title: Environmental levels of cadmium, lead and mercury in brown hares and their relation to blood metabolic parameters.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine concentrations of selected heavy metals in the liver and kidney of brown hares (Lepus europaeus). In addition, correlations between heavy metals and biochemical parameters in blood plasma were determined. The average concentrations of heavy metals (mmol/L) +/- SD were as follows: liver: Pb 0.221 +/- 0.189, Cd 0.160 +/- 0.140, Hg 0.021 +/- 0.030, kidney: Pb 0.115 +/- 0.125, Cd 1.570 +/- 1.103, Hg 0.030 +/- 0.053. The average concentrations of biochemical parameters in the blood plasma were as follows: Ca 3.16 mmol/L, P 2.19 mmol/L, Mg 1.40 mmol/L, Na 148.71 mmol/L, K 8.12 mmol/L, glucose 6.56 mmol/L, total proteins 56.49 g/L, urea 5.00 mmol/L, total lipids 1.40 g/L, bilirubin 3.97 micro mol/L, cholesterol 1.53 mmol/L, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 6.06 micro kat/L and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 1.94 micro kat/L. Average levels of hormones (ng/mL) were as follows: testosterone 2.94, androstendiol 0.13, estradiol 501.59, progesterone 6.63, oxytocin 328.60. Tissue analysis showed an accumulation of lead, cadmium and mercury in the liver and kidney of brown hares. There were no significant correlations between levels of heavy metals in liver, kidney, and biochemical parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic. Adriana.Kolesarova@uniag.sk
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolesarova
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slamecka
authors.forename: Rastislav
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jurcik
authors.forename: Frieda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tataruch
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lukac
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kovacik
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capcarova
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valent
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massanyi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D034621:Hares; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury