title: The connective tissue index of Helix aspersa as a metal biomarker.
abstract: The digestive gland of adult land snails, Helix aspersa, sampled from four different sites in São Miguel island (Azores) was submitted to chemical analyses, autometallography and haemalum/eosin staining, in order to quantify the relative abundance of heavy metals, calcium cells and connective tissue cells. Metals were visualized, through light microscopy, as black silver deposits mostly in the connective tissue cells. Metal levels, essentially of Cu and Fe, were related to the relative volumetric density of connective tissue cells but not to the relative volumetric density of calcium cells from the digestive gland epithelium. Thus, the connective tissue index presented herein is suggested as a biomarker of Cu exposure in terrestrial mollusks.
authors.affiliation: Universidade dos Açores, Departamento de Biologia, R Mãe de Deus, São Miguel, Açores, Portugal. aamaral@notes.uac.pt
authors.forename: André Filipe Santos
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Henrique
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anselmo
authors.forename: Regina Maria Pires Toste Tristão
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: da Cunha
authors.forename: Armindo Santos
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006372:Helix, Snails; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D008974:Mollusca; D013997:Time Factors; D014131:Trace Elements
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008670:Metals; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014131:Trace Elements; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D002118:Calcium