Copper influence on bank vole’s (Myodes glareolus) sexual behavior

Abstract

The impact of human activity on the environment has led to a steady increase of the amounts of copper in the ecosystems. This element accumulates in plants and water, potentially exposing rodents to its harmful effects. In industrial districts, a decrease in the density of small rodent populations has been observed. This decline may be caused by many factors, including mortality, decreased fertility, or impaired sexual behavior. The decline in the reproductive abilities of small rodents after copper exposure was demonstrated in our previous work (Miska-Schramm A, Kruczek M, Kapusta J, Ecotoxicology 23:1546–1554, 2014). The aim of the presented research was to determine how copper administered at concentrations similar to those recorded in industrial districts (Cu I-150 mg/kg, Cu II-600 mg/kg, C-control) affects the sexual behavior of small rodents. The model species was the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). The behavior and vocalizations of male-female pairs were recorded during open-field tests: ♂C vs. ♀C; ♂Cu I vs. ♀C; ♂Cu II vs. ♀C while in preference tests, female behavior was assessed in the following combinations: ♀C vs. ♂C & ♂Cu I; ♀C vs. ♂C & ♂Cu II. In the presented work, we show that copper decreased the males’ sexual attractiveness. Females showed suppressed preference towards males treated with 600 mg/kg copper. The number of sniffs and a number of approaches towards Cu II males was significantly lower than towards control individuals. Also, in preference test with 150 mg/kg treated animals, total activity was lower towards copper treated animals. At the same time, copper did not influence intra-sexual interactions.

The capability of Bacillus pseudomycoides from soil to remove Cu(II) in water and prevent it from entering plants

“…After entering the food chain, it will cause irreversible harm to the human body, including cancer, liver damage, Wilson disease and insomnia (Zia et al, 2020). High concentrations of copper can interfere with smell and vision, causing behavioural disorders in animals and humans (Miska-Schramm et al, 2018). In extreme cases, excessive copper may cause shock or death in people or animals (Zhang et al, 2017).…”

Major Regularities of Transformation of the Small Mammal Ovaries in Unfavourable Environmental Conditions: Ecological and Morphological Aspects

“…Особенно много работ посвящено исследованию мужских гонад млекопитающих в условиях обитания животных в техногенно измененных экосистемах. Так, хорошо изучено влияние соединений металлов на мужские гонады различных млекопитающих [1,4,8,9,[11][12][13][14][15][16]. Установлены основные морфологические эквиваленты реакций эндокринных и герминативных структур семенников на действие многих других дестабилизирующих факторов среды обитания [2, 3, 5].…”