Rl. Deswart et al., SHORT-TERM FASTING DOES NOT AGGRAVATE IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA-VITULINA) WITH HIGH BODY BURDENS OF ORGANOCHLORINES, Chemosphere, 31(10), 1995, pp. 4289-4306
Two groups of 11 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) with different body bu
rdens of organochlorines were subjected to an experimental 15-day fast
ing period, during which they lost an average 16.5% of their body weig
hts. Blood levels of the most persistent organochlorines showed an app
roximate twofold increase, while levels of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-b
inding organochlorines remained largely unaffected. Few differences in
immunological parameters were observed between the two dietary groups
. Numbers of circulating lymphocytes dropped to about 65% of the initi
al values and NK cell activity showed a slight increase in both groups
. Mitogen- and antigen-induced lymphoproliferative responses of the Ba
ltic group of seals remained within normal ranges. These results sugge
st that relatively short-term fasting periods do not present an additi
onal immunotoxicological risk to seals with high body burdens of organ
ochlorines.