Author(s): Daniel Cortes

Presentation: poster

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that leaches into the environment through improper disposal of e-waste. Human exposure to cadmium is linked to the pathogenesis of bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. Our lab works to elucidate the direct effects of cadmium in bone-forming osteoblasts. My work builds upon prior research on cadmium uptake via transient receptor potential (TRP) channels by using carvacrol, an essential oil in oregano. Carvacrol can act as an activator or repressor of TRP channels, which are permeable to divalent ions such as cadmium. I hypothesize that cadmium enters the cell through TRP channels leading to enhanced toxicity. I investigated the effects of carvacrol on cadmium toxicity and uptake using the Saos-2 cell line. Cells were pre-/or co-treated with 2.5 μM CdCl2, 5.0 μM CdCl2, and 10μM carvacrol, alone or in combination for 48 hr. Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed through MTT and APO-% assays, respectively. Cadmium uptake was visualized using a fluorescent dye that binds cadmium. Preliminary results show that combined carvacrol and cadmium exposure decreased cell viability compared to cadmium alone. These studies suggest that carvacrol acts as a TRP channel activator in Saos-2 cells adding to the current understanding of cadmium-induced osteotoxicity.

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