Sodium arsenite induced changes in survival, growth, metamorphosis and genotoxicity in the Indian cricket frog (Rana limnocharis)

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2014-10, Vol.112, p.333-339
• Main Authors: Singha, Utsab, Pandey, Neelam, Boro, Freeman, Giri, Sarbani, Giri, Anirudha, Biswas, Somava
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amphibian; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Arsenic; Arsenites - toxicity; Bioassay; Biological; Biological and medical sciences; Comet Assay; Crickets; DNA Damage; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Frogs; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotoxicity; Laboratories; Larva - drug effects; Metamorphosis; Metamorphosis, Biological - drug effects; Micronucleus; Mutagens - toxicity; Ranidae - growth & development; Recognition; Reptilia. Amphibia; Sodium arsenite; Sodium Compounds - toxicity; Survival Analysis; Teratology. Teratogens
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.04.076

•Arsenic did not affect survival or body weight at metamorphosis in Rana limnocharis.•Arsenic reduced the time to metamorphosis and body size in Rana limnocharis.•Arsenic at non-lethal range is genotoxic to R. limnocharis in micronucleus and comet assays.•Arsenic induced limb deformities in Rana limnocharis. Arsenic contamination of the environment is a matter of great concern. Understanding the effects of arsenic on aquatic life will act as biological early warning system to assess how arsenic could shape the biodiversity in the affected areas. Rapid decline in amphibian population in recent decades is a cause of major concern. Over the years, amphibians have been recognized as excellent bio-indicators of environmental related stress. In the present study, we examined the toxic and genotoxic effects of sodium arsenite in the tadpoles of the Indian cricket frog (Rana limnocharis). Sodium arsenite at different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200 and 400μgL−1) neither induced lethality nor significantly altered body weight at metamorphosis. However, it accelerated the rate of metamorphosis at higher concentrations, reduced body size (snout–vent length) and induced developmental deformities such as loss of limbs. Besides, at concentration ranges between 100 and 400μgL−1, sodium arsenite induced statistically significant genotoxicity at 24, 48, 72 and 96h of the exposure in a concentration-dependent manner. However, it did not show time effects as the highest frequency was found between 48 and 72h which remained steady subsequently. The genotoxicity was confirmed by comet assay in the whole blood cells. These findings suggest that arsenic at environmentally relevant concentrations has significant sub-lethal effects on R.limnocharis, which may have long-term fitness consequence to the species and may have similar implications in other aquatic life too.