Metabolic and toxicological studies on cobalt

Experimental evaluation of cobalt adsorption capacity of walnut shell by organic acid activation

Cobalt, from industrial waste and nuclear laundry, possess health risk to human beings, animals and plants. Number of methods, other than adsorption, have been reported in literature for Co removal from waste water. In this research walnut shell powder after modification has been utilized for Co adsorption. First step of modification involved chemical treatment by four different organic acids for 72 h. Samples were collected at 24, 48 and 72 h. Second step involved thermal treatment of 72 h samples. Unmodified and modified particles have been analyzed by chemical methods and instruments i.e. UV spectrometer, FTIR, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and microscopic imaging. Thermally treated samples have shown augmented Co adsorption. CV analysis showed thermally treated samples with better capacitance. Particles modified by oxalic acid presented better Co adsorption. Oxalic acid treated particles activated for 72 h with thermal treatment provided maximum adsorption capacity 1327 ± 20.6 mg/g against Co(II) at pH 7, stirring 200 rpm, initial concentration 20 ml, adsorbent dosage (5 mg) and contact time 240 min at room temperature.

A hazard evaluation of the reproductive/developmental toxicity of cobalt in medical devices

Cobalt (Co) is an essential element with human exposure occurring from the diet, supplement ingestion, occupational sources, and medical devices. The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) recently voted to classify Co metal as a Reproductive Hazard Category 1B; presumed human reproductive toxicant due to adverse testicular effects in male rodents. A weight of evidence evaluation of the preclinical reproductive and developmental toxicity studies and available clinical data was performed to critically evaluate the relevance of this proposed classification for Co in medical devices. Reproductive responses to Co are limited to the male testes and sperm function following high systemic exposure in rodents, only at Co concentrations/doses that result in overt toxicity (i.e., above the maximum tolerable dose (MTD)). The potential mechanisms of Co reproductive/developmental toxicity, including its indirect mode of action in the testes and relevance to humans, are discussed. The available preclinical and clincial evidence suggests that it would be more appropriate to classify Co as a Reproductive Hazard Category 2 compound: suspected human reproductive toxicant and, in the case of Co-containing medical devices, it should not be considered a reproductive hazard.

Cobalt-Induced Hypercontraction is Mediated by Generationof Reactive Oxygen Species and Influx of Calcium in Isolated RatAorta

To investigate the mechanism of cobalt-mediated phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction in endothelium-intact isolated Wistar rat aortic rings. Effect of dose-dependent concentrations of cobalt on PE-induced contraction was investigated in isolated Wistar rat aortic rings using an organ bath system. Aortic rings were pre-incubated with verapamil (1 μM and 20 μM), gadolinium, apocynin, indomethacin or N-G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) separately before incubation with cobalt. Endothelium-intact aortic rings were incubated with 800 nM, 1 μM, 10 μM, 50 μM cobalt; we observed 20%, 22%, 32% and 27% increased contractions respectively, while no effect was seen in tension recording on cobalt exposure. Incubation of endothelium-intact aortic rings with 100 μM apocynin and 100 μM L-NAME suggested the role of NADPH oxidase in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decrease in bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) from eNOS on exposure to cobalt. Aortic rings pre-incubated with 1 μM and 20 μM verapamil suggested role of both L-type and T-type calcium channels in influx of extracellular calcium in smooth muscle cells. We observed no role of store-operated calcium channels (SOCC) in calcium influx due to cobalt exposure and cyclooxygenase in generation of prostanoids in isolated aortic rings. Cobalt caused rise of PE-induced contractions as a result of the endothelial generation of ROS, by decreasing bioavailability of NO. Generation of ROS may be responsible for causing the influx of extracellular calcium through L-type and T-type Ca²⁺ channels in smooth muscle cells.

