Woshner V M, O'Hara T M, Bratton G R, Suydam R S, Beasley V R
Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2001 Oct;37(4):693-710. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-37.4.693.
In this study, we evaluated concentrations of twelve essential and non-essential elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Mg, Mn, Hg, Mo, Se, Ag, and Zn) in tissues of bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) and beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) whales from arctic Alaska (USA) and northwestern Canada. Tissue samples were collected between 1983 and 1997, mostly in 1995-97. The essential elements are reported to develop reference ranges for health status determination, and to help assess known or suspected interactions affecting toxicoses of cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg). In some tissues, Cd, Hg, and selenium (Se) were present at concentrations that have been associated with toxicoses in some domestic animals. Nevertheless, tissue levels of all elements were within ranges that have been reported previously in marine mammals. While mean Ag concentrations in beluga whale liver were relatively high (15.91 micrograms/g ww), Ag was not associated with hepatic Se levels or age, contrary to previous findings. Significant associations included: Cd with age, Zn, or Cu; Cu with age, Zn or Ag; and Hg with age, Se, Zn, or Cu. This study found hepatic Hg:Se molar ratios to be consistently lower than unity and different between species. Possible explanations for observed elemental correlations (i.e., interactions) and ancillary mechanisms of Cd and Hg detoxification are discussed.
在本研究中，我们评估了来自美国阿拉斯加北极地区和加拿大西北部的弓头鲸（Balaena mysticetus）和白鲸（Delphinapterus leucas）组织中12种必需和非必需元素（砷、镉、钴、铜、铅、镁、锰、汞、钼、硒、银和锌）的浓度。组织样本采集于1983年至1997年之间，大部分在1995 - 1997年。据报道，这些必需元素可用于确定健康状况的参考范围，并有助于评估影响镉（Cd）和汞（Hg）中毒的已知或疑似相互作用。在一些组织中，镉、汞和硒（Se）的浓度与一些家畜的中毒情况有关。然而，所有元素的组织水平都在先前报道的海洋哺乳动物范围内。虽然白鲸肝脏中的平均银浓度相对较高（15.91微克/克湿重），但与之前的研究结果相反，银与肝脏硒水平或年龄无关。显著的关联包括：镉与年龄、锌或铜；铜与年龄、锌或银；汞与年龄、硒、锌或铜。本研究发现肝脏汞：硒摩尔比始终低于1，且物种间存在差异。文中讨论了观察到的元素相关性（即相互作用）以及镉和汞解毒的辅助机制的可能解释。
