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Fluctuating asymmetry rather than oxidative stress in Bufo raddei can be an accurate indicator of environmental pollution induced by heavy metals

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Abstract

Oxidative stress (OS) and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as risk markers for environmental stress are widely used to predict changes in the health and fitness of many animals exposed to pollutants. However, from the perspective of protecting declining amphibians, it remains to be verified which one would be a reliable indicator for amphibians exposed to long-term heavy metal pollution under natural conditions. In this study, the OS and FA of Bufo raddei exposed to natural heavy metal pollution were analyzed to determine which marker is more accurate for indicating heavy metal-induced stress. Three years of data were collected during the breeding season of B. raddei from Baiyin (BY), which has been mainly contaminated with Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd compounds for a long period, and from Liujiaxia (LJX), which is a relatively unpolluted area. Unexpectedly, although significant accumulation of the four heavy metals was found in the kidney and liver of B. raddei from BY, the levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and malondialdehyde in these two organs were found to be irregular, with low repeatability in both BY and LJX. However, significant differences in the levels of FA were observed in B. raddei populations from these two areas over the past 3 years (P < 0.01). The degrees of FA in B. raddei populations from BY and LJX were assessed as degree 4 and 1, respectively. In short, this study suggested that FA was a more reliable and effective indicator than OS to monitor and predict long-term environmental stress on anuran amphibians.

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Abbreviations

OS:

Oxidative stress

FA:

Fluctuating asymmetry

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

GPX:

Glutathione peroxidase

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

BY:

Baiyin

LJX:

Liujiaxia

FAMI:

Frequency of asymmetric manifestation of individuals

FAMF:

Frequency of the asymmetric manifestation of a feature

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Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31300437 and 41171391). We thank Sajid Naeem for reviewing the manuscript for clarity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Rui Guo, Wenya Zhang, Shiwei Ai, Liang Ren & Yingmei Zhang

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  1. Rui Guo
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  2. Wenya Zhang
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  3. Shiwei Ai
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  5. Yingmei Zhang
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Correspondence to Yingmei Zhang.

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Guo, R., Zhang, W., Ai, S. et al. Fluctuating asymmetry rather than oxidative stress in Bufo raddei can be an accurate indicator of environmental pollution induced by heavy metals. Environ Monit Assess 189, 293 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-5991-6

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