title: Superoxide dismutase, catalase and acetylcholinesterase: biomarkers for the joint effects of cadmium, zinc and methyl parathion contamination in water.
abstract: Heavy metals are known to reduce the activities of antioxidant enzymes (e.g. superoxide dismutase, catalase), while organophosphorous insecticides are known to inhibit the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. In this study, the activities of these three enzymes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) tissues were assessed to evaluate the consequences heavy metal and organophosphate contamination in aquatic systems. When the fish were contacted with water containing a single pollutant, superoxide dismutase activity was affected by the presence of Cd but not by methyl parathion or Zn. However, catalase and acetylcholinesterase activities were sensitive to all three pollutants. The combined treatment showed that the three enzymes could be chosen as biomarkers of joint pollution by both metals and organophosphate. Toxicity tests showed an antagonism interaction between methyl parathion and Cd or Zn, and the change of enzyme activities at 96 hours was in accordance with that.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: XuePing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: YiHeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: YingHua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: HeQing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008743:Methyl Parathion / Q000633:toxicity*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004338:Drug Combinations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D008743:Methyl Parathion; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D015032:Zinc