Hahut A. Ecological and biochemical characteristics of common hygrophilic herpetofauna species of the north-steppe Dnieper River region

The population densities and sex structures of marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus, dice snake Natrix tessellata and grass snake N. natrix were studied in the Dnieper River region. In grass snakes from polluted ecosystems, the blood serum albumin significantly decreases. The alanine aminotransferase activity is increased in them, but the de Ritis ratio decreased. The alkaline phosphatase activity is increased, which indicates certain changes in the snake liver. In dice snakes a decrease in the albumin/globulin ratio for the polluted ecosystems were revealed. The biochemical parameters of the pregnant female blood serum were determined. The content and prognostic value of the molecular cytoskeletal marker of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the brain of P. ridibundus, N. tessellata and N. natrix under the influence of industrial pollution were studied. A characteristic increase in the fragmentation of the GFAP was found for the studied species inhabited the contaminated areas. A significant anomaly was noted in the ratio of the soluble fraction of GFAP to the GFAP cytoskeletal fraction in individuals exposed to contaminants. In addition, an increase in the reactive oxygen species has been identified in the brain of snakes exposed to environmental toxicity. Thus, disturbances in the cytoskeleton of astrocytes are associated with redox imbalances in the brain caused by contaminants. A significant increase in the content of replication protein A and activated caspase-9 in the brain cells of the marsh frogs from contaminated habitats was found. These molecular markers can be valid indicators of the ecotoxicity of environmental pollutants.