title: Alterations in juvenile flatfish gill epithelia induced by sediment-bound toxicants: A comparative in situ and ex situ study.
abstract: Juvenile Solea senegalensis were exposed in the laboratory (ex situ) and field (in situ) to different sediments of a moderately impacted estuary (the Sado, Portugal) for 28 days. A qualitative histopathological screening yielded scant lesions to gills, albeit alterations such as epithelial hyperplasia being evident and more frequent in fish exposed ex situ. Fully quantitative traits, namely chloride and goblet cell count and size revealed differences between the two bioassay approaches, with ex situ experiments likely enhancing bioavailability of toxicants. Chloride cells endured autolytic processes that could, at least in part, relate to contamination by mixed metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Goblet cells did not reveal changes in the chemistry of mucous. Still, their number and size was reduced in fish exposed ex situ to the sediments most contaminated by PAHs, with evidence for adaptation. Also, copper histochemistry revealed the potential role of mucocytes in the regulation of metals.
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Quinta da Granja, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: António P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Alves de Matos
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; Unit of Molecular Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 13, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: pmcosta@fct.unl.pt.
authors.forename: Pedro M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D063366:Estuaries; D005412:Flatfishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D005880:Gills / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011174:Portugal; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Aquatic pollution; Chloride cell; Flatfish; Goblet cell; Histopathology