title: Effects of sub-chronic exposure to cadmium on some parameters of calcium and iodine metabolisms in the Shaw's jird Meriones shawi.
abstract: In the present work we determined effects of a sub-chronic exposure to cadmium on some parameters of calcium and iodine metabolisms in Meriones shawi, a desert rodent species occupying the arid steppes of Tunisia and other countries. Fourteen jirds of both sex were equally divided into a control group receiving diet without cadmium and a treated group receiving cadmium in the diet during 30, 45, 60 and 90 days. At the end of each period, 5 jirds from each group were sacrificed. In cadmium-treated group, cadmium accumulation and total metallothioneins synthesis in the liver and kidneys were high and dependant on the duration of treatment. Cadmium caused significant modifications in the body weight and in the relative weights of the liver, femur and thyroids, in parallel to a decrease in calcium content in serum and in femur. Cadmium also decreased iodine content in serum and in the thyroids. Several impairments were dependant on the duration of exposure and were more pronounced at the end of the experiment. In conclusion, a sub-chronic exposure to cadmium induces perturbations in calcium and iodine metabolisms in Meriones shawi. However, effects on calcium seem to be more evident. We can conclude also that Meriones shawi is an indicator of cadmium presence in arid environments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biophysique, Unité des éléments trace, Faculté de Médecine de Monastir, 5000, Tunisia. Electronic address: jahhounna@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Jihen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: El Heni
authors.affiliation: Uniteî de Recherche: Génétique, Biodiversité et Valorisation des Bioressources, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imed
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Messaoudi
authors.affiliation: UR; Écophysiologie et Procédés Agroalimentaires, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie Sidi Thabet (ISBST), Université de Manouba, 2020, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Rafika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben Chaouacha-Chekir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005849:Gerbillinae; D007455:Iodine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein; D007455:Iodine; D002118:Calcium