The present study was aimed to assess the genotoxic effect in fish caused by convoy, an insecticide commercial formulation containing quinalphos, present in the aquatic waterbody. For this purpose a freshwater teleost, silver barb was exposed to sublethal concentrations (25% and 50% of LC50) of convoy and erythrocytic cellular abnormalities (ECA) and erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities (ENA) tests were performed in addition to the commonly used micronucleus (MN) assay using peripheral erythrocytes and DNA contents in the different tissues after 1, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h of exposures. The obtained results indicated that acute exposure of different sub lethal concentrations of convoy to the fish resulted in significant alterations of erythrocytes as well as significant reduction of DNA contents in blood and vital organs and tissues, such as the brain, liver, kidney and muscle. Compared to each treatment excluding control group, frequencies of ECA, ENA, and MN were found to be elevated with exposure time of the doses. From this study, we conclude that convoy is a hazardous chemical to silver barb. Bioassays can be used as a tool for screening aquatic pollution, especially for insecticides.

This study was carried out to comparatively evaluate the bioaccumulation potency of Zn bulk and nanoparticles in Oreochromis niloticus and to investigate the induced hematological and histological alterations. Fish were exposed to ½ LC50/96 h values of both bulk and nano Zn meal for 7, 14, and 28 days. Concerning metal bioaccumulation factor (BAF), the data displayed that zinc nanoparticles (Zn NPs) had more efficiency to penetrate the studied tissues such as the liver, kidneys, gills, skin, and muscle. Hematological parameters named red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (Hct) values were altered in Zn NPs treated groups after 14th and 28th days while these hematological parameters recovered to some extent in bulk particles (BPs) treated groups at the end of the experimental period. The changes in hematological parameters were found to be time dependent. Blood indices such as mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) revealed the presence of normocytic normochromic anemia in the studied groups at the most exposure periods except microcytic hypochromic anemia at the 7th day of bulk particles exposed fish. Based on histological end points, several alterations in the gills, liver, and kidney tissues were observed. Severely deformations were observed at NPs treated fish groups which varied between adaptive changes to tissue damage at the end of exposure period. The deformations were recorded to be increased in NPs exposed fish compared to BPs treated fish throughout the study periods.

Metal oxide nano-particles have definitely unique toxicological properties than currently investigated oxides. Therefore, this study was aimed to comparatively evaluate the genotoxicity of nano-CuO and bulk CuO particles on a model fish species Oreochromis niloticus. Fish were exposed to two selected concentrations (¹/₁₀ and ¹/₂₀ of the LC50/96 h) of both nano-CuO and bulk CuO for 30 days. Genotoxic effects associated with DNA ladder formation and chromosomal damage were investigated using DNA fragmentation and micronucleus techniques. Based on DNA fragmentation of fish hepatocytes, the two selected concentrations of bulk and nano-CuO were found to induce DNA damage. Analysis of the DNA fragments initiated by bulk CuO on agarose gel revealed DNA ladder pattern, which is commonly considered as a hallmark of apoptosis, while fish exposed to nano-CuO particles showed a molecular hallmark of necrosis which is the fragmentation of the nuclear DNA into a smear-like pattern. Also, DNA damage was further confirmed quantitatively using the image analysis software Image J. In this context, nano-CuO-treated groups exhibited a maximum DNA damage especially at the lower concentration (¹/₂₀ LC50/96 h). To ensure CuO genotoxicity, micronucleus and other nine nuclear abnormalities were studied in peripheral erythrocytes and significant (p < 0.05) elevation was observed in nano-CuO-exposed groups at the lower concentration followed by a decrease in extent of chromosomal damage at the higher concentration, while fish groups treated with bulk CuO showed a more or less dose-dependent effect.

Birds have the potential to be considered valuable bioindicators of the quality of ecosystems and the environmental impact of pollutants. The aims of this study were to determine the micronuclei frequency and other nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes by analyzing a wild bird community from central Monte desert (Argentina) and to clarify if there were any differences among certain species. Frequencies of nuclear abnormalities were determined in 73 wild birds belonging to 17 species and two orders (Passeriformes and Columbiformes). A high proportion of individuals, 90.4 and 80.9 %, had erythrocytes with micronuclei and nuclear buds, respectively. Notched nuclei, binucleated cells, nuclear tails, and nucleoplasmic bridges were also recorded. Certain species appeared to be more informative than others with regard to the possibility of being used as bioindicators of genetic damage. Saltator aurantiirostris and Columbina picui were the only species that showed significantly different frequencies of nuclear alterations, in comparison with the other species. The frequencies here presented are the first reported for these bird species from the orders Passeriformes and Columbiformes. This research supports the notion that the use of these biomarkers could be effectively applied to evaluate spontaneous or induced genetic instability in wild birds.

Acetamiprid is one of the most widely used neonicotinoids. This study investigates toxic effects of repeated oral administration of three doses of acetamiprid (1/20, 1/10, and 1/5 of LD₅₀) during 60 days. For this, male Wistar rats were divided into four different groups. Hematological, biochemical, and toxicopathic effects of acetamiprid were evaluated. According to the results, a significant decrease in the body weight gain at the highest dose 1/5 of LD₅₀ of acetamiprid was noticed. An increase in the relative liver weight was also observed at this dose level. The hematological constituents were affected. A significant decrease in RBC, HGB, and HCT in rats treated with higher doses of acetamiprid (1/10 and 1/5 of LD₅₀) was noted. However, a significant increase in WBC and PLT were observed at the same doses. Furthermore, acetamiprid induced liver toxicity measured by the increased activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphates (ALPs), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) which may be due to the loss of hepatic membrane architecture and hepatocellular damage. In addition, exposure to acetamiprid resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities (p ≤ 0.01) with concomitant increase in lipid peroxidation in rat liver. These findings highlight the subchronic hepatotoxicity of acetamiprid.

Estuaries are subjected to continual environmental impacts from activities in the catchment areas. This research assessed the quality of two estuarine habitats located in Ilha do Maranhão, Brazil, through histological and genotoxic biomarkers in Centropomus undecimalis, comparing the data obtained to metal, physical, and chemical concentrations of water samples. The gill histological alterations were analyzed by the histological alteration index and genotoxic lesions in erythrocytes were detected by the Micronucleus Test. The analysis of metals revealed that all water samples contained at least two elements with concentrations higher than that allowed by the current Brazilian law. For gill histological analysis, snook of both areas assessed exhibited moderate lesions, indicating that the local fish are affected by environmental stress. Micronucleus analysis of snook showed that the Bacanga river basin is the most affected. In addition to assessing the health of commercial fish populations, the information about the biomarkers used for the species can serve to contribute to the preparation and/or application of health assessment models and implementation of environmental recovery policies for coastal aquatic environments.

Cu, Pb, and As, which are among the most abundant metals in the aquatic environment, are also among the most health-threatened by causing diverse cellular injuries. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the potential early induction of genotoxic effects after waterborne Cu, Pb, and As exposure in European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, a commercial widely cultured fish, using the micronucleus (MN) assay in peripheral blood erythrocytes. Fish were exposed under laboratory conditions to nominal solutions ranging 0–10 mg/L for 24 and 96 h. Furthermore, actual metal ion concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) or differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) in water and four fish tissues differentially related to environmental exposition and metal accumulation, i.e. the gills, liver, muscle, and brain. Dose-dependent increases of micronuclei (MNi) frequency were observed after these very short exposures; based on measured metal concentrations in water, the genotoxic effect ordered as Cu > As > Pb. Significant genotoxic effect at 0.009 mg/L Cu, 0.57 mg/L Pb, and 0.01 mg/L As was seen. For Cu and Pb these are only slightly higher, but for As it is notably lower than the USEPA criteria of maximum concentration to prevent acute toxicity in aquatic organisms. Furthermore, genotoxicity was differentially related to metal accumulation. MNi frequency correlated positively with the content of Pb in all the organs, with the content of As in liver and gills and only with the content of Cu in the brain. In conclusion, our findings raised environmental concerns because these depicted a genotoxic potential of Cu, Pb, and As after a very short exposure to low but environmentally relevant concentrations, too close to regulatory thresholds. In addition, the MN test in D. labrax could be considered an early biomarker of genotoxicity induced by these metals in fish.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of subacute exposure to static magnetic fields (SMF) on hematological and muscle biochemical parameters in rats. Male Wistar rats, daily exposed to SMF, were exposed to SMF (128 mT, 1 h/day) during 15 consecutive days. SMF-exposed rats showed a significant decrease in red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (Ht) values compared to sham-exposed rats (p < 0.05). Concomitant decreases of plasma iron level against increase in transferrin amount were also observed after SMF exposure (p < 0.0.05). In postprandial condition, SMF-exposed rats presented higher plasma lactate (p < 0.01). Additionally, SMF exposure increased monocarboxylate transporters (MCT4) and glucose transporter 4 (Glut4)’s contents only in glycolytic muscle (p < 0.05). SMF exposure induced alteration of hematological parameters; importantly, we noticed a pseudoanemia status, which seems to affect tissue oxygen delivery. Additionally, SMF exposure seems to favor the extrusion of lactate from the cell to the blood compartment. Given that, these arguments advocate for an adaptive response to a hypoxia status following SMF exposure.

The in vitro use of fish erythrocytes to test the toxicity of aquatic pollutants could be a valuable alternative to fish bioassays but has received little attention. In this study, erythrocytes from marine gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) specimens were exposed for 24 h to Cd, Hg, Pb and As and the resulting cytotoxicity was evaluated. Exposure to metals produced a dose-dependent reduction in the viability, and mercury showed the highest toxicity followed by MeHg, Cd, As and Pb. Moreover, fish erythrocytes incubated with each one of the metals exhibited alteration in gene expression profile of metallothionein, superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxiredoxin, glutathione reductase, heat shock proteins 70 and 90, Bcl2-associated X protein and calpain1 indicating cellular protection, stress and apoptosis death as well as oxidative stress. This study points to the benefits for evaluating the toxicological mechanisms of marine pollution using fish erythrocytes in vitro.

The present study was designed to study the effect of brick kilns emissions on the reproductive health and biochemical status of brick kiln workers and people living in the area near brick kilns. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly reduced in brick makers, carriers, and bakers compared to the control. Red blood cells count and hematocrit (%) were significantly high in brick bakers while MCH was significantly reduced in brick makers and brick bakers. Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and chromium) concentration in whole blood of the brick kiln workers were significantly higher as compared to the control. Antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, POD, GSH, and GR) were significantly reduced in brick kiln workers as compared to the control while TBARS level were significantly high in brick bakers as compared to the control. Plasma leutinizing hormone (LH) was significantly high in brick bakers while testosterone concentrations were significantly reduced in brick makers, carriers, and bakers. The present study shows that brick kiln workers and people living in the brick kiln vicinity are exposed to heavy metals and other pollutants that is a serious threat to their health. Alternate technology is needed to be developed and brick kilns should be replaced.