Kidney nickel

Reduced growth rate elevated kidney nickel concentration of 4.2 mg/kg FW vs. 0.13 in controls... 

There are a number of other elements appearing from time to time in the laboratory. From these, chromium and nickel are most common. Both appear in enhanced concentrations in workers exposed to welding fumes, in galvanization processes, and in processing of ores. Prolonged exposure to Cr and/or Ni causes cancer and affects the kidney. Preferred methods of determination of Ni and Cr in urine are GF-AAS. Because of the risk of contamination of the very low concentrations in urine, extreme precautions in sample handling and analysis must be carried out. 

During occupational exposure, respiratory absorption of soluble and insoluble nickel compounds is the major route of entry, with gastrointestinal absorption secondary (WHO 1991). Inhalation exposure studies of nickel in humans and test animals show that nickel localizes in the lungs, with much lower levels in liver and kidneys (USPHS 1993). About half the inhaled nickel is deposited on bronchial mucosa and swept upward in mucous to be swallowed about 25% of the inhaled nickel is deposited in the pulmonary parenchyma (NAS 1975). The relative amount of inhaled nickel absorbed from the pulmonary tract is dependent on the chemical and physical properties of the nickel compound (USEPA 1986). Pulmonary absorption into the blood is greatest for nickel carbonyl vapor about half the inhaled amount is absorbed (USEPA 1980). Nickel in particulate matter is absorbed from the pulmonary tract to a lesser degree than nickel carbonyl however, smaller particles are absorbed more readily than larger ones (USEPA 1980). Large nickel particles (>2 pm in diameter) are deposited in the upper respiratory tract smaller particles tend to enter the lower respiratory tract. In humans, 35% of the inhaled nickel is absorbed into the blood from the respiratory tract the remainder is either swallowed or expectorated. Soluble nickel compounds... 

Nickel retention in the body of mammals is low. The half-time residence of soluble forms of nickel is several days, with little evidence for tissue accumulation except in the lung (USEPA 1980, 1986). Radionickel-63 (63Ni) injected into rats and rabbits cleared rapidly most (75%) of the injected dose was excreted within 24 to 72 h (USEPA 1980). Nickel clears at different rates from various tissues. In mammals, clearance was fastest from serum, followed by kidney, muscle, stomach, and uterus relatively slow clearance was evident in skin, brain, and especially lung (Kasprzak 1987). The half-time persistence in human lung for insoluble forms of nickel is 330 days (Sevin 1980). 

Nickel may be a factor in asbestos carcinogenicity. The presence of chromium and manganese in asbestos fibers may enhance the carcinogenicity of nickel (USEPA 1980), but this relation needs to be verified. Barium-nickel mixtures inhibit calcium uptake in rats, resulting in reduced growth (WHO 1991). Pretreatment of animals with cadmium enhanced the toxicity of nickel to the kidneys and liver (USPHS 1993). Simultaneous exposure to nickel and cadmium — an industrial situation... 

Mammalian wildlife from uncontaminated habitats usually contain less than 0.1 to about 5 mg Ni/kg DW in tissues in nickel-contaminated areas, these same species have 0.5 to about 10 mg Ni/kg DW in tissues (Outridge and Scheuhammer 1993 Chau and Kulikovsky-Cordeiro 1995), with a maximum of 37 mg/kg DW in kidneys of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) (Table 6.6). Nickel accumulations in wildlife vary greatly between species. For example, tissues of mice have higher concentrations of nickel than rats and other rodents, while beavers and minks have higher nickel concentrations in their livers than birds in similar sites near Sudbury (Chau and Kulikovsky-Cordeiro 1995). 

Canada ducklings nickel-contaminated vs. reference site Kidney 0.3 FW vs. 0.3 FW 29... 

Exposed to 19, 32 or 51 mg/L for up to 96 h Dose- and time-dependent increase in blood glucose and lactic acid concentrations liver glycogen decreased at all nickel levels and muscle glycogen decreased at the two higher levels high nickel concentrations were associated with elevated erythrocyte number, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Nickel accumulated in blood, liver, muscle, and especially in kidney 41... 

Equivalent to 25 or 63 mg Ni/kg BW daily, as nickel sulfate, for 2 years Inhalation No serious adverse effects at low dose high dose group had emphysema, pneumonia, low hematocrit, increased liver and kidney weight, and a 40% decrease in body weight gain 6... 

After 24 h, no increase in nickel content of lungs, liver, kidney or carcass... 

Normal spleen lymphocyte function Maximum nickel concentrations in tissues (in mg/kg FW) were reached in blood (19.8) and placentas (3.9) 2 h following injection those in liver (4.9), spleen (1.3), and kidneys (56.2) were reached 4 h after injection and maximum concentration in fetal tissues (1.1) was reached after 8 h. Authors estimate that all nickel is excreted in 42 to 84 h Immunosuppression in spleen lymphocyte function LD50 (48 h)... 

Nickel sulfate 3 or 6 mg/kg BW daily for 7 or 14 days killed 48 h after last injection Highest nickel concentrations were in myocardium (5.7 mg/kg FW vs. 2.2 in controls) and spleen (2.1 vs. 0.6), followed by kidney, bone, and other tissues 37... 

Nickel chloride 1.0 mg/kg BW examined 6 and 72 h after injection At 6 h, tissue nickel concentrations were elevated in kidneys, lungs, adrenals, liver, pancreas, spleen, heart, and testes, in that order by 72 h, 90% of the nickel was excreted, mostly (75%) in the urine 7... 

Nickel accumulations in tissues and organs of mammals vary significantly with species, route of administration, sex, and general health. No significant accumulations of nickel were observed in liver or kidney of Holstein calves fed diets containing 1000 mg Ni/kg ration for 21 weeks (Stevens... 

Mallard liver or kidney significant exposure to dietary nickel that may be harmful More than 1.0 mg/kg FW 11... 

To protect young birds against adverse effects of excess nickel on their growth and survival, diets should contain less than 200 mg Ni/kg ration diets of older birds should contain less than 800 mg Ni/kg ration. Nickel concentrations in avian tissues in excess of 10 mg/kg DW kidney or 3 mg/kg DW liver are sometimes associated with adverse effects. 

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