[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.
Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Nippon Veterinary and Zootechnical College, Tokyo, Japan.
K W
KW
Takahashi
T R
TR
Saito
H
H
Amao
T
T
Kosaka
M
M
Obata
M
M
Umeda
Y
Y
Shirasu
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