Micronucleus and other nuclear abnormalities in exfoliated cells of buccal mucosa of bats at different trophic levels

Micronucleus Test Reveals Genotoxic Effects in Bats Associated with Agricultural Activity

“…Studies looking at chromosomal aberrations and DNA damage using the comet assay and flow cytometry did not find a correlation between environmental pollutants and genotoxic effects in wild bats (Thies et al 1996;Naidoo et al 2015). Nevertheless, the few studies that have evaluated micronucleus frequency as an endpoint have found similar results to those reported in the present study, where high frequencies of micronuclei were observed in populations inhabiting humanaltered environments (Benvindo-Souz et al 2019;Benvindo-Souza et al 2019). Notably, one of these studies looking at frugivorous and insectivorous species found that the genotoxic risk might be influence by the bats' diet and the type of disturbance (urban vs croplands) they are exposed to (Benvindo-Souza et al 2019), suggesting that ecological factors like dietary guild should be considered in future studies and selection of bioindicator species.…”

“…Part of the intraspecific variability observed could be explained by sex differences in genotoxic sensitivity. Even though previous studies on bats did not find an influence of sex on the frequency of micronuclei (Benvindo‐Souz et al 2019), these studies looked at oral epithelium rather than erythrocytes. As has been reported in mice, we expected that female bats would present lower micronucleus incidence than males because of the protective effect of estrogen on erythroblasts and reduction in erythropoiesis (Nagae et al 1991).…”

“…Because micronucleus frequency is an index of accumulated genetic damage during the life span of the cells, the tissue being examined will constrain the time window of genotoxic exposure that is being evaluated. Recent studies on bats have successfully implemented the micronucleus test in exfoliated cells of the buccal mucosa (Benvindo‐Souz et al 2019; Benvindo‐Souza et al 2019). This test in buccal mucosa provides a snapshot of genotoxicity exposure occurring 1 to 3 wk prior to data collection (Stich et al 1983; Thomas et al 2009), whereas blood cells convey information about an approximately 3‐mo retrospective period (Voigt et al 2003).…”

“…Thus, the assay is field‐compatible, reduces animal handling, and allows multiparameter data acquisition. The formation of micronucleus has been extensively used as a biomarker of genotoxicity in humans, model organisms, and recently wildlife (Shepherd and Somers 2012; Baesse et al 2015; Souto et al 2018; Benvindo‐Souz et al 2019; Benvindo‐Souza et al 2019). However, only a few studies have investigated mammalian responses to pollutant levels occurring in the environment, and many focus on the acute poisoning events rather than the chronic daily exposure of animals inhabiting agricultural lands (Köhler and Triebskorn 2013).…”

Thousands of bats: A portrait of the chiropteran fauna of Palmas city, Central Brazil

“…The plantation areas of the municipality of Palmas are located 15–20 km from the FHC Bridge (Benvindo‐Souza et al . 2019a). A significant concern for the conservation of these species is the potential for contamination by agricultural pesticides, which bioaccumulate through the trophic chain (Bayat et al .…”