Free-ranging domestic cats are characterized by increased metal content in reproductive tissues

Niedzielski

Fertility and Sterility

et al. 2016

Self Cite

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal accumulation in the human uterus varies by pathology and smoking status

Niedzielski

Fertility and Sterility

et al. 2016

Self Cite

“…Analyses of the elementary content in mammalian reproductive tissues have so far been performed only rarely (Rzymski et al 2014a, b, Rzymski et al 2015. The present study is the first to address the status of Fe in the feline reproductive system and to demonstrate that it can be detected at various levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Assessment of iron in uterine and testicular tissues and hair of free-ranging and household cats

Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Niedzielski

Dąbrowski³

2015

Iron (Fe) represents a highly essential element for various biological processes. In spite of this very little is known as regards its status in mammalian reproductive tissues and factors that may potentially influence it. At the same time, there is an ongoing debate as to whether analyses of the Fe content in hair can provide reliable information on its tissue burden. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the content of Fe in the testicular and uterine tissues, and hair of the domestic cat (Felis catus) and how this content relates to an animal's age, weight, physical activity, inhabited environment and diet. The median Fe content in the feline reproductive tissues amounted to 50.8 ppm and in hair to 180.2 ppm. As found, free-ranging cats were characterized by a significantly higher Fe content in reproductive tissues, particularly in the uterus. Age, weight and physical activity had no effect on determined Fe levels. The type of commercial diet (wet, dry or combined) given to household cats also had no influence upon Fe status in hair and tissue although males fed exclusively on dry food had a lower Fe testis :Fe hair ratio. Hair Fe level was positively correlated with that found in the reproductive tissues (Rs=0.30). This study extends the body of information on Fe distribution in felines, demonstrates the difference between free-ranging and household cats and provides evidence that Fe hair status may, at least partially, reflect the status of this element in the feline reproductive system.

Pets as Sentinels, Forecasters and Promoters of Human Health

“…The authors argue that this is because cats suffering renal failure have a reabsorption inability, which will impoverish the hair matrix in terms of metals. The results obtained by Rzymski et al (2015) show a clear influence from the inhabited environment, with free-ranging animals registering lower cadmium levels as compared to animals totally or partially living indoors. This data illustrates the already mentioned difficulty in establishing a baseline for the values of metals in hair.…”

Section: Cadmiummentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Two papers reported cadmium values in cats' coats: Badea et al (2016) and Rzymski et al (2015). Clinically healthy cats (in particular males which present levels over eight times higher than females) in the study performed by Badea et al (2016) registered higher cadmium levels when compared with those suffering from renal failure, which were comparatively the same regardless of age.…”

Section: Cadmiummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Badea et al (2016) aimed to determine the levels of Cd and Pb in the coat of 15 cats (six clinically healthy and nine suffering from renal failure) in Romania. Rzymski et al (2015) investigated the contents of Cd and Pb in hair of 18 freeranging and 36 household (14 outgoing and 22 not outgoing) cats from Poland. Concentration values also had to be extrapolated from graphs in this study.…”

Section: Catsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Pets as Sentinels of Human Exposure to Neurotoxic Metals

Pastorinho

Silva

2019

The idea that animals may be used as sentinels of environmental hazards pending over humans and the associated public health implications is not a new one. Nowadays pets are being used as bioindicators for the effects of environmental contaminants in human populations. This is of paramount importance due to the large increase in the worldwide distribution of synthetic chemicals, particularly in the built environment. Companion animals share the habitat with humans being simultaneously exposed to and suffering the same disease spectrum as their masters. Moreover, their shorter latency periods (due to briefer lifespans) enable them to act as early warning systems, allowing timely public health interventions. The rise on ethical constraints on the use of animals and, consequently, on the sampling they can be subjected to has led to the preferential use of noninvasive matrices, and in this case we are looking into hair. This chapter focuses in three non-essential metals: mercury, lead, and cadmium, due to their ubiquitous presence in the built environment and their ability of affecting the mammal nervous system. There is a fairly short amount of studies reporting the concentrations of these metals in pets' hair, particularly for cats. These studies are characterized, and the metal concentrations corresponding to different parameters (e.g., age, sex, diet, rearing) are described in order to provide the reader with a general vision on the use of this noninvasive matrix on the studies conducted since the last two decades of the twentieth century.