Assessment of DNA damage in Ardea cinerea and Ciconia ciconia: A 5-year study in Portuguese birds retrieved for rehabilitation.
Over the past decades, the presence of micronucleated blood cells has been used to detect genotoxic effects of xenobiotics in fish, amphibians and birds. This study assessed the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes of individuals of Ardea cinerea and Ciconia ciconia retrieved for rehabilitation in order to evaluate the influence of age, temporal and spatial factors on the occurrence of DNA damage in Portuguese wild birds. Blood smears from 65 birds with different life-history backgrounds (e.g. geographic origin, age) were collected between 2007 and 2011 and the frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENAs) was analysed. Differences in DNA damage between ages were observed to occur in C. ciconia, with chicks displaying significantly higher frequencies of ENAs (both when looking at total ENAs or only MN frequency) than juveniles and adults. Additionally, significant differences in ENAs frequencies were observed between different years and geographic origins, whereas MN frequency alone did not show significant alterations concerning spatial and temporal variations. These results suggest that the assessment of ENAs rather than MN frequency alone may be a useful and valuable tool to complement the evaluation of DNA damage in populations of birds, as prompted by individual life-history traits and environmental factors.
Department of Biology & CESAM- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: catiasantos@ua.pt.
Cátia S A
CS
Santos
CERVAS -Centre of Ecology, Rehabilitation and Vigilance of Wildlife, Gouveia, Portugal.
Ricardo
R
Brandão
Department of Biology & CESAM- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Marta S
MS
Monteiro
Department of Biology & CESAM- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Ana C
AC
Bastos
Department of Biology & CESAM- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Amadeu M V M
AM
Soares
Department of Biology & CESAM- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Susana
S
Loureiro
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D011174:Portugal; D012621:Seasons
Blood; ENA assay; Egret; Micronucleus test; Stork