Effects of embryonic exposure to chromium (VI) on blood parameters and liver microstructure of 1-day-old chickens

Abstract

Hexavalent chromium ( Cr(VI) ) has carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, and neurotoxic effects. Exposure to Cr(VI) can also lead to hematological alterations and blood biochemical changes. The literature on Cr(VI) toxicity concerns mostly adult forms of vertebrates. In this study, an attempt was made to determine the effect on the developing chicken embryo of Cr(VI) in ovo administration. It was observed that chromium affected the hatchability of chicks in a dose-dependent manner. At a dose from 25 to 250 μg per egg, Cr(VI) resulted in a statistically significant reduction of hatchability. Chromium administrated at lower doses (1.56 and 2.5 μg per egg) caused a statistically insignificant increase of hatchability. However, chromium at a level of LD 50 (15.6 μg per egg) or 1/10 LD 50 (1.56 per egg) did not cause major changes in hematological parameters or plasma biochemical indices in newly hatched chicks. The same doses did not lead to any histopathological changes in the liver.

Effects of embryonic cadmium exposure on erythrocyte indices and morphology in newly hatched Gallus gallus domesticus chicks

“…Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the red blood cell parameters that are commonly determined in hematological analyses are a useful marker of embryonic cadmium exposure. On the other hand, the study performed by Bojarski et al (2021) showed that embryonic chromium (VI) exposure (1.56 or 15.6 mg per egg) did not cause major alterations in the hematological parameters of newly hatched chickens. The only significant change was a decrease in the RBC value in animals exposed to a higher dose of the tested substance.…”

“…The avian embryo is an approved biological model which can be used to reflect environmental contamination under laboratory conditions (e.g., Liu et al, 2015 ; Dżugan et al, 2018 ; Bojarski et al, 2021 ). The aim of the current study was to assess the influence of embryonic exposure to cadmium (administrated as CdCl 2 × 2.5 H 2 O) on basic ( RBC – erythrocyte count, Ht – hematocrit value, and Hb – hemoglobin concentration) and derived ( MCV – mean corpuscular volume, MCH – mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and MCHC – mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) erythrocyte indices, the morphology and morphometric properties of erythrocytes, as well as erythrocyte spectrin distribution in newly hatched Gallus gallus domesticus chicks.…”

The effects of exposure to microplastics and pollutants on the arthropod microbiome

“…On the other hand, in the experiments of chapter II-IV the toxicants highly affected the host-microbiome of the aquatic organism tested (Figure 5b, 6a and b). This is not surprising, since DMT is known for its neurotoxic effects that can cause stress in the host which affects its microbiome (Mestres and Mestres 1992, Toshio 1992, Hong et al 2020, SDS is known for bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects which will directly affect the microbiome (Baker et al 1941, Brandt et al 2001, Mousavi and Khodadoost 2019, and Cr(VI) is known for being able to cross and disturb biological membranes affecting microorganism in the microbiome with no resistance mechanisms (Babich et al 1980, Breton et al 2013, Hose et al 2016, Assefa and Köhler 2020, Bojarski et al 2021. We argue that this effect depends directly on the toxicity of the toxicant itself.…”

“…Because of its toxicity, chromium is one of the toxic metal ions ranked as a priority with great public health significance (Tchounwou et al 2012). Chromium, specifically the state VI (Cr(VI)), has been attributed to highly carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, and mutagenic effects along with other pathophysiological effects (Zeng et al 2016, Bojarski et al 2021, Guo et al 2021. Cr(VI) is the most toxic state of chromium and it is found in water environments because of several industrial processes such as leathering tanning, electroplating manufacturing of dye, metal finishing, and production of paint and paper (Pérez-Candela et al 1995, Vargas and Dussán 2016, Guo et al 2021.…”

“…Cr(VI) can affect macroorganism due to its oxidizing properties and ability to cross biological membranes causing an acute exposure. In microorganisms, the toxicity is mainly to the direct damage in biological membranes, cell structure, and protein function (Babich et al 1980, Breton et al 2013, Lemire et al 2013, Hose et al 2016, Assefa and Köhler 2020, Bojarski et al 2021. The presence of MPs together with metal ions is well known (Pietroiusti et al 2015, Häder et al 2020.…”