title: Cadmium Accumulation and Pathological Alterations in the Midgut Gland of Terrestrial Snail Helix pomatia L. from a Zinc Smelter Area: Role of Soil pH.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether cadmium (Cd) accumulation and toxicity in the midgut gland of Helix pomatia snails living in a Cd-contaminated area were related to soil pH. Toxic responses in the midgut gland (i.e., increased vacuolization and lipid peroxidation) occurred in H. pomatia snails exhibiting the highest Cd levels in the gland (265-274 µg/g dry wt) and living on acidic soil (pH 5.3-5.5), while no toxicity was observed in snails accumulating less Cd (90 µg/g) and ranging on neutral soil (pH 7.0), despite the fact that total soil Cd was similar in the two cases. The accumulation of Cd in the gland was directly related to the water extractable Cd in soil, which in turn correlated inversely with soil pH, indicating that this factor had a significant effect on tissue Cd. It appeared further that the occurrence of Cd toxicity was associated with low levels of metallothionein in the gland of snails ranging on acidic soil.
authors: Institute of Biology, University of Białystok, Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245, Białystok, Poland. twlostow@uwb.edu.pl.
authors: Tadeusz
authors: T
authors: Włostowski
authors: Institute of Biology, University of Białystok, Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245, Białystok, Poland.
authors: Paweł
authors: P
authors: Kozłowski
authors: Institute of Biology, University of Białystok, Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245, Białystok, Poland.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Łaszkiewicz-Tiszczenko
authors: Institute of Biology, University of Białystok, Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245, Białystok, Poland.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Oleńska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D004064:Digestive System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006372:Helix, Snails / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D008669:Metallurgy; D011044:Poland; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Cadmium; Lipid peroxidation; Lipofuscin; Metallothionein; Midgut gland; Snails