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Revista internacional de contaminación ambiental
Print version ISSN 0188-4999
Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient vol.22 n.3 Ciudad de México Jul./Sep. 2006
Articles
THE USE OF SERUM PROTEINS AS BIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF CONTAMINATION OF GENTOO Pygoscelis papua AND ADELIE P. adeliae PENGUINS
1 Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro, B7000-Tandil, Argentina
2 Sección Ornitología, Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque, B1900FWA-La Plata, Argentina
3 Departamento Biología Aves, Instituto Antártico Argentino, Cerrito 1248, C1010AAZ-Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tel: +54 11 42757523. Fax: +54 11 48128169.
Two common and widely used liquid fuels with hepatotoxic activity, and trimethyltin, a compound with neurotoxic activity which is used in several industrial processes, were tested for their toxicity in two species of Pygoscelis penguins. Gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua were dosed with trimethyltin (TMT)(15 mg/kg) and Adelie penguins P adeliae were dosed with fuel for air (JP1)(0.20 ml/kg) and land transport (Polar Diesel, PD)(0.20 ml/kg). We use the serum proteins as markers of contamination on Gentoo and Adelie penguins. The following hematological parameters were measured: hemoglobin, hematocrit, glucose, total lipids, total proteins and enzymes (aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase). Normal hematological values obtained on all penguins are in agreement with previously published data. All tested birds showed significant toxic changes being seen clinically and by blood tests. No mortality was observed during the experiment. β globulin increased in Gentoo penguins treated with TMT, showing highly significant differences. α 1 and α 2 globulin was fusioned. There was a marked drop in total proteins in Adelie penguins dosed with JP1. β and γ globulin decreased significantly in Adelie penguins exposed to Polar Diesel. This study show that serum proteins and enzymes levels can be used as biological markers of contamination on penguins.
Key words: biological markers; serum proteins; penguins; Antarctica; Pygoscelis adeliae; Pygoscelis papua
Dos combustibles líquidos comunes y ampliamente usados con actividad hepatotóxica y trimetiltin, un compuesto con actividad neurotóxica, que son usados en varios procesos industriales, fueron utilizados para probar su toxicidad en dos especies de pingüinos pigoscélidos. Se administró a pingüinos papúa Pygoscelis papua Trimetiltin (TMT)(15 mg/kg) y a pingüinos adelia P. adeliae combustible de aeronaves (JP1)(0.20 ml/kg) y combustible diesel (Polar Diesel, PD)(0.20 ml/kg). Se usaron proteínas séricas como marcadores de contaminación en pingüinos papúa y adelia. Los siguientes parámetros hematológicos fueron medidos: hemoglobina, hematocrito, glucosa, lípidos totales, proteínas totales y enzimas (AST, aspartato amino transferasa y ALT, alanina amino transferasa). Los valores hematológicos normales obtenidos en todos los pingüinos corresponden con los datos publicados previamente. Todas las aves tratadas mostraron cambios significativos clínicos y/o hematológicos. No se observó mortandad durante el experimento. Los valores de β globulina aumentaron en los pingüinos papúa tratados con TMT mostrando diferencias muy significativas, mientras α 1 y α 2 globulinas se fusionaron. Hubo un marcado descenso en las proteínas totales de los pingüinos Adelia tratados con JP1. En los pingüinos Adelia expuestos a PD, β y γ globulinas disminuyeron significativamente. Este estudio muestra que los niveles séricos de proteínas y enzimas pueden ser utilizados como marcadores biológicos de contaminación en pingüinos.
Palabras clave: marcadores biológicos; proteínas del suero; pingüinos; Antártida; Pygoscelis adeliae; Pygoscelis papua
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Received: June 2006; Accepted: October 2006
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
