Concentrations of vitamin A, E, thyroid and testosterone hormones in blood plasma and tissues from emaciated adult male Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) dietary exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Rogstad, Tonje W.; Sonne, Christian; Villanger, Gro Dehli; Ahlstøm, Øystein; Fuglei, Eva; Muir, Derek C. G.; Jørgensen, Even H.; Jenssen, Bjørn Munro

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2017.01.017

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…The silver fox and blue fox both had lower hepatic retinol levels than the Blue frost fox and raccoon dog. A comparable result for the liver of farmed silver foxes was reported by Raila et al (2000), whereas the hepatic retinol level in mature blue foxes found in the present study was approximately 4 times higher than that reported by Rogstad et al (2017). It should be noted that in this study silver foxes showed no signs of vitamin A deficiency in spite of relatively low hepatic retinol level.…”

Section: Physio-logysupporting

confidence: 87%

Species- and age-dependent distribution of retinol and α-tocopherol in the Canidae family during the cold season

Baishnikova

Ilyina

Ilyukha

et al. 2021

BioComm

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Vitamins A and E are known as nutrients involved in metabolic processes and facilitating the adaptation of animals. The metabolism of these vitamins is closely related to lipid metabolism, which has seasonal variations in animals inhabiting northern latitudes. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of retinol (vitamin A) and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in the cold season (October to February) in tissues of Canidae species that have different ecological characteristics: the blue fox (Vulpes syn. Alopex lagopus), silver fox (Vulpes vulpes), their interspecific hybrids (Vulpes×Vulpes), raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), and grey wolf (Canis lupus). In addition, age-related differences in the levels of these vitamins were determined. Results showed the distribution of retinol and α-tocopherol in the body of the canids was similar, with larger amounts being found in the liver and kidney cortex, which play a regulatory role in the metabolism of these nutrients. The higher retinol level in the liver of wolves and interspecific hybrids of blue fox and silver fox, as compared to the retinol level in the liver of other species, might be species-specific and could also be attributed to dietary differences. The blue fox and raccoon dog both have a higher capacity for α-tocopherol accumulation in the cold season, apparently due to their ability to store substantial fat reserves. Retinol and α-tocopherol levels were generally higher in the tissues of mature animals.

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Section: Physio-logysupporting

confidence: 87%

Species- and age-dependent distribution of retinol and α-tocopherol in the Canidae family during the cold season

Baishnikova

Ilyina

Ilyukha

et al. 2021

BioComm

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“…Overall, the plasma testosterone concentrations in the present study were similar to those levels previously reported in farmed foxes during January–May. , The testosterone concentrations that we observed during the reproductive spring peak period were significantly lower in the exposed foxes as compared to in the control foxes. Previous results from the study of farmed Arctic foxes exposed to POPs at the research facilities at Ås have been reported elsewhere and are summarized in Table . ,,,,, Hallanger et al also reported significant, 4-fold lower plasma testosterone concentrations in juvenile POP-exposed Arctic foxes compared to control foxes . In the study by Rogstad et al, no reduction in testosterone was found in the POP-exposed adult arctic foxes; however, since these animals were sampled in mid-June, the seasonal pattern around the spring peak was not taken into account, which may explain the results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Previous results from the study of farmed Arctic foxes exposed to POPs at the research facilities at Ås have been reported elsewhere and are summarized in Table 2. 8,9,15,23,29,30 Hallanger et al also reported significant, 4-fold lower plasma testosterone concentrations in juvenile POP-exposed Arctic foxes compared to control foxes. 8 In the study by Rogstad et al, no reduction in testosterone was found in the POP-exposed adult arctic foxes; 9 however, since these animals were sampled in mid-June, the seasonal pattern around the spring peak was not taken into account, which may explain the results.…”

