Liver and kidney structure and iron content in romanian brown bears ( Ursus arctos) before and after hibernation

Abstract

The annual cycle of the brown bear ( Ursus arctos) in the Carpathian Mountains (Romania) consists of an active period from April to November, and an inactive period (hibernation) of approximately 4–5 months between November and March. During hibernation, the brown bears sleep continually and do not feed or drink water. Analyses of liver and kidney of male brown bears showed that liver iron content was 3 times higher in bears at the end of hibernation than at the end of the active period. A possible trend towards a decrease in iron content was noted for the kidney. The presence of iron in the liver was confirmed by the presence of the Perls-positive granules in the cytoplasm of Kupffer cells, in other non-parenchymal cells and also in some hepatocytes. The hepatic veins of the bear liver samples obtained in early spring showed narrower lumens with pleated walls, compared to the normal outline of the hepatic veins in the liver from the bears sampled during autumn. Also in the early spring bears, the renal glomeruli were partially fibrosed. Renal glomerular fibrosis was sometimes observed in samples from the prehibernation period. The tissue iron values from the livers and kidneys of brown bears in early spring or autumn might provide useful data on iron metabolism under conditions of hibernation and accompanying starvation.