Cobalt-containing dust exposures: Prediction of whole blood and tissue concentrations using a biokinetic model

Biokinetic models estimating cobalt (Co) tissue burden can help assess the potential for systemic effects. Such models, however, have not been used to estimate remote tissue concentrations associated with inhalation exposure to Co-containing dust in general environments, work spaces, or animal toxicity tests. We have therefore updated a Co biokinetic model previously developed for oral dosing to include the inhalation pathway by incorporating the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Human Respiratory Tract Model. Further, data from animal studies allowed for characterization of testes Co tissue concentration supplementing previous predictions for the liver, heart and blood. Reasonable agreement (within a factor of two) was found between modeled and measured blood, liver, testes and tissue concentrations when animal doses were modeled using human equivalent concentrations to account for species differences in regional lung deposition. We applied the updated model to occupational inhalation exposure scenarios, and found that upper-bound plausible human systemic body burden associated with Co ingestion is much higher than the burden associated with Co inhalation. Chronic ingestion of Co at a previously proposed oral reference dose (RfD) of 0.03 mg/kg-day resulted in predicted tissue levels of 22-54 μg/L (blood), 0.05-0.1 μg/g (heart), 0.01-0.02 μg/g (testes), and 0.2-0.5 μg/g (liver), which were at least 5-fold more than the systemic burden associated with various Co inhalation occupational exposure limits (OELs) of 0.1 mg/m³ or less (for 8 h/d and 5 d/w). Overall, our analysis indicated that Co-metal or dust induced systemic health effects, including myocardial damage, are unlikely for the inhalation pathway when personal exposures levels are below concentrations associated with local respiratory effects such as pulmonary fibrosis.

The metallobiochemistry of ultratrace levels of platinum group elements in the rat

The use of platinum, palladium and rhodium (Platinum Group Elements - PGEs) and the possibility of exposure to their ultratrace levels is increasing. In fact, the exponential development of metallic PGE-based nanoparticles (<100 nm in size) opens extraordinary perspectives in the areas of electrocatalysts and catalytic converters, magnetic nanopowders, polymer membranes, cancer therapy, coatings, plastics, nanofibres and textiles. Like other metal-based nanoparticles, exposure to PGEs nanoparticles may result in a release of ultratrace amounts of Pt, Pd, Rh ions in the body whose metabolic fate and toxicity still need to be evaluated. Furthermore, PGEs can act as allergic sensitizers by acting as haptens and inducing both type I and IV allergic reactions. In this work we studied the in vivo metabolic patterns of ultratrace levels of potent allergens and sensitizers PGE halogenated salts. (191)Pt, (103)Pd and (101m)Rh radioisotopes were prepared via cyclotron irradiation and used for radiolabelling Na2(191)PtCl4, Na2(103)PdCl4 and Na2(101m)RhCl6 salts. These anionic chlorocomplexes were intraperitoneally injected into rats (114 ng Pt kg(-1) bodyweight; 24 ng Pd kg(-1) b.w.; 16 ng Rh kg(-1) b.w.). At 16 h post-exposure, PGEs were poorly but significantly retained in all tissues analysed. Kidneys, spleen, adrenal gland, liver, pancreas and small intestine were the organs with the highest Pt, Pd, Rh concentrations. In the blood 30-35% of (103)Pd and (191)Pt and 10% of (101m)Rh were recovered in the plasma, mainly bound to albumin and to a less extent to transferrin. The hepatic and renal intracellular distribution showed the highest recovery of (191)Pt, (103)Pd and (101m)Rh in the nuclear fraction (liver) and in the cytosol (kidney). Chromatographic separation and ultrafiltration experiments on kidney and liver cytosols showed the strong ability of biochemical macromolecules to bind (191)Pt, (103)Pd and (101m)Rh, and being responsible for the retention of the three elements in the body. The link to macromolecules is the basis for the sensitizing capacity of PGEs.

