The amphibian's spleen as a source of biomarkers for ecotoxicity assessment: Historical review and trends

Elisabete Tsukada; Cândido C Rodrigues; Jaqueline C Jacintho; Lilian Franco-Belussi; Monica Jones-Costa; Fábio Camargo Abdalla; Thiago Lopes Rocha; Raquel F Salla

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165915

The amphibian's spleen as a source of biomarkers for ecotoxicity assessment: Historical review and trends

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Nov 25:901:165915. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165915. Epub 2023 Jul 31.

Authors

Elisabete Tsukada¹, Cândido C Rodrigues², Jaqueline C Jacintho², Lilian Franco-Belussi³, Monica Jones-Costa⁴, Fábio Camargo Abdalla⁵, Thiago Lopes Rocha², Raquel F Salla⁶

Affiliations

¹ Post-graduation Program of Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), campus Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
³ Departament of Biological Sciences, São Paulo State University, campus São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Experimental Pathology (LAPex), Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Biology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), campus Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Post-graduation Program of Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), campus Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Structural and Functional Biology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), campus Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Post-graduation Program of Biotechnology and Environmental Monitoring, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), campus Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil. Electronic address: raquelsalla.ufscar@gmail.com.

PMID: 37532037
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165915

Abstract

Amphibians are very sensitive to many environmental changes, so these animals are considered good bioindicator models for ecotoxicology. Given the importance of the amphibian spleen for hematopoietic and immune responses, this can be a key organ for the evaluation of biomarkers to monitor the health of individuals in nature or in captivity. In this systematic review, we searched databases and summarized the main findings concerning the amphibian spleen as a source of possible biomarkers applied in different scientific fields. The searches resulted in 83 articles published from 1923 to 2022, which applied the use of splenic samples to evaluate the effects of distinct stressors on amphibians. Articles were distributed in more than twenty countries, with USA, Europe, and Brazil, standing out among them. Publications focused mainly on anatomical and histomorphological characterization of the spleen, its physiology, and development. Recently, the use of splenic biomarkers in pathology and ecotoxicology began to grow but many gaps still need to be addressed in herpetological research. About 85 % of the splenic biomarkers showed responses to various stressors, which indicates that the spleen can provide numerous biomarkers to be used in many study fields. The limited amount of information on morphological description and splenic anatomy in amphibians may be a contributing factor to the underestimated use of splenic biomarkers in herpetological research around the world. We hope that this unprecedented review can instigate researchers to refine herpetological experimentation, using the spleen as a versatile and alternative source for biomarkers in ecotoxicology.

Keywords: Conservation; Disease; Ecotoxicology; Pathology; Splenic; Toxic effects.

Publication types

Review