The Effect of Low Dose Ionizing Radiation and Cadmium Chloride on Glucose Metabolism in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The aim of the study was to observe the effect of ionizing radiation and cadmium chloride on glucose metabolism in broiler chickens. The experiment was conducted on 28-day-old chickens divided into four groups (A, B, C and D). The first group (A) served as control, groups 2 (B) and 3 (C) were irradiated with a single, whole body dose of gamma rays (3 Gy, input 1.14 Gy·min -1 ) and group 3 (C) was administered a water solution of CdCl 2 intraperitoneally at a dose of 6 mg·kg -1 body weight. Group 4 (D) was administered a water solution of CdCl 2 intraperitoneally at the same dose as group 3 but chickens of this group were not irradiated with gamma rays. The serum glucose concentration in the chickens that were irradiated and administered CdCl 2 solution (C) was decreased significantly (p < 0.05) on days 7, 14 and 21 (p < 0.01) of the experiment compared to control (A). The serum glucose concentration in the chickens administered only CdCl 2 (D) was decreased significantly on day 7 compared to control (A). No significant changes in serum glucose concentrations were observed in the remaining group. The results of our experiment indicate that a combined influence of ionizing radiation and administered cadmium chloride resulted in a significant decrease in serum glucose concentration and the influence was more evident than that caused either by cadmium chloride or irradiation alone. The changes in serum glucose concentration observed on days 7 and 14 in gamma-irradiated chickens were lower than those induced only by administration of cadmium chloride.