Lack of Dietary Calcium Effect on Chlordecone Increased White Blood Cell Count, Total Iron, and Iron-Binding Capacity in Serum of Rat

Male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with 0, 1, 10, 50, and 100 ppm of chlordecone (Cd) mixed in calcium-sufficient (Ca-S) or calcium-deficient (Ca-D) diet for 15 days. The control rats fed with Ca-D diet exhibited a significant increase in white blood cell (WBC) counts compared to the rats fed with Ca-S diet. Dietary calcium (Ca), however, did not elicit any significant effect on total iron content and iron-binding capacity (transferrin) of control rats, whereas Cd at higher concentrations significantly increased WBC counts, total iron, and iron-binding capacity in serum of both Ca-S and Ca-D rats. The data suggest that dietary Ca did not alter Cd-increased WBC count, total iron, and iron-binding capacity in serum of rat.