In vitro impacts of glyphosate on manatee lymphocytes

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Immunology
• Marine mammal health

Background:

• Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide found in manatee environments and plasma.
• Manatees exhibit suppressed immune functions when exposed to contaminants.
• Understanding glyphosate's impact on manatee immunity is crucial for conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of glyphosate on T-lymphocyte proliferation in manatees.
• To analyze gene expression changes in response to glyphosate exposure using transcriptomics.
• To assess glyphosate's impact on manatee immune responses in environmentally relevant concentrations.

Main Methods:

• Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from free-ranging manatees.
• T-lymphocyte proliferation assays were conducted.
• Transcriptomic analysis was performed on cells exposed to glyphosate in vitro.

Main Results:

• Glyphosate exposure caused a dose-dependent reduction in T-lymphocyte proliferation.
• Significant reductions in proliferation were observed at 10,000 µg.L⁻¹.
• Transcriptomics revealed up-regulation of acute phase inflammation genes and inhibition of T-lymphocyte pathways.

Conclusions:

• Glyphosate exposure suppresses manatee T-lymphocyte proliferation and alters immune gene expression.
• Environmental stressors may exacerbate glyphosate's negative effects on manatee adaptive immunity.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term implications for this threatened species.