title: Increased chromatin fragmentation and reduced acrosome integrity in spermatozoa of red deer from lead polluted sites.
abstract: Vertebrates are constantly exposed to a diffuse pollution of heavy metals existing in the environment, but in some cases, the proximity to emission sources like mining activity increases the risk of developing adverse effects of these pollutants. Here we have studied lead (Pb) levels in spermatozoa and testis, and chromatin damage and levels of endogenous antioxidant activity in spermatozoa of red deer (Cervus elaphus) from a Pb mining area (n=37) and a control area (n=26). Deer from the Pb-polluted area showed higher Pb levels in testis parenchyma, epididymal cauda and spermatozoa, lower values of acrosome integrity, higher activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and higher values of DNA fragmentation (X-DFI) and stainability (HDS) in sperm than in the control area. These results indicate that mining pollution can produce damage on chromatin and membrane spermatozoa in wildlife. The study of chromatin fragmentation has not been studied before in spermatozoa of wildlife species, and the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) has been revealed as a successful tool for this purpose in species in which the amount of sperm that can be collected is very limited.
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Toxicology Group, National Wildlife Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castellanos
authors.affiliation: SaBio, National Wildlife Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: del Olmo
authors.affiliation: SaBio, National Wildlife Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
authors.forename: M Rocío
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Fernández-Santos
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Toxicology Group, National Wildlife Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Estival
authors.affiliation: SaBio, National Wildlife Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
authors.forename: J Julián
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Garde
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Toxicology Group, National Wildlife Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC), UCLM-CSIC-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain. Electronic address: Rafael.Mateo@uclm.es.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mateo
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D003670:Deer; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead
keywords: DNA damage; Heavy metals; Oxidative stress; SCSA; Sperm quality; Wildlife