**2.3. Determination of water fluxes**

Water fluxes were determined by direct analysis following the principles described by Holleman and Dieterich [30]. Rates of water flux represent the loss of water via excretion and evaporation and the simultaneous input of water, via metabolic water production and pre-formed water via food and drink (Nagy and Costa 1980). Free water content of the food determined by drying to constant weight at 60 °C was 3 %. The metabolic water content was determined from carbohydrate, fat and protein composition [33]. Thus 1 g of given food contains 0.509 mL of water. The intact unshaven carcasses were sublimated to dryness. The difference between live and dry weight was taken as total body water (TBW).

Effect of Cadmium Contaminated Diet in Controlling Water Behavior by *Meriones shawi* 151

Data are shown as the mean ± SEM. All results were compared to control animals (C), as well as to the Cd-exposed animals (Cd). For all our experiment, a two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between groups, followed by a Dunnett's test with a threshold of significance of p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 to detect specific differences, using a

During the eight days of experimentation, body mass doesn't change significantly in the control group. Body weight loss represented 5.77 ± 0.05 % in *Meriones* treated with Cd (expressed in % of initial body weight). A higher significant increase in body weight loss (16 ± 0.19 % of initial body weight) was observed following 8 days of water restriction. The body weight loss (19.34 ± 0.29 %) is greater in the *Meriones* group both water-deprived and

Relative weight of liver in controls is an average of 0.05 ± 0.01. Cd exposure significantly altered the relative weight of liver (0.036 ± 0.01) following eight days of treatment. Water

Decrease in relative weight of liver was also observed in water-deprived group and simultaneously treated with Cd. No differences were found in relative kidney weights (6.8 ±

Consumption of food was expressed per 100 g of body weight. Control animals consumed an average of 4.5 g/day of food. There was a significant (p < 0.01) decrease of food intake in the Cd-exposed group (2.54 ± 0.2 g daily). Food intake of the water deprived groups was similar to that of the controls. When water deprivation was combined with Cd exposure, the decrease in food intake became larger and statistically significant compared with both

After eight days of experimentation, hematocrit (44.32 ± 1.08 %) did not change significantly

restriction had no effect on relative weight of liver as compared to control *Meriones*.

**2.6. Statistical analysis** 

**3. Results** 

**3.1. Body mass** 

treated with Cd.

**3.2. Relative weights of organs** 

**3.3. Food consumption** 

**3.4. Hematocrit** 

**3.5. Water metabolism** 

0.9) in all groups under all experimental conditions.

control (p < 0.01) and Cd-exposed groups (p<0.05).

Water metabolism data are shown in Table 1.

in any treatment condition as compared to day 1 ( Fig. 3).

statistical software package (XLSTAT version 2009.1.1).

After determining urine volume and feces weight, urine samples were frozen at -30 °C while the feces were dried for 72 h. Water efflux was calculated as the difference between the influx and total body water. Water fluxes are expressed in H2O mL per day. Finally these fluxes were normalized to the average body weights and expressed in kg-0.82. In small mammals an allometric relationship exists between the water efflux or influx and body weight (W) in kilograms, which is Fin=K.W 0.82 ([34-35], expressed as mL/day/100 g body weight.
