Short-term cadmium effects on gill tissue metabolism

ATP, lactate and respiratory rate in dogfish gill tissue were analysed after 50 ppm cadmium treatment. ATP levels decrease significantly after two days treatment but no differences with respect to the control values were detected after three, four or six days. Lactate increased after one day treatment and values were maintained after two and three days, recovering the control values from the fourth day. Oxygen consumption rate agree with the former patterns. After two days treatment a low rate (49% of controls) was recorded, while the respiratory rate after six days recovered in the 82% of the controls.