Section: ■ Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Such model species have included the Greenland sledge dog (Canis familiaris) and farmed Arctic foxes since these are phylogenetically close to, for example, polar bears and wild Arctic foxes . Such an experimental approach allows investigating multigenerational effects of POPs on, for example, immune and endocrine endpoints that are relevant for wildlife toxicology. ,− It also allows mimicking the seasonal variability in food availability and emaciation, which is a characteristic trait in endemic Arctic wildlife . For example, polar bears may starve for extended periods during gestation, denning, and ice-free summer periods. , …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants Reduces Testosterone Concentrations and Affects Sperm Viability and Morphology during the Mating Peak Period in a Controlled Experiment on Farmed Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus)

Sonne

Torjesen

Fuglei

et al. 2017

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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We investigated testosterone production and semen parameters in farmed Arctic foxes by dietary exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) for 22 months. Eight male foxes were given a diet of POP-contaminated minke whale blubber, whereas their eight male siblings were fed a control diet containing pig fat as the main fat source. The minke whale-based feed contained a ∑POPs concentration of 802 ng/g ww, whereas the pig-based feed contained ∑POPs of 24 ng/g ww. At the end of the experiment, ∑POP concentrations in adipose tissue were 8856 ± 2535 ng/g ww in the exposed foxes and 1264 ± 539 ng/g ww in the control foxes. The exposed group had 45-64% significantly lower testosterone concentrations during their peak mating season compared to the controls (p ≤ 0.05), while the number of dead and defect sperm cells was 27% (p = 0.07) and 15% (p = 0.33) higher in the exposed group. Similar effects during the mating season in wild Arctic foxes may affect mating behavior and reproductive success. On the basis of these results, we recommend testosterone as a sensitive biomarker of POP exposure and that seasonal patterns are investigated when interpreting putative endocrine disruption in Arctic wildlife with potential population-level effects.

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“…Previously published results from the present cohort of exposed and control foxes have shown that plasma level of multiple hormones, such as testosterone, thyroid hormones and vitamins, were affected by POP exposure in the exposed group (Hallanger et al 2012;Rogstad et al 2017;Sonne et al 2017).…”

Section: Considerations and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 56%

Mandibular shape in farmed Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) exposed to persistent organic pollutants

Bradley

Perra²,

Ahlstrøm

et al. 2019

Science of The Total Environment

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We investigated if dietary exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) affect mandibular asymmetry and periodontal disease in paired male-siblings of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus). During ontogeny, one group of siblings was exposed to the complexed POP mixture in naturally contaminated minke whale (Balaenoptere acutorostarta) blubber (n = 10), while another group was given wet feed based on pig (Sus scrofa) fat as a control (n = 11). The ∑POP concentrations were 802 ng/g ww in the whale-based feed compared to 24 ng/g ww in the control diet. We conducted a two-dimensional geometric morphometric (GM) analysis of mandibular shape and asymmetry in the foxes and compared the two groups. The analyses showed that directional asymmetry was higher than fluctuating asymmetry in both groups and that mandibular shape differed significantly between the exposed and control group based on discriminant function analysis (T = 58.52, p = 0.04, 1000 permutations). We also found a non-significantly higher incidence of periodontal disease (two-way ANOVA: p = 0.43) and greater severity of sub-canine alveolar bone deterioration similar to periodontitis (two-way ANOVA: p = 0.3) in the POP-exposed group. Based on these results, it is possible that dietary exposure to a complexed POP mixture lead to changes in jaw morphology in Arctic foxes. This study suggests that extrinsic factors, such as dietary exposure to POPs, may affect mandibular shape and health in a way that could be harmful to wild Arctic populations. Therefore, further studies using GM analysis as an alternative to traditional morphometric methods should be conducted for wild Arctic fox populations exposed to environmental contaminants.

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Concentrations of vitamin A, E, thyroid and testosterone hormones in blood plasma and tissues from emaciated adult male Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) dietary exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Cited by 12 publications

References 57 publications

Species- and age-dependent distribution of retinol and α-tocopherol in the Canidae family during the cold season

Species- and age-dependent distribution of retinol and α-tocopherol in the Canidae family during the cold season

Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants Reduces Testosterone Concentrations and Affects Sperm Viability and Morphology during the Mating Peak Period in a Controlled Experiment on Farmed Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus)

Mandibular shape in farmed Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) exposed to persistent organic pollutants

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