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

• Main Authors: Debacker, V., Rutten, A., Jauniaux, T., Daemers, C., Bouquegneau, J.-M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2001
• Subjects: common guillemot; Uria aalge; uria
• Online Access: http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=32414

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).