A new experimental system of using fertile chick eggs to evaluate vanadium absorption and antidotal effectiveness to prevent vanadium uptake

Abstract

To establish the absorption of vanadium compounds such as vanadium chloride, vanadyl sulfate, and sodium metavanadate and to find effective chelating and reducing agents to cope with the absorption and uptake of vanadium compounds by embryonic chicks, aqueous vanadium solutions with or without chelating and reducing agent solutions were introduced into the air sacs of 14-day-old fertile chick eggs. After incubation of a further 5 days, mortality, embryonic weight, and vanadium content in the legs and toes were measured. Vanadium concentration in the legs and toes increased linearly as the administration of vanadium compounds increased and can be used as an index for vanadium absorption. Vanadium accumulation in the legs and toes, embryonic growth, and mortality showed no essential differences among VCl 3, VOSO 4, and NaVO 3. Among 19 antidotal substances tested, deferoxamine mesylate was the most effective, and Xylenol Orange, EDTA, and basophenathroline were secondarily effective to prevent vanadium uptake. Tiron could not prevent absorption from VOSO 4 as effectively as NaVO 3. Deferoxamine was the most effective in decreasing the death rate and increasing embryonic growth. Tiron was secondarily effective when excessive Tiron was administered. Antidotal effectiveness of deferoxamine was observed when it was simultaneously administered with vanadium compounds. Deferoxamine and VOSO 4 formed an equimolar complex that is unabsorbable. These results are comparable with the results shown in previous reports using rats and mice. The present experimental system using fertile chick eggs had advantages in the examination of mineral absorption and in the screening for effective antidotes from the viewpoints of ease of experimental procedure and animal welfare in comparison with conventional methods using laboratory animals.