Analysis of chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells and determination of the level of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) for eight bilateral cranial traits were used to estimate effects of disturbed environment on natural populations of small mammals. During the spring and fall of 1994 Á/2000 (except in 1999) black-striped mice (Apodemus agrarius ) were collected from a polluted industrial area (Pancevo) and from an unpolluted reference site (Cer) in Serbia and Montenegro. Mice from the polluted area had significantly higher mean number of aberrant cells per individual than those in the reference site (pB/0.01). Both sexes had the greater number of lesions in the polluted site than in the reference one. Also, there were no significant differences between sexes, neither within the same site/season nor between sites/seasons. Chi-square analysis of the difference between lesions per individual and aberrant cells per individual among sites showed that no site deviated from the expected difference (p0/1.000). Developmental stability, assessed as FA, was reduced in the polluted area for two traits (width of lower jaw and length of the diastema lower jaw). Juvenile animals from the polluted area had significantly higher levels of FA compared to those from the reference site for three traits (length of the foramina incisiva, distance between incisor and the third upper molar, and length of the upper molars row). Juvenile animals from the polluted area had significantly higher levels of FA for three traits (length of the foramina incisiva, length of the lower molars row and width of lower jaw) compared to adult ones. In the polluted area seasonal differences were detected for two traits (length of the foramina incisiva and length of the upper molars row). Finally, Apodemus agrarius may be an important species for environmental quality evaluation studies based on an assay using a combination of end-points.

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Summary: Estradiol and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are very important in controlling the secretory activity of hormone producing cells in the female rat pituitary glands. The aim of the present study was to examine the morphometric parameters of immunohistochemically la be led ACTH cells in juvenile (16th day) female rat pituitaries after treatment with five doses of estradiol dipropionate (EDP) and two doses of hCG during the neonatal period of life. The controls were treated on the same schedule with an equivalent volume of vehicle. All animals were sacrificed 24 h after the last treatment. ACTH-producing cells were stu died using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunohistochemical procedure. The absolute and relative pituitary weights were increased (p<0.05) only in the EDP treated group by 120.0% and by 121.1% respectively, in comparison with the controls. In this group, the volume of ACTH cells, volume of their nuclei and vo lume density were significantly decreased (p<0.05) by 6.4%, 33.3% and 46.2% respectively, compared to the corresponding controls. After treatment with hCG, there were no significant (p>0.05) changes neither in the volume of ACTH cells nor in the volume of their nuclei, in comparison with the controls. On the basis of the results obtained in our study, it can be concluded that EDP, injected into female rats during the neonatal period of life, has an inhibitory effect on the immunohistomorphometric parameters of ACTH cells, but such an effect is not clearly expressed after treatment with hCG. Keywords: ACTH cells, EDP, hCG, female ratsKratak sadr`aj: Estradiol i humani horionski gonadotropin (hCG) veoma su va`ni u kontroli sekretorne aktivnosti }elija hipofize koje proizvode hormone. Cilj ove studije je bio ispitati morfometrijske parametre imunohistohemijski obele`enih ACTH }elija hipofize `enki pacova, u juvenilnom periodu (16. dan), nakon tretmana sa pet doza estradiol-dipropionata (EDP) ili dve doze humanog horionskog gonadotropina (hCG). Kontrole su bile tretirane na istovetan na~in sa odgovaraju}om koli~inom rastvara~a. Svè ivotinje su bile `rtvovane 24 h nakon poslednjeg tretmana. ACTH }elije su bile imunohistohemijski obele`ene metodom peroksidaza-antiperoksidaza (PAP). Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na zna~ajno pove}anje (p<0,05) apsolutne i relativne mase hipofize za 120% i 121,1% kod `enki tretiranih sa EDP u odnosu na kontrolu. U ovoj grupi `enki pacova volumen ACTH }elija i njihovih jedara, kao i njihova volumenska gustina su bili zna~ajno smanjeni (p<0,05) za 6,4%, 33,3% i 46,2% u pore|enju sa kontrolom. Nakon tretmana hCG-om, volumen ACTH }elija, kao i volumen njihovih jedara, nisu bili zna~ajno (p>0,05) promenjeni u odnosu na kontrolu. Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata moemo zaklju~iti da EDP, injeciran `enkama pacova tokom neonatalnog perioda `ivota, ima inhibitorni efekat na imuno histomorfometrijske parametre ACTH }e lija, {to nije tako jasno izra`eno nakon tretmana hCG-om.

In the present study, developmental stability of leaf traits was examined in three natural populations of Plantago major L. (ssp. major), representing two polluted environments (Karaburma and Zemun) and an unpolluted area (Crni Lug). Developmental stability was assessed as fluctuating asymmetry (FA). The magnitude of FA is believed to reflect differences in the ability of individuals to buffer their development in natural populations. We hypothesized that there are differences within characters and among characters in response to environmental conditions. Significant patterns of asymmetry correlations and asymmetry changes were detected both within characters and between characters. The manova results revealed a significant effect of individual and a significant individual ¥ environment interaction on actual asymmetry (logLi -logRi) and on the amount of asymmetry |(logLi -logRi)| for leaf width and vein distances within a leaf. Over time, statistically significant and positive correlations of the FA values were detected for each trait separately per sample (population). For both leaf traits, there were differences for (logLi -logRi) and |(logLi -logRi)| asymmetry values among individuals within samples in response to yearly variations. Statistically significant and negative correlations for(logLi -logRi) versus |(logLi -logRi)| asymmetries were detected for both leaf traits. In summary, our results highlight the importance of differences in the ability of individuals to buffer their development under different environmental conditions and point to the concept that developmental stability is character specific.