Diclofenac is a drug commonly used in human and veterinary medicine for the treatment of diseases associated with inflammation and pain. Medicinal products enter waste and surface waters on an everyday basis and contaminate the aquatic environment. Fish are therefore permanently exposed to these chemicals dissolved in their aquatic environment. To simulate variable environmental conditions, the aim of our study was to examine adverse effects of diclofenac under different temperatures of cell incubation (18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 °C). Cytotoxic and -static effects of diclofenac in concentrations of 0.001 μg/ml, 0.01 μg/ml, 0.1 μg/ml, 1 μg/ml, 10 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml for the carp (Cyprinus carpio) cultured leukocytes were quantified using detection of lactate dehydrogenase released from damaged cells. Overall DCF cytotoxicity was relatively low and its impact was pronounced at higher temperature and DCF concentration. Cells growth inhibition is changing more rapidly but it is high mainly at the highest concentration from low temperature. DNA fragmentation was not detected in tested leukocyte cell line. CYP450 increased diclofenac cytotoxicity only at the highest concentration but at incubation temperatures 18 and 27 °C. Leukocyte viability is essential for immune functions and any change can lead to reduction of resistance against pathogens, mainly in cold year seasons, when the immune system is naturally suppressed.
The flight activity of bats was studied at 21 localities in the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic). From April to October, bat detectors were used to record echolocation calls of bats on line transects during the first half of the night. Nine habitats were distinguished. In total, 666 minutes of the presence of flying bats and at least 16 bat species were registered during 3387 transect minutes. Myotis daubentonii was the most numerous species (46.2%) The number of bat species was the highest in rocky habitats (13 species), and the lowest in agrocoenoses (3 species). The greatest intensity of flight activity of the bat community was observed over ponds (35.0 min+/h) and streams (26.6 min+/h). With respect to habitat preference, M. mystacinus/brandtii, M. myotis/blythii, Eptesicus serotinus, Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, and Plecotus auritus/austriacus appear to be eurytopic and M. daubentonii, M. nattereri and M. emarginatus to be stenotopic species.
The aim of our study was to assess the seasonal and overnight changes in the flight activity and habitat use of four bat species under the conditions of a sub-mountain town by a detector monitoring. The urban habitats visited from May untill October 1998 – 2000 were divided into three categories: gardens (illuminated or non-illuminated gardens and larger groups of trees), urban habitat (old and new buildings in suburbs and downtown), and water (streams and ponds). Only for Myotis daubentonii was a statistically significant increase in flight activity recorded between the lactation and post-lactation periods. The highest activity of M. daubentonii was recorded in the vicinity of water bodies. The activities of Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Nyctalus noctula were similar in relation to the habitats. Only in Eptesicus serotinus was the activity recorded per habitat type not significantly different. The changes of activity of P. pipistrellus had a bimodal character with the first peak in the 5th and the 6th ten-minutes and the second in the 12th ten-minutes. In N. noctula, activity was characterized by commuting over the urban habitats during the first 0.5 h. Relatively high activity was recorded in E. serotinus during the first 0.5 h in gardens.
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) decimates bat populations in North America but similar effects have not been recorded in Europe. WNS-affected bats exhibit abnormal hibernation behaviour that prematurely deplete fat reserves and ultimately causes death by starvation. In the deep hibernation period (December-March) of 2006/07 (pre-WNS) and 2010/11 (post-WNS), we monitored bat hibernation behaviour and flight activity to test the potential impact of WNS on European bats. We registered no abnormal changes in bat hibernation behaviour (movement to visible sites, utilization of dynamic cave sections), flight activity level, its direction or seasonal pattern remained unchanged following WNS infection. Flight activity inside the cave and at its entrance was generally low during the deep hibernation period and temperature remained the best predictor of activity level. In general, stable hibernation behaviour and activity patterns suggests that they are apparently optimized for European winter conditions and support the hypothesis that the fungus has been present in Europe for a long time and has only recently invaded North America.