Naslov
Sex makes a difference even in toxic metal accumulation in bears.

Autori
Lazarus, Maja ; Orct, Tatjana ; Sekovanić, Ankica ; Reljić, Slaven ; Jurasović, Jasna ; Huber, Đuro

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Abstracts Book of the 25th International Conference on Bear Research and Management / Molina, Santiago - Quito, 2017, 224-224

ISBN
978-9942-8545-9-9

Skup
25th International Conference on Bear Research and Management

Mjesto i datum
Quito, Ekvador, 12.11.2017. - 17.11.2017

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
cadmium ; sex differences ; terrestrial mammal ; maturity

Sažetak
Sex has been recognized as an important factor in monitoring of toxic metals. In some mammals, as in humans, the role of sex comes to play after reaching sexual maturity, which is driven by sex hormones. Study involving sea mammals has observed that metal accumulation in males and females begins to differ once the animals enter adulthood. We decided to investigate this phenomenon in the kidney of brown bears (Ursus arctos) hunted down in Croatia according to the Brown Bear Management Plan in the period 2009- 2013. Croatian bears are part of a large stabile Dinara-Pindos population where the sex ratio is carefully recorded and managed. Thus any eventual health issue (e.g. toxicity of metals) that impacts males differently than females is worth considering. This study included 324 male and 139 female bears, of which 172 were young (< 4 years), 152 adult (≥ 4 years) males, and 66 young, 73 adult females. Of the major inorganic contaminants, cadmium burdened the kidney most heavily. Sex was a differential factor for cadmium tissue levels in adult animals (Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.001), but failed to influence levels in young ones. Cadmium accumulated more intensely with age in young bears of both sexes (Pearson r=0.51, p<0.001) than in adults (r=0.21, p<0.01) (slope a=0.16 vs. 0.017). In adult females cadmium accumulated with age (r=0.45, p<0.001) while accumulation was absent in adult males. In males, the pattern of Cd accumulation changed pronouncedly when they reached sexual maturity in a way that a moderate association of Cd with the age of the young animals (r=0.51, p<0.001) disappeared in bears aged 4 years and older. Sexual hormones influenced cadmium levels in target organ heavily, so toxic effects are more probable in adult female animals.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija, Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Veterinarska medicina

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