Table 2.

Metallothionein and metal concentrations, and lipid peroxidation (TBARS) in the kidneys of female bank voles exposed to dietary Cd and/or Pb and raised individually or in a group of six

Subgroup	Metallothionein (μg/g wet wt)	Cadmium (μg/g wet wt)	Zinc (μg/g wet wt)	Copper (μg/g wet wt)	Iron (μg/g wet wt)	Lead (μg/g wet wt)	TBARS (nmol/g wet wt)
Group 1: One vole per cage (six cages/subgroup)
Control	14.9 ± 3.0a	0.36 ± 0.08a	15.7 ± 4.2a	5.2 ± 0.7a	102 ± 10a	0.56 ± 0.10a	142 ± 30a
Cd	311 ± 25b	33.2 ± 6.7b (9.0)	29.5 ± 3.8b	5.0 ± 0.4a	95 ± 11a	0.53 ± 0.18a	144 ± 17a
Pb	15.6 ± 1.5a	0.37 ± 0.07a	16.0 ± 2.6a	5.4 ± 0.9a	96 ± 18a	12.7 ± 1.2b	135 ± 30a
Cd + Pb	300 ± 15b	28.1 ± 7.2b (7.0)	26.2 ± 3.0b	5.2 ± 0.3a	92 ± 15a	11.2 ± 2.0b	160 ± 15a
Group 2: Six voles per cage (one cage/subgroup)
Control	14.2 ± 3.2a	0.35 ± 0.05a	15.4 ± 3.7a	5.1 ± 0.7a	92 ± 15a	0.49 ± 0.15a	140 ± 10a
Cd	293 ± 31b	32.0 ± 4.2b (8.9)	26.3 ± 3.6b	5.7 ± 0.8a	91 ± 10a	0.56 ± 0.11a	130 ± 12a
Pb	15.3 ± 2.5a	0.35 ± 0.06a	16.5 ± 2.5a	5.4 ± 0.5a	94 ± 12a	13.1 ± 2.5b	139 ± 15a
Cd + Pb	297 ± 30b	34.2 ± 6.7b (8.5)	25.0 ± 3.5b	5.3 ± 0.4a	88 ± 10a	10.5 ± 2.0b	150 ± 21a

Values represent the mean ± SD for n = 6. Bank voles received, for 6 weeks, control diet or diets containing 60 μg Cd/g and/or 300 μg Pb/g. In parentheses mean concentration of Cd not bound to MT is shown. Means in the same column marked with a different letter are significantly different (P < 0.05)