Genomic analysis on river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis Linnaeus, 1758, 2n=50) reared in different conditions: short- and long-term effects on DNA

DNA damage is the most important factor that induces genome instability and the exposure to exogenous agents (UV light, oxidative stress, chemical mutagens, and radiation) can lead to a variety of modifications of DNA constituents, resulting in genome alterations. The aim of this study is to verify the differences between long-term and short-term DNA damage by different genomic tests: Aberration Chromosomes (CA), Sister Chromatid Exchanges (SCEs) and Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus (CBMN) for long-term DNA damage and the relative Telomere Lenght (TL), by Monochrome Multiplex Quantitative PCR (MMQPCR) method, for short-term DNA damage. We selected two groups of buffaloes (five for each homogeneous group for age and sex) raised in different environments: urban (group A) and extraurban (group B). For CA test, we counted 100 cells for a sample with mean values of CA/cell of 0.06±0.26 (A) and 0.05±0.21 (B); for the SCE test, we elaborated 35 cells per sample with SCE-mean values being 9.06±3.73 and 9.02±3.92, in the A and B-groups, respectively. For CBMC test, we counted 500 cells for a sample: mean values of Nuclear Division Index (NDI) was 2.04±0.11 and 1.89±0.04 in the A and B- groups, while the Binucleated Cell Indexes (BCI) were 77.0±7.58 and 75.6±5.41 in the A- and Bgroups, respectively. Mean values of the Bi-Nucleated cells with MN (BNMN) and MN for cell Bi-Nucleated they were 1.40±1.52 and 1.80±2.05 in the A- and B-groups, respectively. The TL value (expressed as telomere length relative to a single copy reference gene) was 0.98±0.57 (A) and 1.24±1.07 (B). For each test no statistical differences were found between the two groups, but it is necessary to study a larger number of animals to validate the results in a better way.