Natural and Induced UV Radiation Effects on Haematological and Genetic Characteristics of Albino Mice

摘要

This is the first study on ICR albino mice continuously exposed to natural UV radiation in comparison with a parallel laboratory experiment in order to verify the naturally obtained effects on the animal organism. The mice were exposed at the Moussala Basic Ecological Observatory (2925 m a.s.l.) in Rila Mountain and in the laboratory, simulating the same radiation intensity. Results regarding the genotoxic effect of the UV background on the experimental animals are presented. Different types of early mutagenic effects in blood cells such as micronuclei in erythrocytes and diverse chromosome aberrations such as breaks, fragments, centromeric and telomeric fusions in the bone marrow cells were observed. A gradual increase of micronuclei from the 15th to the 40th day of the experiment was observed. The percentage of metaphases with aberrations in the samples from both Peak Moussala and laboratory varied similarly from about 8.75 +/- 0.75 % on the 15th day after the beginning of irradiation and increased slightly on the 30th day, reaching a maximum value of 10.75 +/- 0.92 % on the 40th day of the experiments. These experiments lead to the conclusion that the environmental impact of natural UV radiation induces abnormal DNA changes, harmful for the animal organism, especially at higher altitudes.