Cadmium induced cardiac toxicology in developing Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica): Histopathological damages, oxidative stress and myocardial muscle fiber formation disorder

The muscle fibers in the pectoralis muscle of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) are classified as fast-twitch glycolytic (FG), fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic (FOG), and slow-tonic on the basis of their histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics. There is an increasing proportion of FOG/FG fibers along a superficial to deep gradient throughout the entire belly of the muscle. Slow-tonic fibers are present in low numbers, and are restricted to a tiny area located in the deepest fasciculi of the cranial third of the muscle. This distribution of muscle fiber types is typical of those vertebrate muscles adapted to a locomotory function. The slow-tonic fibers are alkali-stable and acid-stable when preincubated for myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase (mATPase) activity. Slow fibers in the chicken pectoralis and mouse soleus muscle, both types previously described as alkali-labile, acid-stable for mATPase activity, cannot be distinguished from each other or Japanese quail slow-tonic fibers on the basis of several ultrastructural characteristics: Z-line width, metabolic differences, or fusion of myofibrils. While mammalian slow fibers have one large motor end plate, all avian slow fibers have small multiple motor end plates. Mammalian slow fibers are slow-twitch, and avian slow fibers are probably slow-tonic. More complex secondary synaptic clefts distinguish mammalian from all avian fiber types.

Download Full-text

Thermal acclimation of fast-growing Japanese Quails (Coturnix japonica) exhibit decreased oxidative stress and increased muscle fiber diameters after acute heat challenges

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2017-0273 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 96 (10) ◽

pp. 1097-1105 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ana Gabriela Jimenez ◽

Jennifer Dias ◽

Tram Nguyen ◽

Brigid Reilly ◽

Nicholas Anthony

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Muscle Fiber ◽

Citrate Synthase ◽

Initial Period ◽

Coturnix Japonica ◽

Fast Growing ◽

Japanese Quails ◽

Control Growth ◽

Scavenging Capacity

Many predict dire consequences of increasing temperatures; however, high temperatures in early life may aid animals during extreme thermal events later in life. The underlying physiological mechanisms have not been elucidated. We examined whether developing in warmer temperatures would physiologically benefit adult Japanese Quails (Coturnix japonica Temminck and Schlegel, 1849) by exploring changes in oxidative stress and muscle structure in two quail lines — one selected for control growth and another for fast growth and after acute heat challenges. We used a factorial design to administer four treatment combinations to each line: an initial period of either heat-stress acclimation (3 h every other day to 37 °C) or no acclimation, and after 5 weeks, either an acute heat-stress challenge (8 h at 39 °C) or no challenge. We found that control quails had significantly higher citrate synthase activity than fast-growing quails. Fast-growing quails had higher hydroxyl scavenging capacity than control quails. Peroxyl scavenging capacity decreased in both lines after an acute heat challenge, regardless of acclimation. Finally, fast-growing quails had larger muscle fiber diameters than control quails, and acclimated birds that experienced an acute heat challenge had larger muscle fibers than those that did not experience a heat challenge. Thus, fast-growing quails may physiologically benefit from developing in warmer temperatures.

Download Full-text

Oxidative stress does not differ in primary dermal fibroblasts isolated from fast-growing and control-growing Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2018-0230 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (6) ◽

pp. 530-536

Author(s):

Ursula Konstantin Beattie ◽

Ana Gabriela Jimenez

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Japanese Quail ◽

Dermal Fibroblasts ◽

Coturnix Japonica ◽

Cellular Damage ◽

Life History Trait ◽

Ros Production ◽

Mitochondrial Content ◽

Primary Fibroblast ◽

Fast Growing

Growth rate is a key life-history trait that influences fitness and shapes the physiology of organisms. Additionally, faster growing individuals of the same species seem to be burdened with higher whole-animal metabolism and higher cellular turnover rates, which may lead to increases in oxidative stress, though this fact remains controversial within the literature. Aerobic organisms are subjected to metabolic by-products known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can wreak havoc on macromolecules, such as structurally altering proteins and inducing mutations in DNA, among others. To combat accumulating damage, organisms have evolved endogenous antioxidants and can consume exogenous antioxidants to sequester ROS before they cause cellular damage. We used primary fibroblast cells isolated from control-growing and fast-growing Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica Temminck and Schlegel, 1849) as a study model for the effects of differing growth rates on oxidative stress. We measured reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration, ROS production, mitochondrial content, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) damage. We found no significant differences in the four parameters measured between control-growing and fast-growing Quail. However, we found that in fast-growing Quail, GSH correlated with LPO damage and mitochondrial content, and LPO damage positively correlated with mitochondrial content, whereas control-growing Quail only showed positive relationships between LPO damage and ROS production.

Download Full-text