The Functional Alterations of The Avian Salt Gland Subsequent to Osmotic Stress

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zoology Dept., Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Many terrestrial non-marine birds have functional salt glands. Their salt glands are usually quiescent. However, such  glands show remarkable levels of phenotypic plasticity both morphological and physiological as a consequence of drinking saline water.
Objective: The current investigation was conducted to reveal in more detail the different functional alterations of the duck`s salt glands subsequent to high salt osmotic stress.
Material and methods: The selected avian species were  the  domestic  female (Anas platyrhyncha)and the wild migratory  (Anas clypeata ) ducks. Two groups of domestic and one group of wild ducks were considered in the present study , each of which included nine adult ducks. The high salt osmotic stress was induced by replacing drinking tap water of the domestic ducks with 1% sodium chloride solution for two consecutive weeks. The measured parameters were included some  electrolytes in both serum and glandular tissue. Also, Na-K-ATPase activity and aldosterone concentrations were considered.   
Results: The present study elucidated that serum sodium, potassium, chloride and uric acid of the wild migratory ducks were markedly higher than those of  both salt-stressed and control ducks. In addition, serum aldosterone concentration of the wild migratory ducks was distinctly higher  in comparison with those of the control and the salt-stressed ones. Moreover,  salt gland tissue homogenate electrolyte contents followed the same pattern as those of serum electrolyte concentrations. In contrast, the  activity of  Na-K-ATPase of the salt gland homogenates was higher in  the salt-stressed ducks in comparison to both wild migratory and control groups.
Conclusion: From the above mentioned results, it was concluded that the peculiar functional status of the salt gland of the experimentally salt-stressed ducks comparing to the control  may be presented as an adaptive features to satisfy its special demands to eliminate the remarkable increased levels of sodium chloride load effectively.
 
 

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