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Alterations in Vitamin A and E Levels in Liver and Testis of Wild Ungulates from a Lead Mining Area

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Abstract

In animals, exposure to metal pollution can induce oxidative stress via several mechanisms. This stress might then cause adverse effects on functions such as male reproductive capacity. Antioxidant vitamins A and E play an important role in maintaining organism functions under stressed conditions. This study assessed the effect of different metals and metalloids on levels of vitamins A and E in livers and testis (n = 67 and 36) of red deer and in livers (n = 22) of wild boar. The study compared animals residing within and outside a polluted mining area. Red deer from mined areas showed significant reductions in liver retinyl docosahexaenoate and retinyl docosapentaenoate. Free retinol, α-tocopherol, and retinyl palmitate in the testis were also lower. This might indicate that increased internal usage of these antioxidants is occurring as deer try to maintain the integrity and function of reproductive tissue. Wild boar from mined areas also showed significant reductions in liver retinyl stearate but increased free retinol levels. This might suggest that vitamin A is being mobilized to a greater degree to cope with the induced oxidative stress caused by exposure to metal pollution. Additionally, a significant negative relationship between liver α-tocopherol and bone lead (Pb) in boar might indicate some long-term effects of Pb on antioxidant levels. Results suggest that vitamin A and E status can be altered as a consequence of exposure to Pb pollution and that complex differences in this response probably exist between species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Pablo Camarero and Lidia Monsalve for their help with the laboratory work and Manuel Reglero and Mª Dolors Vidal for their help with field sampling. Jaime Rodríguez-Estival was supported by a predoctoral grant from the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. This study has been funded by the Department of Education and Science of Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha with projects PCC-05-004-2 and PCI08-0096-1295.

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  1. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Jaime Rodríguez-Estival, Mark A. Taggart & Rafael Mateo

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  1. Jaime Rodríguez-Estival
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  2. Mark A. Taggart
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  3. Rafael Mateo
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Correspondence to Rafael Mateo.

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Rodríguez-Estival, J., Taggart, M.A. & Mateo, R. Alterations in Vitamin A and E Levels in Liver and Testis of Wild Ungulates from a Lead Mining Area. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 60, 361–371 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9597-z

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