Studies on combined effects of organophosphates and heavy metals in birds. I. Plasma and brain cholinesterase in coturnix quail fed methyl mercury and orally dosed with parathion
It was found that mercury potentiated the toxicity and biochemical effects of parathion. Male Coturnix quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were fed a sublethal concentration of morsodren (4 ppm as methyl mercury) for 18 weeks. This resulted in an accumulation of 21.0 ppm of mercury in the liver and 8.4 ppm in the carcass. Birds fed clean feed and those fed morsodren-treated feed were orally dosed with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg/kg parathion, and their 48-h survival times compared. The computed LD/sub 50/ was 5.86 mg/kg in birds not fed morsodren and 4.24 in those fed the heavy metal. When challenged with a sublethal, oral dose of parathion (1.0 mg/kg), morsodren-fed birds exhibited significantly greater inhibition of plasma and brain cholinesterase activity than controls dosed with parathion. Brain cholinesterase activity was inhibited 41 percent in morsodren-fed birds and 26 percent in clean-fed birds dosed with parathion, which suggested that the increase in parathion toxicity in the presence of morsodren was directly related to the inhibition of brain cholinesterase. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Laurel, MD
- OSTI ID:
- 7195037
- Journal Information:
- Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 13:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
METHYLMERCURY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
BIRDS
BLOOD PLASMA
BRAIN
CHOLINESTERASE
INSECTICIDES
METALS
SURVIVAL TIME
SYNERGISM
TOXICITY
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
ESTERASES
HYDROLASES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PESTICIDES
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology