Neurotransmitter level changes in domestic ducks (Shaoxing duck) growing up in typical mercury contaminated area in China.
The neurotransmitter level changes of ducks exposed 8-month in a mercury-polluted site (Wanshan, China) and a reference site (Shanghai, China) were examined. Chemical analyses showed both higher mercury and selenium concentrations in the organ of Wanshan ducks. An increased content of acetylcholine (ACh) in brain and blood and a decreased activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in blood were observed. Moreover, there was an increasing trend for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and nitric oxide(NO) production in duck brain, but a reduction of NOS activity in duck serum. The possible explanations were due to the interactive effect of selenium accumulation and the sublethal exposure level of mercury in Wanshan area. The present study showed that AChE and NOS were sensitive to mercury contamination of real circumstance, suggesting that these two indexes have the potential to be biomarkers in assessment of health effects by mercury contamination.
Ji
Xiu-ling
XL
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Yang
Liu
L
Shen
Zhe-min
ZM
Cheng
Jin-ping
JP
Jin
Gui-wen
GW
Qu
Li-ya
LY
Wang
Wen-hua
WH
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D004372:Ducks / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008906:Mining; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000097:blood; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D013053:Spectrophotometry
D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium; D000109:Acetylcholine