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Home / Equine Research Bank / Can J Comp Med / Lead and zinc poisoning and the interaction between Pb and Z...
Canadian journal of comparative medicine : Revue canadienne de medecine comparee1972; 36(4); 348-359;

Lead and zinc poisoning and the interaction between Pb and Zn poisoning in the foal.

Abstract: Groups of young growing horses were fed toxic amounts of lead only, zinc only and the same amounts of lead and zinc together. Those fed Pb only developed pharyngeal and laryngeal paralysis ("roaring") whereas those fed Zn only and Pb and Zn together developed the same clinical syndrome which included swelling at the epiphyseal region of the long bones, stiffness and lameness. Anemia and decreased weight gains were most pronounced in animals fed Zn for the longest periods. Animals fed Pb only did not become anemic and weight loss did not occur until after there was an interference in swallowing. The clinical signs and tissue Pb values from animals fed toxic amounts of both Pb and Zn continuously, differed markedly from those present in animals fed comparable amounts of Pb only. Th clinical signs were similar to those caused by Zn poisoning. The hepatic and renal tissue Pb values were approximately twice as high and the epiphyseal and cancellous bone sample results were one half as high as the comparable Pb values from animals fed toxic amounts of Pb only. It appeared that toxic amounts of Zn prevented the development of clinical signs of Pb poisoning in the young growing horse.
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Publication Date: 1972-10-01 PubMed ID: 4263914PubMed Central: PMC1319698
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research studied the combined and independent effects of lead and zinc poisoning in young horses. They found that zinc and lead poisoning manifested differently and that the presence of Zinc seemed to prevent the symptoms of lead poisoning from developing.

Study Design and Procedure

  • The authors established groups of young, still-growing horses for their experiment. The groups were fed different diets, including diets containing toxic amounts of lead, zinc, and both lead and zinc together.
  • The effects of these diets were closely observed over time, with particular attention paid to physical and health changes such as swelling, stiffness, lameness, anemia, and weight gain or loss.

Findings

  • Horses that were only fed lead developed pharyngeal and laryngeal paralysis, a condition colloquially known as “roaring.”
  • Horses fed diets with only zinc or diets with both zinc and lead developed a different clinical syndrome. This syndrome manifested as swelling at the epiphyseal region of the long bones, stiffness, and lameness. These horses often exhibited anemia and decreased weight gains, particularly when they were fed with zinc for an extended period.
  • Interestingly, it was noted that horses fed with lead did not become anemic and weight loss did not occur until after the horses showed trouble swallowing.

Interaction Effects of Lead and Zinc

  • Animals given both lead and zinc exhibited markedly different clinical signs compared to those only given lead. They showed symptoms akin to those from zinc poisoning.
  • The concentrations of lead in the liver and kidney tissues of horses fed both toxins were approximately double the levels found in horses fed only lead.
  • On the other hand, the concentrations of lead in the epiphyseal and cancellous bone samples were only half of those in horses fed only lead.
  • It appears, based on the observations, that toxic amounts of zinc prevented the development of clinical signs of lead poisoning in the young horses.

Significance

  • This study provides new insights on how zinc and lead interact in the body of young growing horses and how they affect the progression of lead and zinc poisoning.
  • Understanding these interactions and effects could help in the development of treatment strategies and preventive measures for lead and zinc poisoning in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Willoughby RA, MacDonald E, McSherry BJ, Brown G. (1972). Lead and zinc poisoning and the interaction between Pb and Zn poisoning in the foal. Can J Comp Med, 36(4), 348-359.

Publication

Canadian journal of comparative medicine : Revue canadienne de medecine comparee
ISSN: 0008-4050
NlmUniqueID: 0151747
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 36
Issue: 4
Pages: 348-359

Researcher Affiliations

Willoughby, R A
    MacDonald, E
      McSherry, B J
        Brown, G

          MeSH Terms

          • Animal Feed
          • Animals
          • Calcium / blood
          • Drug Interactions
          • Feces / analysis
          • Horse Diseases / chemically induced
          • Horses
          • Iron / blood
          • Lead / administration & dosage
          • Lead / analysis
          • Lead / blood
          • Lead Poisoning / veterinary
          • Levulinic Acids / blood
          • Magnesium / blood
          • Phosphorus / blood
          • Zinc / administration & dosage
          • Zinc / analysis
          • Zinc / blood
          • Zinc / poisoning

          References

          This article includes 16 references
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          Citations

          This article has been cited 7 times.
          1. Draper ACE, Piercy RJ. Pathological classification of equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Jul;32(4):1397-1409.
            doi: 10.1111/jvim.15142pubmed: 29691904google scholar: lookup
          2. Dogra RK, Murthy RC, Srivastava AK, Gaur JS, Shukla LJ, Varmani BM. Cattle mortality in the Thane district, India: a study of cause/effect relationships. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 1996 Feb;30(2):292-7.
            doi: 10.1007/BF00215811pubmed: 8593087google scholar: lookup
          3. Schmitt N, Anderson TW, Philion JJ, Gelpke PM. Could zinc help protect children from lead poisoning?. CMAJ 1996 Jan 1;154(1):13-4.
            pubmed: 8542559
          4. Rowles TK, Womac C, Bratton GR, Tiffany-Castiglioni E. Interaction of lead and zinc in cultured astroglia. Metab Brain Dis 1989 Sep;4(3):187-201.
            doi: 10.1007/BF01000295pubmed: 2796873google scholar: lookup
          5. John MK, VanLaerhoven CJ, Bjerring JH. Effect of a smelter complex on the regional distribution of cadmium, lead and zinc in litters and soil horizons. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 1976;4(4):456-68.
            doi: 10.1007/BF02221042pubmed: 999335google scholar: lookup
          6. . Factors influencing metabolism and toxicity of metals: a consensus report. Environ Health Perspect 1978 Aug;25:3-41.
            doi: 10.1289/ehp.25-1637186pubmed: 363409google scholar: lookup
          7. Cantrell AC, Kilroe-Smith TA, Simões MM, Border EA. The effect of zinc and pH on the behaviour of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in baboons exposed to lead. Br J Ind Med 1977 May;34(2):110-3.
            doi: 10.1136/oem.34.2.110pubmed: 17430google scholar: lookup
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