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Diagnosis of anticholinesterase poisoning in birds: Effects of environmental temperature and underfeeding on cholinesterase activity
Author(s) -
Rattner Barnett A.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620010408
Subject(s) - quail , cholinesterase , coturnix coturnix , carbamate , aché , coturnix , toxicology , acetylcholinesterase , biology , chemistry , endocrinology , biochemistry , enzyme
Brain cholinesterase (ChE) activity has been used extensively to monitor exposure to organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate (CB) insecticides in wild birds. A series of factorial experiments was conducted to assess the extent to which noncontaminant‐related environmental conditions might affect brain ChE activity and thereby confound the diagnosis of OP and CB intoxication. Underfeeding (restricting intake to 50% of control for 21 d or fasting for 1–3 d) or exposure to elevated temperature (36 ± 1°C for 1 d) caused only slightreductions (10–17%)in brain AChE activity in adult male Japanese quail ( Coturnix coturnix japonica ). This degree of “reduction” in brain AChE activity is considerably less than the 50% “inhibition” criterion employed in the diagnosis of insecticide‐induced mortality, but nevertheless approaches the 20% “inhibition” level used as a conservative estimate of sublethal exposure to a known insecticide application.