RESUMO
The accumulation of two heavy metals (chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd)) in the liver, kidney and gut of Rana ridibunda exposed to Cr or to a mixture of Cr and Cd was investigated. The concentration of metallothioneins (MTs) in the same tissues was also studied. Both metals accumulated mainly in the kidney. Cr accumulation in the liver and gut was not affected by the presence of Cd. Furthermore, Cr concentration in the kidney was doubled when Cd was present. MT concentration did not increase after Cr treatment but it increased two- to six-fold over control values in mixture-exposed frogs, the highest value being observed in the gut. MTs in the gut could act as a barrier preventing ingested heavy metals from entering the blood stream. MT concentration correlated positively with Cd concentrations in both the liver and the gut of mixture-exposed animals.
Assuntos
Cádmio/toxicidade , Cromo/toxicidade , Poluentes Ambientais/toxicidade , Metalotioneína/análise , Rana ridibunda/metabolismo , Animais , Cádmio/análise , Cromo/análise , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Ambientais/análise , Feminino , Intestinos/química , Intestinos/efeitos dos fármacos , Rim/química , Rim/efeitos dos fármacos , Fígado/química , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
The effect of two heavy metals, namely chromium and cadmium, on GST and P450-MO activities in the liver, kidney and gut of the frog Rana ridibunda, and the use of these detoxification enzyme systems as possible markers of heavy metal contamination of rivers in Northern Greece was investigated. In control animals, the highest P450-MO activity was observed in the liver and the lowest activity in the gut. As regards GST, the liver and kidneys showed the highest activity. Exposure of Rana to either Cr or a mixture of Cr and Cd caused a decrease in liver GST and P450-MO and renal GST activities. An important finding was that both GST and P450-MO activities were negatively correlated with concentrations of both metals in the liver of mixture-exposed animals. The results suggest that the determination of GST and P450-MO activities, in combination, could serve to indicate heavy metal contamination in rivers of Northern Greece.
