Leukocytic responses to lead exposure in Passer domesticus.

FERNÁNDEZ, N.C.; RONCHI, G.D.; CASTILLO, L.L.; CAVIEDES-VIDAL E.; CHEDIACK, J. G.; CID, F. D.

Mendoza

Congreso; XXXI Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo.; 2013

Lead contamination is still a severe public health concern worldwide. Although, the toxic lead effects were well documented in birds, there are no studies about the stress produced by this metal in passerine birds. The leukocyte profiles are considered a useful tool to assess stress in vertebrates. The objective was to determine the effect of chronic and acute lead exposure on leukocyte profiles of Passer domesticus, mainly the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (H/L) as a measure of stress. For the acute lead exposure experiments, we set up 6 treatments groups, 1 control and 5 concentrations of lead, which were administered by gavages during 5 days. Besides, in chronic exposure experiments were carried out with 2 independent groups of animals (n=6) exposed during 15 and 30 days to the same lead concentration in drinking water, and 1 control group without exposition. We used an ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc to compare treatments. For acute experiment, the dose of lead administered during 5 days did not change the leukocyte profiles of birds. On the other hand, chronic lead exposure during 30 days produced an inversion of the H/L ratio. These findings give support that lead contamination can produce a stress state in birds, because they are exposed chronically to this metal.