Modification of nickel accumulation in the tissues of the bank vole Myodes glareolus by chemical and environmental factors

• Ni in the tissues were influenced by Ni levels in the food during intoxication time.
• Ni in the tissues depended on interactions between factors : Ni, temperature and other factors.
• The body, liver and kidney masses were affected by both Ni in the food and temperature.
• Temperature is an important factor which should be included in toxicological studies, especially into the risk assessment.

In a full factorial laboratory experiment, the effects of temperature and two chemical stressors (nickel and chlorpyrifos) on the accumulation of nickel in the liver and kidney of bank voles were studied. The nine-week experiment consisted of three periods: acclimatisation (3 days), intoxication (6 weeks) and elimination (3 weeks). During the main intoxication phase the animals were orally exposed for 42 days to different doses of nickel (Ni) (0, 300 and 800 mg/kg food) or chlorpyrifos (CPF) (0, 50 and 350 mg/kg food) or a mixture of both chemicals. Additionally, animals from each chemical treatment were divided into subgroups assigned to three temperatures: 10, 20 or 30°C. The highest concentrations of nickel were found in the testis, but there were no statistical effects of studied factors on this tissue. The nickel concentrations were higher in the kidney than in the liver of the bank voles. Nickel levels in the livers were influenced by Ni concentration in the food during intoxication time and additionally by interactions between Ni, temperature and day of exposure during elimination. The kidney concentrations of nickel depended on the level of nickel exposure but also on the interactions of the nickel with other factors: temperature, chlorpyrifos, day of exposure. This influence was observed only during the intoxication phase. The body mass and liver and kidney masses of the animals were affected both by the nickel concentration in the food and by the temperature.The capsule abstractNi in the tissues depended on the interactions between the factors: Ni, temperature and other. The body, liver and kidney masses were affected by both Ni in the food and by the temperature.