Vascular Changes at Sites of Oestrogen Biosynthesis Produced by Parenteral Injection of Cadmium Salts: The Destruction of Placenta by Cadmium Salts

Oedema, hyperaemia, haemorrhage and vascular thrombosis are constant components of changes in male gonads evoked by subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection of cadmium salts, which result in complete testicular necrosis (Pařízek & Záhoř, 1956; Pařízek, 1957, 1960). In the pathogenesis of testicular necrosis caused by cadmium salts, there are two possibilities (Pařízek, 1960). Either cadmium salts evoke circulatory failure in the testis, resulting in secondary destruction of the tubules, or These circulatory changes are sequelae of primary tubular damage. In the former case, it remains to explain the organ specificity of these severe circulatory changes, although the role of circulatory changes in the pathogenesis of testicular necrosis produced by cadmium has been underlined by several recent authors (cf. Mason, Brown & Nesbit, 1963; Chiquoine, 1963). At