Gizzard

Finally, a 150 kDa calmodulin binding protein, caldesmon is found bound to actin filaments at low calcium concentrations. The ratio of caldesmon to actin molecules seems to vary from 1 20 in the aorta to as much as 1 200 in chicken gizzard. It has been reported and disputed that caldesmon crosslinks actin filaments into large bundles. 

Roseman EF, Mills EL, Forney JL, Rudstam LG. 1996. Evaluation of competition between age-0 yellow perch (Perea flavescens) and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) in Oneida Lake, New York. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 53 865-874. 

Geiger, B., and Singer, S.J. (1980) Association of microtubules and intermediate filaments in chicken gizzard cells as detected by double immunofluorescence. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 77, 4769. 

No data are available on copper toxicity to avian wildlife. Experiments with domestic poultry show that copper accumulates in livers of mallard ducklings at dietary concentrations as low as 15 mg/kg DW ration that gizzard histopathology and a reduction in weight gain of chicks (Gallus sp.) occur at 250 to 350 mg Cu/kg DW ration and that growth of turkey poults is improved at... 

Day-old poults fed diet containing 500 mg/kg ration for 24 weeks Reduced growth and increased gizzard histopathology 9... 

Poupoulis, C. and L.S. Jensen. 1976. Effects of high dietary copper on gizzard integrity of the chick. Poultry Sci. 55 113-121. 

Wisconsin 1989 died of lead poisoning 6 lead shot found in gizzard blood Tundra swan, Cygnus columbianus 2.4 FW 122... 

The relationship between incidence of lead shot in waterfowl gizzards and biological effects varies widely and is probably a function of shot availability caused by differences in shooting intensity, size of pellets, availability of grit, firmness of soil and sediments, and depth of surface water (Street 1983). Also, lead accumulations and the frequency of avian lead toxicosis following... 

Adult males, age 16 weeks, fed pelleted commercial duck diet for 10 weeks diet formulated to contain 24% lead-contaminated sediment (3400 mg Pb/kg DW sediment = 816 mg Pb/kg DW total diet) 1 of 10 died vs. none in controls survivors had atrophied breast muscles, green staining of feathers around the vent, viscous bile green staining of the gizzard lining, and renal intranuclear inclusion bodies. Blood had 6.1 mg Pb/kg FW, liver had 2.8 mg Pb/kg FW, and feces had 1660 mg Pb/kg DW 61... 

No. 6 shot (600 mg) If shot retained in gizzard, death resulted residues (mg/kg) 72 fresh weight in liver, 154 dry weight in tibia 25, 26... 

Liver Gizzards containing ingested lead shot (percent frequency) >10.1 52 ... 

Daury, R.W., F.E. Schwab, and M.C. Bateman. 1994. Prevalence of ingested lead shot in American black duck, Anas rubripes, and ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris, gizzards from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Canad. Field-Natural. 108 26-30. 

Elliott, J.E., K.M. Langelier, A.M. Scheuhammer, P.H. Sinclair, and P.E. Whitehead. 1992. Incidence of lead poisoning in bald eagles and lead shot in waterfowl gizzards from British Columbia, 1988-91. Canad. Wildl. Serv., Progr. Notes No. 200. 7 pp. 

Kingsford, R.T., J.L. Kacprzak, and J. Ziaziaris. 1994. Lead in livers and gizzards of waterfowl shot in New South Wales, Australia. Environ. Pollut. 85 329-335. 

Longcore, J.R., RO. Corr, and H.E. Spencer, Jr. 1982. Lead shot incidence in sediments and waterfowl gizzards from Merrymeeting Bay, Maine. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 10 3-10. 

Pain, D.J., C. Bavoux, and G. Burneleau. 1997. Seasonal blood lead concentrations in marsh harriers Circus aeruginosus from Charente-Maritime, France relationship with the hunting season. Biol. Conserv. 81 1-7. Pain, D.J. and L. Eon. 1993. Methods of investigating the presence of ingested lead shot in waterfowl gizzards an improved visual technique. Wildfowl 44 183-187. 

All shot retained in gizzard after 14 days no adverse effects after 28 days. Residues at 28 days, in mg/kg DW, were 217 in liver, 79 in kidney, and 126 in feather (French et al. 1987). 

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