Cytogenetic effect of herbicide formulation Roundup® on cultivated armadillo's peripheral lymphocytes

LUACES, J. P.; ROSSI L. F.; CHIRINO M. G.; MUDRY M. D.; MERANI M. S.

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Congreso; SETAC Latin America 11th Bienal Meeting; 2015

Society of Environmental Toxicology And Chemistry Argentina

The large hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus) reaches high population densities in natural and cultivated grassland in Argentina. Herbicide containing isopropyl amine salt of glyphosate (GLY) used in cultures is considered by some authors to be a low health risk for humans. However, the occurrence of possible harmful side effects because of its use is controversial. The aim of the present study was to test the potential induction of DNA damage, measured by chromosome aberrations (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in cultured armadillo?s peripheral lymphocytes exposed to different concentrations of the herbicide formulation Roundup® (containing 38.2% GLY). Other biomarkers of cytotoxicity (index of blast formation BI, mitotic index MI and replication index RI) were analyzed. Three experiments were performed: the first using 0, 280, 420, 560 and 1120 μmol/l GLY and the other two, using 420 instead of 1120 μmol/l GLY added to culture after 48 h of incubation. For all experiments blood of two animals were tested and positive control (adding 0.3 μg/ml of mitomycin C) were used. The statistical analysis was performed usingone-way ANOVA. A statistically significant increase in the SCE frequency (p< 0.05) was observed after GLY exposition at doses ranging from 280 to 560μmol/l, the frequency of SCE was 7.40 ± 0.54 / cell in control cultures. No increase in the frequency of CA was obtained after treatment. BI was 84.82 ± 5.37 blast cells / total cells in controls and was only significantly reduced for the dose of 1120 μmol/l, this dose could not be tested for SCE and RI because no sufficient metaphases were found (possibly due to a cytotoxic effect at this concentration). All doses caused statistically significant reduction of MI and RI (2.76 ± 0.45 metaphases / total cells and 1.62 ± 0.08 in controls respectively, p< 0.05). GLY is able to induce SCE in armadillos lymphocytes accompanied by inhibition of cell cycle progression. These biomarkers demonstrate that Chaetophractus villosus, is a good organism to bring assessment of exposure damage induced by GLY among pesticides most frequently used in our country.