Inhibitory effect of cadmium chloride on the cross-linking of collagen in young male garden lizards

Responses to cadmium intoxication in the liver of the wall lizard Podarcis sicula

This study examined the cytological and molecular effects of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in the liver of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis sicula. Cadmium was administered in single dose, by diet, to induce a concentration comparable with that measured in animals living in contaminated sites. For comparison, cadmium was also administered in multiple doses by food (chronic) or in a single dose intraperitoneally (i.p.); the effects were followed at regular time intervals up to 30 days post treatments. Atomic absorption spectrometry analysis demonstrated cadmium ion uptake and accumulation in the parenchyma with an estimated half-life of approximately 8 days. Cytological analyses revealed that the metal induced oedema, activated metallothionein expression in Kupffer cells and extracellular matrix production in fat storing cells. It also caused swelling and alteration in lipid and sugar metabolism in hepatocytes. In conclusion, in the wall lizard cadmium is toxic to the liver even at very low concentrations, the response is not strictly dose and time dependent and almost no recovery occurs in short (30 days) time periods.

The influence of the estrous cycle on the volume density and appearance of collagen containing vacuoles in fibroblasts of the rat uterus

The influence of the estrous cycle on the number of intracellular collagen-containing vacuoles (CCVs) has been studied in the uterus of the virgin Wistar rat. CCVs seem to be involved in two processes. Translucent CCVs dark CCVs and dark residual bodies appear to be involved in collagen uptake and degradation, whilst the so-called filamentous bodies (FBs), which are large structures filled with amorphous filaments may be concerned with collagen synthesis. The volume density of these FBs is influenced by the estrous cycle and peak values are accompanied by the highest values of extracellular collagen.

Change in the stability of tendon collagen during ageing in the reptile, Calotes versicolor. A brief note

Age related changes in the digestibility of tendon collagen of the garden lizard, Calotes versicolor, were traced using type I collagenase from Clostridium histolyticum. Collagen from older lizards showed less susceptibility for collagenase digestion than the younger lizards suggesting increased number of cross-linkages comparable with mammals.