Table 1.

Elemental Zinc and elemental cadmium accumulation in choroid plexus epithelial cells (CPECs) exposed for 12 h to 500 nM CdCl₂ and supplemented with Zinc.

Condition	Zinc, ng/mg Protein	Cadmium, ng/mg Protein
Control	333.82 ± 34.04	1.02 ± 0.47
Cd	348.99 ± 42.94	265.79 ± 11.79 *
Zn	556.61 ± 53.44 *	1.14 ± 0.05
Zn + Cd	463.26 ± 15.82 *	243.72 ± 8.62 *

CPECs were first incubated for 48 h in maintenance medium without Zinc; i.e., non-supplemented cells, or with 25 µM ZnCl₂; i.e., Zn-supplemented cells. Non-supplemented cells were pre-treated (12 h) in serum-free medium (SFM) and then divided into two sets: one set was exposed for 12 h in SFM with 0 CdCl₂ (Control), while the other was incubated for 12 h in SFM with 500 nM CdCl₂ (Cd). In parallel, Zn-supplemented cells were pre-treated (12 h) in SFM with 10 µM ZnCl₂ and then divided into two sets: one set was exposed for 12 h in SFM with 10 µM ZnCl₂ alone (Zn), while the other was exposed for 12 h to 500 nM CdCl₂ in SFM with 10 µM ZnCl₂ (Zn + Cd). All incubations were at 37 °C. Cellular content of Zn and Cd was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometry (ICP-MS), normalized to cell protein, and expressed as ng/mg protein. Metal accumulation was measured in duplicate in three separate culture preparations. Data are means ± SE; n = 3 culture preparations. * p < 0.05 vs. Control.