RESUMO
Although gasoline is an important contaminant of aquatic ecosystems, information concerning the potential effects of this petroleum derivative on the DNA of aquatic biota is lacking. The present study aimed to evaluate the genotoxic and mutagenic effects of acute exposures (6, 24, and 96h) to gasoline water-soluble fraction (GWSF), diluted to 5%, on the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea. The comet assay and the micronucleus (MN) test were performed on hemocytes and gill cells of C. fluminea. For the three different times tested, the comet assay indicated DNA damage in hemocytes and gill cells of C. fluminea exposed to GWSF. The MN test detected significant damage in the genetic material of the hemocytes only after 96h of exposure to GWSF. The recovery capacity of organisms previously exposed for 6h to GWSF was also evaluated with the comet assay. The results revealed a great capacity of this species to repair DNA damage; following 6h of recovery, the comet score returned to that of the control groups. Overall, our findings indicate that GWSF has genotoxic and mutagenic effects on C. fluminea. In addition, the present results confirm the sensitivity of C. fluminea to damage caused by exposure to environmental contaminants, and, therefore, its suitability for use in environmental monitoring studies.
Assuntos
Corbicula/efeitos dos fármacos , Corbicula/genética , Dano ao DNA , Gasolina/toxicidade , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Animais , Ensaio Cometa , Reparo do DNA , Testes para Micronúcleos , Solubilidade , ÁguaRESUMO
The comet assay was utilized to investigate the quality of water from seven locations along the Cambé Stream, in vivo (Corbicula fluminea hemolymph), in vitro (CHO-K1 cells), in situ, and in laboratory studies. The Cambé Stream basin (Londrina, PR, Brazil) is almost completely urbanized and receives different forms of industrial and domestic runoff. The data indicated the occurrence of DNA damage in cells examined in vivo and in vitro, shown by the significant increase in frequencies of cells with DNA damage after exposure to water from all seven locations used in the study. Our results strongly suggest the presence of genotoxic agent(s) in water at all of the sampled locations, demonstrated by elevated numbers of cells with DNA damaged in field and laboratory tests. In all of the places sampled, domestic sewage influence appeared to be one important cause for the introduction of xenobiotics, environmental genotoxins, and pollutants into the water. Thus, the comet assay applied in these cell systems was able to detect adverse environmental conditions, proving to be a very adequate short-term test and should be included in batteries of tests utilized in the monitoring of aquatic environments.