LOW AMBIENT-TEMPERATURE DECREASES CADMIUM ACCUMULATION IN THE LIVER AND KIDNEYS OF THE BANK VOLE (CLETHRIONOMYS-GLAREOLUS)

The importance of photoperiod and ambient temperature on the accumulat ion of cadmium in the liver and kidneys of bank voles was determined i n the present study, Males and females, aged 1 month, were given 3.0 m u g Cd ml(-1) drinking water and divided into four groups according to photoperiod (16 h light/8 h dark and 8 h light/16 h dark) and ambient temperature (20 or 5 degrees C); liver and kidneys were removed for c admium as well as copper, iron and zinc analyses at the end of 6 weeks . Bank voles exposed to 5 degrees C in both photoperiods consumed appr oximately 30% less water containing cadmium than those kept at 20 degr ees C. However, the total accumulation of cadmium in the liver and kid neys of males and females exposed to the low temperatures was 4.3-4.8 and 2.2-3.3 times less than that in animals maintained at room tempera ture in the long and short photoperiod, respectively, Simultaneously, the low temperature brought about an increase in the copper concentrat ions in the liver (12-43%) and kidneys (47-78%), giving rise to an inv erse correlation between the cadmium accumulation and the tissue coppe r concentration, In contrast to cadmium and copper, the concentrations of iron and zinc were affected primarily by photoperiod, These findin gs indicate that ambient temperature is an important determinant of ca dmium retention in the bank vole, It appears that low temperature decr eases tissue cadmium accumulation not only by reducing cadmium intake but also through changes in copper metabolism.