Gamma radiation induced micronuclei and erythrocyte cellular abnormalities in the fish Catla catla

Ionizing radiation induced DNA damage in fishes is a scarcely studied topic and very few studies are available in fishes exposed to ionizing radiation using the erythrocyte micronucleus assay under laboratory conditions. Since radionuclides released accidentally or during a nuclear disaster can contaminate inland water bodies, biomonitoring methods are required for assessing the impacts of high and low levels of radiation that may ultimately result in ionizing radiation exposure to both humans and non-human biota. Fresh water fish, Catla catla were subjected to protracted (0.002 Gy/min) and acute (3.2 Gy/min) gamma radiation to a total dose of 5 Gy. Peripheral blood samples were collected at different intervals (days 3, 6, 12, 18, 30, 45, 90, 135, 202) and analyzed by the erythrocyte micronucleus assay. Nuclear anomalies observed were micronuclei (MN), deformed nuclei (DN), nuclear bud (NBu), nuclear bridge (NBr), vacuolated nucleus (VN), binucleated cell (BNC), apoptotic cells (AC) while cytoplasmic abnormalities detected were vacuolated cytoplasm (VC), anisochromasia (AN), echinocytes (EC) and enucleus (EN). Both exposures caused a statistically significant increase in nuclear and cytoplasmic abnormalities that correlated with micronucleus and other nuclear anomalies. However, the extent of damage is higher after an acute exposure lasting for a longer period leading to apoptosis. Nuclear and cytoplasmic abnormalities are the resultants of gamma radiation induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity.