Lead exposure does not affect baseline and induced innate immunity in quails

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Avian physiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Lead (Pb) is a widespread environmental contaminant from human activities, posing significant risks to bird populations.
• Pb bioaccumulates in avian organs, leading to physiological disruptions and potentially lethal intoxication.
• Pb exposure may suppress immune function, affecting both innate and adaptive immune responses, including the acute-phase response (APR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of lead acetate exposure on the innate immune system, body mass, and food intake in Japanese quails.
• To assess the effect of lead exposure on the acute-phase response (APR) in Japanese quails following an immune challenge.

Main Methods:

• Japanese quails were exposed to lead acetate in drinking water for 7 days.
• Measurements included body mass, food intake, white blood cell (WBC) counts, heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, and haptoglobin (Hp) concentration.
• The acute-phase response was evaluated after injecting birds with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli.

Main Results:

• Lead exposure increased circulating WBC counts but did not alter body mass, food intake, H/L ratio, or Hp concentration at baseline.
• Following LPS challenge, Pb-exposed birds exhibited negative body mass changes, reduced food intake, and elevated WBC counts, H/L ratio, and Hp concentration.
• These findings suggest that the tested Pb dose did not impair baseline immune parameters or the acute-phase response in quails.

Conclusions:

• Lead exposure at the tested dose did not affect the constitutive innate immune response or the acute-phase response in Japanese quails.
• While baseline parameters were unaffected, Pb-exposed birds showed altered physiological responses to an immune challenge.
• Further studies are recommended to investigate the effects of different lead exposure levels on avian immune function and health.