Pampas and andean cats as bio-indicators of wild environments by means of biomarkers of genetic damage

QUERO AAM, ; GUTIERREZ A, ; GORLA NB

san luis

Jornada; reunion anual de la sociedad de biologia de cuyo; 2014

sociedad de biologia de cuyo

Mammals are considered to be one of the groups moresuitable as biomonitors, faithfully reflecting thecontamination present in their habitats. In particular, felines are potentially useful for the study of genotoxicity, with spontaneous micronucleated erythrocytes because of their inefficient immune system in the removal from circulation of genetically damaged cells. Blood smears from Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) (n = 3) and Pampas cat (Leopardus pampas) (n = 3) specimens of high andean region were analyzed. The aim of this study was to determine the level of spontaneous micronuclei in peripheral blood of these 2 species of wildlife habitat in the possibility that they could be used as bioindicators of environmental quality. The smears were fixed with methanol, stained with 0.003% acridine orange and 20.000 cells/ animal were analyzed at 100x fluorescence microscope. L. jacobita andL. colocoloshowed 1.06 ± 0.24 and 0.86 ± 0.36 micronucleated erythrocytes/ 1000 cells (MNE), respectively. No statistically significant differences between both species (p> 0.05) were observed. An organism, to be considered as an indicator of micronuclei inducing agent, it must submit a spontaneous MNE frequency greater than or equal to 0.35 per 1.000 cells. L. jacobita and L. pampas can be potentially used as biomarkers of environmental quality; however L. pampashas more advantages because it has a wider distribution, making it easy to obtain samples. Knowing the baseline level of MN instandard or common situations is essential as a tool to assess the future impact of anthropogenic activity or unforeseen environmental disasters with the release of pollutants into the environment