage Morphology and Associated Innate Immune Functions in Cadmium Intoxicated Swiss Albino Mice

Aims: The present study investigates in a mouse model the extent of immunomodulatory effects after exposure to cadmium chloride (in vivo) in the testes.
Study Design: Experimental study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biotechnology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India; between may 2010 and march 2012.
Methodology: LD50 was determined and the percent mortality of mice was plotted against their respective decreasing levels of cadmium chloride. To elucidate the immunomodulatory effects of cadmium chloride, Swiss albino mice were divided into two groups: the 1st group was intraperitonially injected with cadmium chloride (0.35 mg/kg b.w.) and the 2nd group with isotonic saline solution for 15 days. The isolated testicular macrophages were used to determine the morphological alteration as well as cell function studies such as phagocytosis, intracellular killing capacity, myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide release and TNF-α release assay from cadmium chloride -treated and control group of adult male Swiss albino mice.
Results: The present work shows that cadmium chloride is responsible for a significant alteration in morphology from 22.2 ± 0.05% to 60.1 ± 1.19% (P**), degenerative changes in scanning electron microscopy and reduced cell function such as phagocytosis (from 21000 ± 577.35 to 7100 ± 115.47; P**), myeloperoxidase release (from 46.8 ± 0.872 µM to 30.23 ± 1.041 µM; P*), nitric oxide release (from 11 ± 1.53 to 5 ± 1.2; P*) and the intracellular killing capacity was also reduced significantly (P**) in testicular macrophages probably by increasing oxidative damage. It also shows that TNF-α increases with cadmium chloride treatment (from 164 ± 4.62 to 235 ± 5.2; P*).
Conclusion: Thus it can be concluded that the toxic potential of cadmium chloride causes morphological changes as well as alterations in cell function in macrophages, rendering the animals more prone to infection, all of which may bear particular significance in heavy metal induced infertility.