Distribution of various nickel compounds in rat organs after oral administration.

In this study, eight kinds of nickel (Ni) compounds were orally administered to Wistar male rats and the distribution of each compound was investigated 24 h after the administration. The Ni compounds used in this experiment were nickel metal [Ni-M], nickel oxide (green) [NiO(G)], nickel oxide (black) [NiO(B)], nickel subsulfide [Ni3S2], nickel sulfide [NiS], nickel sulfate [NiSO4], nickel chloride [NiCl2], and nickel nitrate [Ni(NO3)2]. The solubilities of the nickel compounds in saline solution were in the following order; [Ni(NO3)2 > NiCl2 > NiSO4] > [NiS > Ni3S2] > [NiO(B) > Ni-M > NiO(G)]. The Ni level in the visceral organs was higher in the rats given soluble Ni compounds; Ni(NO3)2, NiCl2, NiSO4, than that in the rats receiving other compounds. In the rats to which soluble Ni compounds were administered, 80-90% of the recovered Ni amounts in the examined organs was detected in the kidneys. On the other hand, the Ni concentration in organs administered scarcely soluble Ni compounds; NiO(B), NiO(G), and Ni-M were very low. The estimated absorbed fraction of each Ni compounds was increased with the increase of the solubility. These results suggest that the kinetic behavior of Ni compounds administered orally is closely related with the solubility of Ni compounds, and that the solubility of Ni compounds is one of the important factors for determining the health effect of Ni compounds.