title: Cytological and biochemical alterations in Carassius auratus hepatocytes from exposure to sediment containing dioxins and related compounds.
abstract: Cytological and biochemical alterations of crucial carp (Carassius auratus) hepatocytes were characterized after exposure to sediments from a lake contaminated with dioxins and other industrial chemicals. Carp were exposed in 20 L water containing 25, 50, or 100 g of contaminated sediment for 2 and 4 weeks. Ultrastructural changes in the liver were characterized by severe enlargement of hepatocytes. Alterations in the cell included formation of condensed and irregular cell nucleus, polynuclei, dispersed heterochromatin, enlargement of the nucleolus, and degeneration of the nucleus. Mitochondrial numbers were reduced and cristae were deformed. Myelin figures and lysosomes were increased, and sometimes cell organelles and cell matrix were totally lost after 4 weeks of exposure. The ultrastructural alterations were correlated with exposure time and sediment concentrations. Hepatosometic index was significantly increased in experimental groups at 2 and 4 weeks as compared with the control group. EROD enzyme activities were strongly induced in liver. A trend from rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) to SER was observed. Our results suggest that the dioxin-like compounds bound by sediment were bioavailable to C. auratus and cause sublethal effects.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
authors.forename: W Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kettrup
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004147:Dioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D005618:Fresh Water; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D006054:Goldfish / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1