Gastric lesions in free-living sea turtles: An underestimated disease that reflects the health of the ecosystem

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2019-12, Vol.697, p.133970-133970, Article 133970
• Main Authors: Lima, Samara Rosolem, Barbosa, João Marcos da Silva, Saracchini, Paula Gabrielle Veiga, Padilha, Felipe Gomes Ferreira, Leite, Juliana da Silva, Ferreira, Ana Maria Reis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptive factors; Animals; Brazil; Chelonia mydas; Chronic gastritis; Ecosystem; Gastric adenocarcinoma; Gastrointestinal Diseases - veterinary; Turtles; Water Pollution - analysis; Water Pollution - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133970

Free-living marine turtles are constantly exposed to aggression factors and the gastrointestinal tract is one of the main gateways of entry. The objective of this study was to identify, and describe the anatomopathological alterations in the stomach of free-living marine turtles found dead on the beaches of the Microrregião dos Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Twenty-two sea turtles were necropsied, and stomach fragments were collected, fixed, and processed routinely. The presence of gastritis, parasitism, and adaptative morphological alteration of the cells were evaluated in a microscopic analysis. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were performed. Of the samples, 59.1% had stomach hyperemia. Microscopically, gastritis was found in 86.4% of cases, parasitism in 72.7%, and adaptive morphological alteration in 59.1%. There was an association between the presence of cellular adaptive morphological alteration and chronic inflammation. This the first report to describe the adaptive morphological changes observed in the stomach cells. The chronicity of the lesions was due to continuous aggressions to the tissue, with parasitism, garbage ingestion, and environmental pollutants as possible causes. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the chronicity of the stomach lesions is due to continuous aggressions to this tissue, and the irritating factors have environmental origin, such as parasites, garbage, and toxic pollutants, including heavy metals, which are ingested by free-living sea turtles. This article demonstrates that stomach injuries in free-living marine turtles are frequent, severe, and possibly underdiagnosed; these lesions reflect the diseased ecosystem in which those animals live. [Display omitted] •Parasitic gastritis in mild to moderate intensity observed in 86.4% of free-living sea turtles•In 59.1% of the samples, adaptive morphological changes were observed in the stomach cells.•Positive association was found between cellular adaptative alteration and inflammation.•Stomach injuries may be caused by ingestion of the irritant stimulus.