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Mercury induced cardiovascular abnormalities in the chicken
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
|January 1, 1977
Summary
Mercury (Hg) exposure in chickens, even at non-growth-inhibiting levels, can cause significant cardiovascular disturbances. This includes heart and aorta weight changes and myocardial damage, highlighting mercury
Area of Science:
- Environmental Toxicology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Avian Health
Background:
- Mercury (Hg) is a known environmental toxicant.
- Understanding its effects on cardiovascular systems is crucial for public health and animal welfare.
- Chickens serve as a model organism for studying toxicological impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cardiovascular effects of chronic and acute mercury exposure in juvenile chickens.
- To determine if mercury exposure impacts growth, heart and aorta weights, ECG, and myocardial histology.
- To establish the relationship between mercury dosage and observed cardiovascular disturbances.
Main Methods:
- Juvenile chickens were exposed to mercury via drinking water (chronic) or intramuscular injection (acute low and high doses).
- Growth, relative organ weights (heart, aorta), electrocardiograms (ECG), and myocardial histopathology were assessed.
- Different mercury exposure levels and durations were compared.
Main Results:
- Chronic and acute high-dose mercury exposure significantly retarded chicken growth.
- Relative heart and aorta weights were altered by mercury exposure, with different effects depending on dosage and duration.
- ECG showed decreased wave amplitudes, and histological examination revealed mercury-induced myocarditis with fatty degeneration.
Conclusions:
- Mercury exposure in chickens can induce cardiovascular disturbances even at levels that do not inhibit growth.
- Both chronic and acute high-dose mercury exposure negatively impact cardiovascular health.
- Myocardial histopathological changes confirm mercury's cardiotoxic potential in avian models.