title: Altered immune response in mallard ducklings exposed to lead through maternal transfer in the wild.
abstract: Lead (Pb) poisoning has caused significant mortality in waterfowl populations worldwide. In spite of having been banned since 2003, prevalence of Pb shot ingestion in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) from the Ebro delta was still 15.5% in 2011-12. We collected mallard eggs from this area to study the effects of maternally transferred Pb on eggshell properties and on immune response and oxidative balance of ducklings. Eggshell Pb levels were positively correlated with Pb levels in the blood of ducklings. Ducklings with blood Pb levels above 180 ng mL(-1) showed reduced body mass and died during the first week post hatching. Blood Pb levels positively correlated with humoral immune response, endogenous antioxidants and oxidative stress biomarkers, and negatively correlated with cellular immune response. Pb shot ingestion in birds can result in maternal transfer to the offspring that can affect their developing immune system and reduce their survival in early life stages.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain. Electronic address: Nuria.Vallverdu@uclm.es.
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vallverdú-Coll
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Antia
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain; MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Department of Life Sciences, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez-Haro
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain; Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
authors.forename: Manuel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Santaliestra
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mateo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004372:Ducks / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000737:chemistry; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects*; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead
keywords: Developmental toxicity; Immune response; Maternal transfer; Oxidative stress; Pb poisoning; Waterfowl