Abstract:
Micronucleus (MN) cell counting emerged in 1973-1975 as a valid alternative for characterizing chromosomal damage caused by different agents. It was first described in mammals, but its application was rapidly extended to other vertebrates, mainly fish. However, it was not until 28 years later that this test was implemented in studies on reptiles. Nowadays, reptiles are found to be excellent non-target species from environmental contamination exposure and MN test has become a fundamental tool for analyzing genotoxic effects induced by various xenobiotics. In this article we provide an updated review of the application of the MN test in reptile species, from an ecotoxicological perspective. Therefore, we present (I) a bibliometric analysis of the available research on genotoxic-induced MN formation in reptile species; (II) the use of reptiles as sentinel organisms in ecotoxicological studies; and (III) the strength and weakness of the application of the MN test in this group. With this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive view on the use of the MN test in ecotoxicology and to encourage further studies involving reptile species.
摘要:
微核(MN)细胞计数在1973-1975年出现,是表征由不同试剂引起的染色体损伤的有效替代方法。它首先在哺乳动物中被描述,但是它的应用迅速扩展到其他脊椎动物,主要是鱼。然而,直到28年后,这项测试才在爬行动物的研究中实施。如今,从环境污染暴露中发现爬行动物是出色的非目标物种,MN测试已成为分析各种异种生物引起的遗传毒性作用的基本工具。在本文中,我们提供了MN测试在爬行动物物种中的应用的最新综述,从生态毒理学的角度来看。因此,我们提供(I)对爬行动物物种中基因毒性诱导的MN形成的现有研究的文献计量分析;(II)在生态毒理学研究中使用爬行动物作为前哨生物;(III)MN测试在该组中应用的优势和劣势。通过这次审查,我们的目标是对MN测试在生态毒理学中的使用提供全面的看法,并鼓励涉及爬行动物物种的进一步研究。