title: Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to cylindrospermopsin and the effectiveness of N-Acetylcysteine to prevent its toxic effects.
abstract: Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cytotoxic cyanotoxin produced by several cyanobacteria species. It has been demonstrated that CYN is a potent protein and glutathione synthesis inhibitor, and induces genotoxicity and oxidative stress. The present study investigated the protective role of two different doses of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) (22 and 45 mg/fish/day) against the pathological changes induced in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) orally exposed to a single dose of pure CYN or CYN from an Aphanizomenon ovalisporum CYN-producer strain (200 μg/kg of CYN in both cases). Moreover, an immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was carried out in order to elucidate the CYN distribution in exposed fish. The histological findings were more pronounced when fish were intoxicated with CYN from the cyanobacterial strain, being liver and kidney the main targets for CYN toxicity. NAC pre-treatment was effective reducing the damage induced by CYN, especially at the highest dose employed (45 mg/fish/day), with a total prevention in all organs. The IHC analysis showed that CYN-antigen appeared mainly in the liver and gastrointestinal tract, although it was also present in kidney and gills. In this case, the immunopositive results were more abundant in those fish exposed to pure CYN. NAC reduced the number of immunopositive cases in a dose-dependent way. Therefore, NAC can be considered a useful chemoprotectant in the prophylaxis and treatment of CYN-related intoxications in fish.
authors.affiliation: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González 2, 41012 Seville, Spain. Electronic address: dgpraena@us.es.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Praena
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathology, University of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Carretera Madrid-Cádiz s/n, 14071 Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: v12rimom@uco.es.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Risalde
authors.affiliation: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González 2, 41012 Seville, Spain. Electronic address: spichardo@us.es.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pichardo
authors.affiliation: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González 2, 41012 Seville, Spain. Electronic address: angelesjos@us.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jos
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Legal and Forensic Medicine, University of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Carretera Madrid-Cádiz s/n, 14071 Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: ft1mosam@uco.es.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moyano
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathology, University of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Carretera Madrid-Cádiz s/n, 14071 Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: a.blanco@uco.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, Genomics and Evolution, Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research - CIIMAR/CIMAR, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Porto University, 4069-007 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: vmvascon@fc.up.pt.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.affiliation: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Profesor García González 2, 41012 Seville, Spain. Electronic address: camean@us.es.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cameán
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000470:Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D046890:Aphanizomenon / Q000737:chemistry*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D023681:Cichlids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; C089595:cylindrospermopsin; D014498:Uracil; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: Cyanobacteria; Cylindrospermopsin; Histopathology; Immunohistochemistry; N-Acetylcysteine; Oreochromis niloticus