title: Liver melanomacrophage centres as indicators of Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus L. well-being.
abstract: Melanomacrophage centres (MMCs), located in different organs of non-mammalian vertebrates, play a role in the destruction, detoxification or recycling of endogenous and exogenous materials. Cytochrome P450 monoxygenase 1A (CYP1A) is involved in xenobiotics biotransformation, and its liver expression is considered as a biomarker for detecting exposure to environmental pollutants. Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT), Thunnus thynnus L., liver samples were collected from: wild animals caught in the eastern Atlantic; juveniles reared in the central Adriatic; juveniles reared in the northern Adriatic; adults reared in the western Mediterranean. The samples were processed for basic histology, histochemistry and for CYP1A immunodetection. An unexpected high density of MMCs, containing ferric iron and lipofuscin-ceroids, was detected in the juveniles sampled in the northern Adriatic Sea. These individuals showed also a strong anti-CYP1A immunopositivity in hepatocytes and in the epithelium of bile ducts. This study supports the utility of MMCs as biomarkers of fish 'health status' and gives concern for a potential contaminant accumulation in ABFT.
authors: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplant, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Passantino
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Santamaria
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zupa
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pousis
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Garofalo
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Cianciotta
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Jirillo
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Acone
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Corriero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D017523:Croatia; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D014413:Tuna
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: bluefin tuna; cytochrome P450 monoxygenase 1A; liver; melanomacrophage centres