Intolerability of cobalt salt as erythropoietic agent

Unfair athletes seek ways to stimulate erythropoiesis, because the mass of haemoglobin is a critical factor in aerobic sports. Here, the potential misuse of cobalt deserves special attention. Cobalt ions (Co(2+) ) stabilize the hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs) that increase the expression of the erythropoietin (Epo) gene. Co(2+) is orally active, easy to obtain, and inexpensive. However, its intake can bear risks to health. To elaborate this issue, a review of the pertinent literature was retrieved by a search with the keywords 'anaemia', 'cobalt', 'cobalt chloride', 'erythropoiesis', 'erythropoietin', 'Epo', 'side-effects' and 'treatment', amongst others. In earlier years, cobalt chloride was administered at daily doses of 25 to 300 mg for use as an anti-anaemic agent. Co(2+) therapy proved effective in stimulating erythropoiesis in both non-renal and renal anaemia, yet there were also serious medical adverse effects. The intake of inorganic cobalt can cause severe organ damage, concerning primarily the gastrointestinal tract, the thyroid, the heart and the sensory systems. These insights should keep athletes off taking Co(2+) to stimulate erythropoiesis.

Cobalt metabolism and toxicology--a brief update

Cobalt metabolism and toxicology are summarized. The biological functions of cobalt are updated in the light of recent understanding of cobalt interference with the sensing in almost all animal cells of oxygen deficiency (hypoxia). Cobalt (Co(2+)) stabilizes the transcriptional activator hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and thus mimics hypoxia and stimulates erythropoietin (Epo) production, but probably also by the same mechanism induces a coordinated up-regulation of a number of adaptive responses to hypoxia, many with potential carcinogenic effects. This means on the other hand that cobalt (Co(2+)) also may have beneficial effects under conditions of tissue hypoxia, and possibly can represent an alternative to hypoxic preconditioning. Cobalt is acutely toxic in larger doses, and in mammalian in vitro test systems cobalt ions and cobalt metal are cytotoxic and induce apoptosis and at higher concentrations necrosis with inflammatory response. Cobalt metal and salts are also genotoxic, mainly caused by oxidative DNA damage by reactive oxygen species, perhaps combined with inhibition of DNA repair. Of note, the evidence for carcinogenicity of cobalt metal and cobalt sulfate is considered sufficient in experimental animals, but is as yet considered inadequate in humans. Interestingly, some of the toxic effects of cobalt (Co(2+)) have recently been proposed to be due to putative inhibition of Ca(2+) entry and Ca(2+)-signaling and competition with Ca(2+) for intracellular Ca(2+)-binding proteins. The tissue partitioning of cobalt (Co(2+)) and its time-dependence after administration of a single dose have been studied in man, but mainly in laboratory animals. Cobalt is accumulated primarily in liver, kidney, pancreas, and heart, with the relative content in skeleton and skeletal muscle increasing with time after cobalt administration. In man the renal excretion is initially rapid but decreasing over the first days, followed by a second, slow phase lasting several weeks, and with a significant long-term retention in tissues for several years. In serum cobalt (Co(2+)) binds to albumin, and the concentration of free, ionized Co(2+) is estimated at 5-12% of the total cobalt concentration. In human red cells the membrane transport pathway for cobalt (Co(2+)) uptake appears to be shared with calcium (Ca(2+)), but with the uptake being essentially irreversible as cobalt is effectively bound in the cytosol and is not itself extruded by the Ca-pump. It is tempting to speculate that this could perhaps also be the case in other animal cells. If this were actually the case, the tissue partitioning and biokinetics of cobalt in cells and tissues would be closely related to the uptake of calcium, with cobalt partitioning primarily into tissues with a high calcium turn-over, and with cobalt accumulation and retention in tissues with a slow turn-over of the cells. The occupational cobalt exposure, e.g. in cobalt processing plants and hard-metal industry is well known and has probably been somewhat reduced in more recent years due to improved work place hygiene. Of note, however, adverse reactions to heart and lung have recently been demonstrated following cobalt exposure near or slightly under the current occupational exposure limit. Over the last decades the use of cobalt-chromium hard-metal alloys in orthopedic joint replacements, in particular in metal-on-metal bearings in hip joint arthroplasty, has created an entirely new source of internal cobalt exposure. Corrosion and wear produce soluble metal ions and metal debris in the form of huge numbers of wear particles in nanometric size, with systemic dissemination through lymph and systemic vascular system. This may cause adverse local reactions in peri-prosthetic soft-tissues, and in addition systemic toxicity. Of note, the metal nanoparticles have been demonstrated to be clearly more toxic than larger, micrometer-sized particles, and this has made the concept of nanotoxicology a crucial, new discipline. As another new potential source of cobalt exposure, suspicion has been raised that cobalt salts may be misused by athletes as an attractive alternative to Epo doping for enhancing aerobic performance. The cobalt toxicity in vitro seems to reside mainly with ionized cobalt. It is tempting to speculate that ionized cobalt is also the primary toxic form for systemic toxicity in vivo. Under this assumption, the relevant parameter for risk assessment would be the time-averaged value for systemic cobalt ion exposure that from a theoretical point of view might be obtained by measuring the cobalt content in red cells, since their cobalt uptake reflects uptake only of free ionized cobalt (Co(2+)), and since the uptake during their 120 days life span is practically irreversible. This clearly calls for future clinical studies in exposed individuals with a systematic comparison of concurrent measurements of cobalt concentration in red cells and in serum.

