Combined effects of experimental heavy-metal contamination (Cu, Zn, and CH3Hg) and starvation on quail's body condition: parallelism with a wild common guillemot (Uria aalge) population found stranded at the Belgian coast.
Combined effects of heavy-metal contamination (Cu, Zn, and CH3Hg) and starvation were tested on common quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and used as a model for comparison with a wild common guillemot (Uria aalge) population found stranded at the Belgian coast. Appropriate heavy-metal levels were given to the quails to obtain concentrations similar to those found in the seabirds's tissues. The contaminated animals were then starved for 4 d to simulate the evident malnutrition symptoms observed at the guillemot's level. In such conditions, food intake and total-body weight are shown to decrease in contaminated individuals with simultaneous significant hepatic and renal increase of the heavy-metal concentrations. Like guillemots, higher heavy-metal levels were observed in those contam- inated quails that had also developed a cachectic status characterized by a general atrophy of their pectoral muscle and complete absence of subcutaneous and/or abdominal fat depots. Although likely the result of a general protein catabolism during starvation, it is suggested that these higher metal levels could as well enhance a general muscle wasting process (cachectic status).
Debacker
V
V
Oceanology, University of Liège, Belgium.
Rutten
A
A
Jauniaux
T
T
Daemers
C
C
Bouquegneau
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D001530:Belgium; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001717:Birds / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D003370:Coturnix / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005506:Food Contamination; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D003300:Copper; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc