Biochemical effects of Pembina Cardium crude oil exposure in cattle

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology 1996-03, Vol.30 (3), p.349-355
• Main Authors: Khan, A.A. (Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville, Alberta, Canada.), Coppock, R.W, Schuler, M.M, Florence, L.Z, Lillie, L.E, Mostrom, M.S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase - drug effects; 7-ETHOXYCOUMARIN-O-DEETHYLASE; ACTIVIDAD ENZIMATICA; ACTIVITE ENZYMATIQUE; ADVERSE EFFECTS; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; APPLICATION METHODS; Applied ecology; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; BOVIN; CATTLE; CITOCROMO P 450; CITOCROMOS; CYTOCHROME; CYTOCHROME P 450; CYTOCHROME-C OXIDASE; CYTOCHROMES; CYTOPLASMIC ORGANELLES; DOSAGE EFFECTS; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; EFECTOS SECUNDARIOS; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; EFFET SECONDAIRE; ENZIMAS; ENZYME; ENZYME INHIBITORS; ENZYMES; ENZYMIC ACTIVITY; EXPERIMENTACION IN VITRO; EXPERIMENTATION IN VITRO; FARMLAND; Female; FOIE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GANADO BOVINO; GLUTATHIONE TRANSFERASE; HIGADO; ILLNESS; IN VITRO EXPERIMENTATION; INHIBIDORES DE ENZIMAS; INHIBITEUR D'ENZYME; Kidney Cortex - drug effects; Kidney Cortex - enzymology; KIDNEYS; LIVER; Liver - drug effects; Liver - enzymology; Lung - drug effects; Lung - enzymology; LUNGS; Mammalia; METHODE D'APPLICATION; METODOS DE APLICACION; MICROSOMES; NADH-CYTOCHROME-C REDUCTASE; ORAL ADMINISTRATION; ORGANITE CELLULAIRE; ORGANULOS CITOPLASMICOS; OXIDOREDUCTASES; OXIDORREDUCTASAS; OXYDOREDUCTASE; PETROLE; PETROLEO; PETROLEUM; Petroleum - toxicity; POLLUTION; POLUCION; POUMON; PULMONES; REIN; RINONES; SIDE EFFECTS; SINTOMAS; SUCCINATE-CYTOCHROME-C REDUCTASE; SYMPTOME; SYMPTOMS; TERRE AGRICOLE; TIERRAS AGRICOLAS; TOXICIDAD; TOXICITE; TOXICITY; TRANSFERASAS; TRANSFERASE; TRANSFERASES; UNSPECIFIC MONOOXYGENASE; Xenobiotics - metabolism
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00212293

Crude oil pollution at drilling sites located within or in close proximity to agricultural pasture lands poses serious health risks to cattle raised on these lands. To investigate the clinical and systemic biochemical effects, cattle (8/group) were administered single oral doses of Pembina Cardium crude oil (PCCO) at 16.7, 33.4, and 67.4 g/kg, or water (control group) at 80 g/kg. Cattle exposed to PCCO showed dose-dependent clinical effects. At the lowest dosage, PCCO caused transient and minimal clinical effects; however, high dosages caused varied clinical signs which included tremors, nystagmus, vomiting, and pulmonary distress. On posttreatment day 7 or 30, four cattle from each treatment group were sacrificed and biochemical parameters were assayed in liver, lungs, and kidney cortex. In cattle monitored on posttreatment day 7, the PCCO-treated groups showed marked alterations from the control group in hepatic cytochrome P-450 (P-450), and in aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase (ECOD) activities of these tissues. Administration of PCCO caused significant increases (> 100%) in hepatic P-450, but produced variable effects on AHH and ECOD activities in each tissue. The activity of AHH was increased in all tissues; however, the effect was highest in kidney cortex (> 5000%), followed by liver (> 500%) and lungs (> 250%). The activity of ECOD was altered in a differential manner. It was either increased markedly (>1300%) in kidney cortex or increased slightly (20-30%) in liver, but decreased (> 80%) in lungs. The activities of respiratory chain enzymes (succinate-cytochrome c reductase, NADH-cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome oxidase), or NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and glutathione transferase were not changed significantly in any tissues. The alterations in P-450, AHH, and ECOD observed on day 7 were markedly reversed in cattle examined on day 30 posttreatment, indicating a recovery from induced changes. Studies in vitro with hepatic microsomal preparations from day 7 posttreatment groups showed that increases in AHH and ECOD activity in PCCO-treated cattle were due to induction of new isoforms of P-450, as evidenced by (1) the appearance of a 448-nm spectral peak, and (2) differential inhibitory effects of metyrapone and 7,8-benzoflavone on AHH and ECOD activities.