A study on oxidative stress and complete blood count of sheep bred in the area exposed to depleted uranium (DU) ammunition

Abstract

The paper presents the results of several health status parameters of sheep bred in the area exposed to depleted uranium (DU) ammunition during NATO bombing of Serbia and Montenegro in 1999. The blood samples of sheep were collected randomly in the region of Bujanovac, in 2004. Complete blood count was performed according to standard laboratory procedures. Concentration of red blood cells malondialdehyde (RBC MDA) and activity of erythrocyte superoxid dismutase (SOD) were determined spectrophotometrically, while the functional activity of leukocytes was investigated by NBT reduction and adhesion test. The results of complete red blood cells count indicated normocytic hypochromic anaemia. The total number of leukocytes and the differential leukocytes count were within the physiological range. Although the leukocytes adhesiveness was not changed in DU exposed animals, their increased NBT reduction revealed stimulated leukocytes' oxidative burst. This finding, together with significantly increased RBC MDA concentrations, as well as the activity of RBC antioxidant SOD, point to the existence of oxidative stress. Although the results indicated that animals were under oxidative stress, still there are no conclusive data that it was due to the exposure of DU that entered the environment during military operations.

U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati ispitivanja zdravstvenog stanja ovaca odgajanih u regionu koji je bio izložen delovanju municije sa osiromašenim uranijumom (DU) tokom bombardovanja Srbije i Crne Gore 1999. godine, od strane NATO pakta. Uzorci krvi su uzeti tokom 2004. godine od ovaca u regionu Bujanovca, metodom slučajnog izbora. Kompletan pregled krvi obavljen je standardnim laboratorijskim procedurama. Koncentracija malondialdehida u ertirocitima (RBC MDA) i aktivnost eritrocitne superoksid dismutaze (SOD) određene su spektrofotometrijski, dok je funkcionalna aktivnost leukocita ispitana NBT testom redukcije i adhezije. Rezultati kompletnog pregleda eritrocita su ukazali na postojanje normocitne hipohromne anemije. Ukupan broj leukocita i leukocitna formula su bili u fiziološkim okvirima. Kod životinja izloženih delovanju osiromašenog uranijuma nije bila izmenjena adhezivnost leukocita, ali je pojačana NBT redukcija ukazivala na to da je bio podstaknut njihov oksidativni prasak. Ovaj nalaz, uz značajan porast koncentracije RBC MDA i aktivnosti eritrocitnog antioksidativnog enzima SOD, ukazivali su na postojanje oksidativnog stresa. Rezultati dobijeni ovim ispitivanjima su upućivali na to da su životinje bile pod oksidativnim stresom, ali nemamo sigurne podatke da je on bio posledica izlaganja dejstvu osiromašenog uranijuma (DU) koji je dospeo u njihovu životnu sredinu tokom vojne akcije u tom regionu.