Mixture toxicity of microcystin-LR, paraoxon and bromadiolone in Xenopus laevis embryos.

OBJECTIVES: Apart from infections and habitat loss, environmental pollution is another major factor of global decline of amphibians. Using the model of Xenopus laevis embryos, we test the hypothesis that combined exposure of amphibians to natural toxins and anthropogenic pollutants induces more pronounced adverse effects than single exposures. METHODS: Experimental procedures adhered to Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay - Xenopus standards (FETAX). Exposure groups included controls, solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide) controls, and embryos exposed for 96 h to single, double and triple action of paraoxon (P), bromadiolone (B), and microcystin-LR (M), added to the FETAX medium at a dose of 300, 350, and 500 µg.L(-1), respectively. Studied responses of X. laevis embryos included mortality and malformations, head-to-tail length, total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation, and caspase-3 activity. RESULTS: The triple combination induced the highest mortality. Malformations in embryos significantly prevailed only in B-, and B+P-exposure groups. Apart from the single exposure to B, the tested substances and their combinations inhibited the embryonic growth. Triple exposure had the most pronounced effect both on the growth inhibition and total antioxidant capacity. Lipid peroxidation was increased after B+M exposure, while single and combined exposures to B and P had an opposite effect. CONCLUSIONS: This study helps to understand adverse effects of environmental pollution by natural toxins and agrochemicals in amphibians. The results allow for risk assessment of environmental pollution and findings of low concentrations of contaminants in aquatic environments. Further research to address issues such as mixture toxicity to metamorphosing and adult amphibians is necessary.

Risk of combined exposure of birds to cyanobacterial biomass containing microcystins, acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and anticoagulant.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the hypothesis that a combination of cyanobacterial biomass containing microcystins, acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and anticoagulant can enhance avian toxic effects produced by single exposures only. METHODS: A total of 48 two-month-old Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with average body weight of 160 g were randomly divided into 8 experimental groups of six birds and sex ratio of 1:1. Experimental groups of control Japanese quails (C) and birds exposed to single and combined sub-lethal doses of paraoxon (P), bromadiolone (B), and microcystins in cyanobacterial biomass (M) included: C, P, P+B, B, B+M, P+M, M, and P+B+M. During the 10-day exposure birds in the respective groups received biomass containing 61.62 µg microcystins daily (i.e. 26.54 µg MC-RR, 7.62 µg MC-YR and 27.39 µg MC-LR), two 250 µg/kg doses of paraoxon, and two 500 mg/kg doses of bromadiolone. Group responses were compared using standard plasma biochemistry and antioxidant/oxidative stress parameters in tissues. RESULTS: While single and double combinations of toxicants induced responses in individual biochemical parameters measured and evaluated using univariate statistical analysis, those in the triple exposure were most extensive. The principal component analysis of antioxidant/oxidative stress parameters (glutathione reductase, lipid peroxidation, and ferric reducing antioxidant power) in tissues (liver, kidney, heart, brain, lungs, gonads, and pectoralis major muscle) clearly separated the triple group (P+B+M) from all single and double exposure groups and the control and indicated thus marked joint effects in the overall pattern of antioxidant/oxidative stress responses of this group. The separation was driven by the modification of the ferric reducing antioxidant power levels in heart and brain and the cardiac lipid peroxidation level, in particular. CONCLUSIONS: This experiment contributes to the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of combined sub-lethal exposure to natural toxins and agrochemicals and may be used for risk assessment of environmental pollution in birds.

Avian high-dose toxicity of cyanobacterial biomass.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies using oral administration of environmentally relevant doses of cyanobacterial biomass containing microcystins (MCs) induced only sub-lethal effects in experimental birds. Therefore, the objective of this study was to obtain data on avian high-dose toxicity of MCs and compute LD50, if possible, following the natural oral route of administration. DESIGN: Responses of birds to single high-dose exposure to MCs were evaluated in fourteen-day old Japanese quail males (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with average body weight of 50 g which were randomly divided into five groups. Birds from four experimental groups were administered 7.5 ml of cyanobacterial biomass suspension containing increasing MCs quantities of 2500, 5000, 10000, and 20000 µg/kg using oral gavage. Controls received an equal dose of drinking water instead of the test substance. Birds were observed for clinical signs of acute toxicity. Survivors were killed on day 5 to obtain body and liver weights. A five-grade semi-quantitative system for histopathological liver damage scoring was used to compare cyanobacterial-biomass-exposed birds against controls. RESULTS: No mortality occurred during the period of five days post exposure in both control and MCs-exposed groups and this high-dose experiment failed to provide data to compute the LD50. Nevertheless, marked sub-lethal effects were recognised in the damage of liver that included dose-dependent changes in the body/liver ratios and morphological changes ranging from mild vacuolar dystrophy to focal liver necroses in the highest exposure group. Hepatic lesions were mainly observed in the pericentral area of the liver. CONCLUSIONS: Though maximum cyanobacterial biomass dose rates that could be administered to birds of the size were used in the present experiment and more pronounced hepatic lesions than after exposure to environmentally relevant doses were observed, birds would probably have survived unless killed for histopathology on day 5 of exposure. These results provide support to previously reported data on sub-lethal effects following exposure to cyanobacterial biomass containing MCs in birds and mortality occurring only in birds under combined action with other stressors.