engleski

Haemolymph parameters and genotoxic response in freshwater crayfish Astacus leptodactylus after temperature stress

In crustaceans changes in haemolymph parameters and genotoxic effects are likely indications of environmental disturbance. Their efficiency was already demonstrated in case of exposure to pollutants such as heavy metals and PCB. However, different environmental factors, such as temperature, should also be considered as potential inducers of stress and possible confounding factors in assessment of pollution effects. The aim of this work was to measure DNA damage in haemocytes of freshwater crayfish Astacus leptodactylus following temperature stress by means of the alkaline Comet assay and micronucleus test. Moreover, we have defined a set of suitable haemolymph parameters, and compared them with the genotoxic assays in terms of time-course response. Increased temperatures (25°C, 30°C), from the control temperature of 16± ; 1°C, induced already after 3 days a significant increase in DNA damage measured by the Comet assay. DNA damage returned to control levels within one week of recovery. Micronuclei induction showed a similar trend but did not reach the statistical significance. Concentration of glucose, lactic acid, total protein, pH and density of haemolymph in the groups of crayfish exposed to increased temperatures are significantly different from the control individuals since the first day of exposure. Our results proved the applicability of both sets of bioassays for the detection of stress in the freshwater crayfish A. leptodactylus caused by the increase in water temperature.

haemolymph; genotoxic; freshwater crayfish; Astacus leptodactylus; stress

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