title: Field and laboratory studies on pathological and biochemical characterization of microcystin-induced liver and kidney damage in the phytoplanktivorous bighead carp.
abstract: Field and experimental studies were conducted to investigate pathological characterizations and biochemical responses in the liver and kidney of the phytoplanktivorous bighead carp after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of microcystins (MCs) and exposure to natural cyanobacterial blooms in Meiliang Bay, Lake Taihu. Bighead carp in field and laboratory studies showed a progressive recovery of structure and function in terms of histological, cellular, and biochemical features. In laboratory study, when fish were i.p. injected with extracted MCs at the doses of 200 and 500 microg MC-LReq/kg body weight, respectively, liver pathology in bighead carp was observed in a time dose-dependent manner within 24 h postinjection and characterized by disruption of liver structure, condensed cytoplasm, and the appearance of massive hepatocytes with karyopyknosis, karyorrhexis, and karyolysis. In comparison with previous studies on other fish, bighead carp in field study endured higher MC doses and longer-term exposure, but displayed less damage in the liver and kidney. Ultrastructural examination in the liver revealed the presence of lysosome proliferation, suggesting that bighead carp might eliminate or lessen cell damage caused by MCs through lysosome activation. Biochemically, sensitive responses in the antioxidant enzymes and higher basal glutathione concentrations might be responsible for their powerful resistance to MCs, suggesting that bighead carp can be used as biomanipulation fish to counteract cyanotoxin contamination.
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory forFreshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, PR China. foreverlili78@mail.hzau.edu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Longgen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhixin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yaqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002347:Carps; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D052998:Microcystins / Q000633:toxicity*; D046931:Microcystis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012621:Seasons; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D052998:Microcystins; C078588:microcystin; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione