Soil pollution by heavy metals correlates with levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile

Martı́n, José; Barja, Isabel; Rodríguez‐Ruiz, Gonzalo; Recio, Pablo; García, Luis V.

doi:10.1093/conphys/coab085

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 110 publications

(151 reference statements)

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“…This result prompts future studies examining the uncontrolled environmental or intrinsic causes that may correlate with these interindividual variations in GC levels. For example, a previous study examining the FCM levels in different populations of T. wiegmanni showed a correlation between FCM levels and heavy metal concentrations in the soil, with populations inhabiting more contaminated areas showing higher FCM levels [52]. The validation of the FCM measurement test made in the current study supports the idea that these high FCM levels may represent a physiological increase of GCs, likely as a consequence of the disruptive endocrine effects of heavy metals [53].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Body condition has been used as a proxy for the health state of reptiles [37,54]. For example, soil salinization and food restrictions due to extended drought conditions negatively affected the body condition index of T. wiegmanni [15,55], while contamination by heavy metals did not affect body condition [15], although it did increase FCM levels [52]. This leads to the recommendation to obtain a reliable, complete perspective of the health state of an individual or population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hidden but Potentially Stressed: A Non-Invasive Technique to Quantify Fecal Glucocorticoid Levels in a Fossorial Amphisbaenian Reptile

Martı́n

Barja

Rodríguez‐Ruiz

et al. 2022

Animals

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To understand wildlife responses to the changing environment, it is useful to examine their physiological responses and particularly their endocrine status. Here, we validated an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to non-invasively quantify fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) in the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile Trogonophis wiegmanni from North Africa. We supplemented animals assigned to the treatment group with corticosterone dissolved in oil applied non-invasively on the skin for several days, while control groups received the oil-alone solution. Fresh feces were collected at the end of the supplementation period, and FCM levels were quantified by an EIA. Basal FCM levels were similar for both treatments and increased at the end of the test, but FCM increased significantly more in corticosterone-treated animals. A further examination of FCM levels in a wild population of this amphisbaenian did not find overall sexual, size or seasonal differences but showed a high range of variation among individuals. This suggests that different uncontrolled intrinsic or local environmental variables might increase the circulating glucocorticoid levels of different individuals. Our results confirmed the suitability of EIA for analyzing physiological changes in FCM in this amphisbaenian species. This technique may be useful for understanding and remediating the little-explored potential stressors of the soil environment that may negatively affect the health state of fossorial reptiles.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hidden but Potentially Stressed: A Non-Invasive Technique to Quantify Fecal Glucocorticoid Levels in a Fossorial Amphisbaenian Reptile

Martı́n

Barja

Rodríguez‐Ruiz

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…Researchers have favoured the use of EIA as analytical technique for FGM in reptiles against RIA, probably because EIAs do not use radioactive substances neither qualified personnel to be performed (Sheriff et al, 2011). Physiological validation by ACTH injection (Ganswindt et al, 2014;Scheun et al, 2018) or corticosterone administration (Mart ın et al, 2023) has been successfully performed on several occasions, demonstrating that FGM increases reflect the HPI axis activity, similarly to hormone concentrations in urine (Scheun et al, 2018). Failing to detect a relationship between ACTH administration and FGM levels has been mainly attributed to the irregular reptile defecation pattern (Berkvens et al, 2013).…”

Section: Faecesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non‐invasive measurement of glucocorticoids: The reptile perspective

Carbajal,

Serres‐Corral,

Olvera‐Maneu

et al. 2024

Journal of Zoology

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Recent advancements in stress physiology, driven by the relevance of the stress response in animal welfare and conservation, have focused on alternative techniques beyond blood sampling for measuring glucocorticoids (GC). While blood samples have been traditionally used, practical and ethical concerns have spurred exploration into minimally invasive media like saliva, feces, milk, hair, and feathers. This review addresses the dearth of research on reptile endocrinology, offering insights into measuring GC or their metabolites in reptiles through various biological tissues. It underscores the importance of considering temporal dynamics in stress response evaluation and advocates for further exploration of alternative tools to enhance our understanding of reptilian stress responses.

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“…Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and zinc at TCSFS were studied because of their potential effects on human health and their accumulation in small mammals’ bodies and other terrestrial fauna ( Briffa, Sinagra & Blundell, 2020 ; Martín et al, 2021 ; Monchanin et al, 2021 ; Sánchez-Chardi & Nadal, 2007 ; Sánchez-Chardi et al, 2007 ). Numerous human health issues have been documented after exposure to cadmium because of its ability to substitute for other metals and nutrients such as zinc ( Beyersmann & Hartwig, 2008 ; Briffa, Sinagra & Blundell, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Peromyscus leucopus as a biomonitor to determine the impact of heavy metal exposure on the kidney and bone mineral density: results from the Tar Creek Superfund Site

Elturki

2022

PeerJ

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Background Human population growth and industrialization contribute to increased pollution of wildlife habitats. Heavy metal exposure from industrial and environmental sources is still a threat to public health, increasing disease susceptibility. In this study, I investigated the effects of heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)) on kidney and bone density. Objective This study aims to determine the concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn in soil and compare them to the levels of the same metals in Peromyscus leucopus kidney tissue. Furthermore, the study seeks to investigate the impact of heavy metals on bone density and fragility using the fourth lumbar vertebra (L4) of P. leucopus. Methods Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in soil specimens collected from Tar Creek Superfund Site (TCSFS), Beaver Creek (BC), and two reference sites (Oologah Wildlife Management Area (OWMA) and Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR)). Heavy metal concentrations were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Micro-computed tomography (µCT) was used to assess the influence of heavy metals on bone fragility and density. Results On the one hand, soil samples revealed that Pb is the most common pollutant in the sediment at all of the investigated sites (the highest contaminated site with Pb was TCSFS). Pb levels in the soil of TCSFS, BC, OWMA, and SNWR were found to be 1,132 ± 278, 6.4 ± 1.1, and 2.3 ± 0.3 mg/kg in the soil of TCSFS, BC and OWMA and SNWR, respectively. This is consistent with the fact that Pb is one of the less mobile heavy metals, causing its compounds to persist in soils and sediments and being barely influenced by microbial decomposition. On the other hand, the kidney samples revealed greater Cd levels, even higher than those found in the soil samples from the OWMA and SNWR sites. Cd concentrations in the kidney specimens were found to be 4.62 ± 0.71, 0.53 ± 0.08, and 0.53 ± 0.06 µg/kg, respectively. In addition, micro-CT analysis of L4 from TCSFS showed significant Pearson’s correlation coefficients between Cd concentrations and trabecular bone number (−0.67, P ≤ 0.05) and trabecular separation (0.72, P ≤ 0.05). The results showed no correlation between bone parameters and metal concentrations at reference sites. This study is one of the few that aims to employ bone architecture as an endpoint in the field of biomonitoring. Furthermore, this study confirmed some earlier research by demonstrating substantial levels of heavy metal contamination in soil samples, kidney samples, and P. leucopus L4 trabecular bone separations from TCSFS. Moreover, this is the first study to record information regarding bone microarchitecture parameters in P. leucopus in North America.

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Soil pollution by heavy metals correlates with levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile

Cited by 6 publications

References 110 publications

Hidden but Potentially Stressed: A Non-Invasive Technique to Quantify Fecal Glucocorticoid Levels in a Fossorial Amphisbaenian Reptile

Hidden but Potentially Stressed: A Non-Invasive Technique to Quantify Fecal Glucocorticoid Levels in a Fossorial Amphisbaenian Reptile

Non‐invasive measurement of glucocorticoids: The reptile perspective

Using Peromyscus leucopus as a biomonitor to determine the impact of heavy metal exposure on the kidney and bone mineral density: results from the Tar Creek Superfund Site

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