Influence of cadmium on placental structure

Placentas of smoking and nonsmoking mothers have been investigated with light microscopical techniques. The cadmium content of the same placentas had been determined in a previous study by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The cadmium content of the placentas from smokers was found to be elevated, compared to that of nonsmokers. The volume density of the vascular bed in the terminal villi of the placentas of smokers was found to be decreased. Preliminary results of experiments in course with rats exposed to 0.2 mg CdCl 2/kg body wt/day (by subcutaneous injection) seem to indicate that in the placenta of rats, the volume density of the blood vessels in the placental stroma is likewise reduced in the exposed animals.