[Acute reversible cataract due to nitrocompounds in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)].
The present study was designed to examine the usefulness of the Japanese quail as an experimental model of cataractogenic activity. Chemicals, 2, 6-dibromo-4-nitro-phenol (2, 6-D), 2, 4-dinitroanisole (2, 4-DA), and 2, 4-dinitrophenol (2, 4-D; for the positive control), were administered singly through an oral route to 2-week old male Japanese quails to investigate the reversibility of cataracts. A single administration of 2, 4-D (36 and 43 mg/kg) produced reversible cataract in 14 of 16 animals (87.5%). This cataract was seen 1 or 2 hours after treatment and continued for 1 to 12 hours. Treatment with 2, 6-D (20 and 25 mg/kg) and 2, 4-DA (120 and 150 mg/kg) caused cataracts in 7 of 11 (63.6%) and 8 of 8 surviving animals (100%), respectively. Cataracts produced by 2, 6-D and 2, 4-DA, which were observed from 1 and 2 to 4 hours after the treatment, continued for 6 to 15 and 1 to 13 hours, respectively. Mortalities in the 25 mg/kg group of 2, 6-D, 120 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg group of 2, 4-DA were found in 2 of 5 animals, 1 of 5 animals and 5 of 9 animals, respectively. These results indicate that the Japanese quail is useful as an animal model to evaluate toxicity to the eye and cataractogenesis.
Takahashi
K W
KW
Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Nippon Veterinary and Zootechnical College, Tokyo, Japan.
Saito
T R
TR
Amao
H
H
Kosaka
T
T
Obata
M
M
Umeda
M
M
Shirasu
Y
Y
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003370:Coturnix; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*
D009574:Nitro Compounds