title: Biochemical biomarkers in barnacles Balanus improvisus: pollution and seasonal effects.
abstract: Biochemical biomarkers were evaluated in the barnacle Balanus improvisus (Crustacea: Cirripedia) sampled from both polluted and reference sites in the Patos Lagoon Estuary, Southern Brazil. During winter, higher glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was recorded in the barnacles from the polluted sites, indicating environmental exposure to contaminants. Relatively low lipid peroxide levels (LPO) were also observed in barnacles from polluted sites, indicating that oxidative stress by lipid peroxidation was not a major threat in barnacles from those sites. Seasonal differences in the GST and total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) could have contributed to the low LPO levels in the summer relative to the levels in the winter. Catalase activity and metallothionein levels were not affected by contamination or seasonality. The seasonal changes observed in biomarker responses were paralleled by the differences in temperature, which could have affected physiological responses, including the balance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Fisiologia Animal Comparada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande -FURG, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil. Electronic address: julianozanette@furg.br.
authors.forename: Juliano
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zanette
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Fisiologia Animal Comparada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Aquicultura, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Monserrat
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Fisiologia Animal Comparada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adalto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianchini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001938:Brazil; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D063366:Estuaries; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D012621:Seasons; D001468:Thoracica / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Balanus improvisus; Barnacle; Biomarkers; Biomonitoring; Oxidative stress; Patos Lagoon Estuary; Pollution; Seasonality; Temperature