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Biomarkers of oxidative stress and metal accumulation in marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus)

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Abstract

To understand the effect of metals on the marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus and the possible environment-induced changes in oxidative stress enzymes, we determined the concentrations of 18 metals: Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, In, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn, in the tissues (liver, skin, and muscle) and water samples collected from different locations in Serbia. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and changes in concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) and sulfhydryl groups (SH) were analyzed in the tissues of the sampled frogs. The concentrations of Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, and Ni were highest in the liver, whereas those of Ba, Ca, Li, Mn, Pb, Sr, and Zn were highest in the skin. Hg correlated positively with liver SOD (in frogs from Danube-Tisza-Danube Canal (DTD)), muscle CAT (DTD), and muscle GST Ponjavica River (PO); Pb demonstrated a strong positive correlation with liver GR in frogs from Mt. Fruška Gora (FG); Cd only exhibited a positive correlation with AChE in the skin of frogs from DTD. In the skin, Zn correlated positively with AChE (DTD), SH groups (PO), and CAT (FG), and negatively with CAT, GST, and SH in the liver of frogs from DTD. Examination of these oxidative stress biomarkers, together with analysis of metal accumulation in the liver and skin of marsh frogs, provides a powerful tool for the assessment of metal pollution.

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Abbreviations

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

CAT:

Catalase

GSH-Px:

Glutathione peroxidase

GR:

Glutathione reductase

GST:

Glutathione S-transferase

GSH:

Glutathione

SH:

Sulfhydryl groups

AChE:

Acetylcholinesterase

DTD:

Danube-Tisza-Danube Canal

PO:

River Ponjavica

FG:

Fruška Gora Mountain

NADPH:

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

GSSG:

Oxidized glutathione

CDNB:

1-Chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene

DTNB:

5,5′-Dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)

ICP-OES:

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Grant No. 173041. The authors are grateful to Dr. Goran Poznanović for proofreading the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11060, Belgrade, Serbia

    Slavica S. Borković-Mitić, Marko D. Prokić, Jelena Gavrić, Svetlana G. Despotović, Branka R. Gavrilović, Tijana B. Radovanović, Slađan Z. Pavlović & Zorica S. Saičić

  2. Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Imre I. Krizmanić

  3. Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, PO Box 51, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia

    Jelena Mutić & Jelena Trifković

Authors
  1. Slavica S. Borković-Mitić
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  2. Marko D. Prokić
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  3. Imre I. Krizmanić
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  4. Jelena Mutić
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  6. Jelena Gavrić
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  7. Svetlana G. Despotović
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  10. Slađan Z. Pavlović
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  11. Zorica S. Saičić
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Slavica S. Borković-Mitić.

Ethics declarations

Animal capture was approved by the Serbian Ministry for Energy, Development and Environmental Protection (Permissions No. 353-01-446/2013-08). All animal procedures complied with the European Directive (2010/63/EU) on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Responsible editor: Thomas Hutchinson

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Borković-Mitić, S.S., Prokić, M.D., Krizmanić, I.I. et al. Biomarkers of oxidative stress and metal accumulation in marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus). Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 9649–9659 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6194-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6194-3

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