The biokinetics of inorganic cobalt in the human body

This paper reviews information on the biological behavior of inorganic cobalt in humans and laboratory animals and proposes a model of the systemic biokinetics of inorganic cobalt in adult humans. The model was developed as part of an effort to update the models of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for addressing intakes of radionuclides by workers but is also applicable to environmental or medical exposures to inorganic forms of radiocobalt. The model can be used in conjunction with any respiratory, gastrointestinal, or wound model that provides predictions of the time-dependent feed of cobalt to blood. In contrast to the ICRP's current systemic model for cobalt, which is a simple open catenary system, the proposed model is constructed within a physiologically realistic framework that depicts recycling of cobalt between blood and tissues and transfer from blood to excretion pathways. Compared with the ICRP's current model, the proposed model yields similar predictions of whole-body retention but substantially different predictions of the systemic distribution of cobalt as a function of time after uptake to blood.

Cobalt-induced alterations in hamster testes in vivo

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of cobalt on the testicular structure of adult golden hamsters. Hamsters in group A received cobalt (CoCl2) in single intraperitoneal dose 20 mg/kg, in group B 10 mg/kg and in group C 5 mg CoCl2/kg body weight and were killed fourty eight hours after cobalt administration. Afer a preparation of histological samples the results were compared with control. After a cobalt administration dilatation of blood capillaries in interstitium, undulation of basal membrane and occurrence of empty spaces in seminiferous epithelium was detected. Morphometric analysis showed that in all cobalt-treated groups the relative volume of seminiferous epithelium was significantly decreased. In the relative volume of interstitium a significant increase was found between control group and experimental groups. After cobalt administration we have found linear non-significant decrease. Evaluation of diameter seminiferous tubules found increase of this parameter in the all experimental group in comparison with control. Height of seminiferous epithelium was relatively constant and in all groups but the difference between control and group A was significant (P < 0.05). Analysis of the lumen diameter of seminiferous tubules detected significantly increase mainly group B. Evaluation of the number of cell nuclei per a constant area detected an increase of this parameter in experimental group. Results of this study report a negative effect of cobalt on structure and function of testes.

The European Congress on Cobalt and Hard Metal Disease. Conclusions, highlights and need of future studies

This article summarizes the present state of the art and some recommendations for solutions to problems identified by the European Congress on Cobalt and Hard Metal Disease on the basis of the papers and posters presented, as well as a round table discussion which produced several dominant questions and revealed areas of weakness and uncertainty. The round table discussion (chairman, Professor E. Capodaglio) focussed on the following aspects: (i) Monitoring (opinion leaders: R. Lauwerys, E. Sabbioni). (ii) Mechanisms of toxicity (opinion leaders: B. Nemery, N.L. Sprince, G. Scansetti). (iii) Health effects (opinion leaders: G. Nordberg, I.B. Andersen). (iv) Diagnosis/health surveillance (opinion leaders: G. Chiappino, S. Hernberg, S. Brown).