title: Induction of brown cells in Venerupis philippinarum exposed to benzo(a)pyrene.
abstract: Benzo(a)pyrene is an important polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) commonly present in the marine environment and responsible for carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects in various animal species. In the present study, we investigated by both histochemical and immunohistochemical approaches the effect of an acute exposure to different concentrations of B(a)P in the Manila clam Venerupis philippinarum. The general morphology of the different clam tissues, which was investigated histologically, evidenced a significant increase in the number of intestinal brown cells after B(a)P exposure. An increasing trend response to B(a)P was detected. The histochemical analysis for lipofuscin revealed the presence of lipofuscin-like substances inside the cytoplasm of intestinal brown cells. The same cells exhibited a PAS positivity and a reactivity to Schmorl's solution for melanin pigment. Moreover, intestinal brown cells exhibited an immunopositivity to HSP70 antibody confirming the increasing trend response to B(a)P detected by the histochemical analysis. Our results suggest that histological tissue changes resulting from exposure to B(a)P can be an useful marker in biomonitoring studies.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boscolo Papo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bertotto
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, U.O. Virologia speciale degli organismi acquatici, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pascoli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Locatello
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, U.O. Virologia speciale degli organismi acquatici, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vascellari
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poltronieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quaglio
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.radaelli@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Radaelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000633:toxicity*; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005453:Fluorescence; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene
keywords: Benzo(a)pyrene; Brown cells; Clam; HSP70; Lipofuscin