Hematological analysis and cytogenotoxic biomarkers of Micropogonias furnieri from two estuaries of Baixada Santista,SP

• Grant number: 10/02528-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2010
• End date: December 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Camilo Dias Seabra Pereira
• Grantee: Lais Donini Abujamara
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia. Universidade Santa Cecília (UNISANTA). Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aquatic environment has been the target of contaminants that can induce damage in molecular, biochemical, cellular and physiological levels. The evaluation of pathological processes in organisms exposed to contaminants can be accomplished through hematological analysis, considered important physio histopathologycal indicators and of environmental quality. Coroncoro fish, Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823), represents one of the most important fish in the southeastern coast of Brazil. It lives near the coast, on sandy and muddy bottoms, feeding on benthic organisms such as crustaceans, annelids and small fish, making them more susceptible to bio-accumulation of contaminants and adverse biological effects. This project aims to characterize hematological of individuals M. Furnieri, evaluate cytogenotoxic responses and use them as indicators of environmental quality. In this context, will be collected in the estuaries of Santos and Itanhaém, both located on the coast of the State of São Paulo. After anesthesia, blood samples will be collected by puncturing the tail vein. The smears are stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa and will be determined the number of erytrocytes in 2000 cells, to determine the absolute number of leukocytes and thrombocytes, and counting of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities. The results will be submitted to Variance Analysis to establish significant differences (p <0.05) among the populations studied. At the end of the project is expected to produce a characterization of the blood values of M. furnieri and elucidate possible citogenotoxical changes arising from contamination of the estuaries studied.