Table 1.
Biometric parameters of adult mice exposed to cadmium (CdCl2, 20 nmol/kg, every other day for 4 weeks) in the absence or presence of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-AZA treatment (0.25 mg/kg, i.p. twice weekly for 6 weeks)
| Parameter | Control | Cadmium | 5-AZA | Cadmium-5-AZA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Weight (g) | 33.3 ± 2.6 | 33.2 ± 3.7 | 29.8 ± 1.3 | 35.7 ± 1.8 |
| Heart Weight (mg) | 138 ± 10 | 148 ± 10 | 156 ± 4 | 166 ± 8 |
| Heart/Body Weight (mg/g) | 4.23 ± 0.42 | 4.57 ± 0.34 | 5.26 ± 0.16 | 4.71 ± 0.37 |
| Liver Weight (g) | 1.84 ± 0.11 | 1.90 ± 0.16 | 1.64 ± 0.10 | 1.64 ± 0.07 |
| Liver/Body Weight (mg/g) | 55.8 ± 2.7 | 58.1 ± 3.5 | 55.0 ± 3.0 | 46.0 ± 1.9 |
| Kidney Weight (mg) | 450 ± 29 | 438 ± 44 | 383 ± 29 | 440 ± 6 |
| Kidney/Body Weight (mg/g) | 13.6 ± 0.4 | 13.3 ± 0.8 | 12.8 ± 0.4 | 12.4 ± 0.5 |
| Testis Weight (mg) | 191 ± 15 | 221 ± 10 | 229 ± 11 | 236 ± 8 |
| Testis/Body Weight (mg/g) | 5.88 ± 0.65 | 6.90 ± 0.58 | 7.69 ± 0.11 | 6.63 ± 0.20 |
| Blood Glucose (mg/dl) | 116.5 ± 5.5 | 125.2 ± 5.9 | 118.3 ± 7.4 | 115.2 ± 6.6 |
| Heart Rate (bpm) | 503 ± 25 | 492 ± 14 | 497 ± 17 | 492 ± 24 |
| LV Wall Thickness (mm) | 1.01 ± 0.04 | 0.98 ± 0.04 | 1.03 ± 0.05 | 1.00 ± 0.04 |
| LV EDD (mm) | 2.30 ± 0.06 | 2.23 ± 0.08 | 2.29 ± 0.07 | 2.29 ± 0.08 |
| LV ESD (mm) | 1.15 ± 0.04 | 1.36 ± 0.05* | 1.20 ± 0.06 | 1.23 ± 0.06# |
| Fractional Shortening (%) | 49.8 ± 2.0 | 38.9 ± 2.1* | 47.7 ± 1.8 | 46.5 ± 1.6# |
LV: left ventricular; LV ESD: LV end systolic diameter; LV EDD: LV end diastolic diameter; Mean ± SEM, n = 5 mice per group
*
p < 0.05 vs. Control group
#
p < 0.05 vs. Cadmium group.