Combined effects of experimental heavy metal contamination (Cu, Zn, and CH3Hg) and starvation on quail's body condition: parallelism with a wild common guillemot (Uria aalge) population found stranded at the Belgian coast
Debacker, V.; Rutten, A.; Jauniaux, T.; Daemers, C.; Bouquegneau, J.-M. (2001). Combined effects of experimental heavy metal contamination (Cu, Zn, and CH3Hg) and starvation on quail's body condition: parallelism with a wild common guillemot (Uria aalge) population found stranded at the Belgian coast. Biol. Trace Elem. Res. 82(1-3): 87-107. https://dx.doi.org/10.1385/BTER:82:1-3:087 In: Biological Trace Element Research. Humana Press/Springer: London. ISSN 0163-4984; e-ISSN 1559-0720, more |  |
| Authors | | Top | - Debacker, V., more
- Rutten, A.
- Jauniaux, T., more
| - Daemers, C.
- Bouquegneau, J.-M., more
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| Abstract | Combined effects of heavy-metal contamination (Cu, Zn, and CH3Hg) and starvation were tested on common quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and used as a model for comparison with a wild common guillemot (Uria aalge) population found stranded at the Belgian coast. Appropriate heavy-metal levels were given to the quails to obtain concentrations similar to those found in the seabirds's tissues. The contaminated animals were then starved for 4 d to simulate the evident malnutrition symptoms observed at the guillemot's level. In such conditions, food intake and total-body weight are shown to decrease in contaminated individuals with simultaneous significant hepatic and renal increase of the heavy-metal concentrations. Like guillemots, higher heavy-metal levels were observed in those contaminated quails that had also developed a cachectic status characterized by a general atrophy of their pectoral muscle and complete absence of subcutaneous and/or abdominal fat depots. Although likely the result of a general protein catabolism during starvation, it is suggested that these higher metal levels could as well enhance a general muscle wasting process (cachectic status). |
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