title: Studies on the alterations in haematological indices, micronuclei induction and pathological marker enzyme activities in Channa punctatus (spotted snakehead) perciformes, channidae exposed to thermal power plant effluent.
abstract: The present study was conducted to assess the toxicity of thermal power plant effluent containing heavy metals (Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Ni > Co > Cr) on haematological indices, micronuclei, lobed nuclei and activity of pathological marker enzymes [alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT) and creatine kinase (CK)] in Channa punctatus. Total erythrocyte count (-54.52 %), hemoglobin (-36.98 %), packed cell volume (-36.25 %), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (-1.41 %) and oxygen (O2) carrying capacity (-37.04 %) declined significantly over reference fish, however total leukocyte count (+25.43 %), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (+33.52 %) and mean corpuscular volume (+35.49 %) showed elevation. High frequency of micronuclei (1133.3 %) and lobed nuclei (150 %) were observed in exposed fish which may indicate mutagenesis. Activities of pathological marker enzymes ALP, AST, ALT and CK increased significantly in serum of exposed fish. The ratio of ALT: AST in exposed fish was beyond 1 which indicates manifestation of pathological processes. These biomarkers show that fish have macrocytic hypochromic anemia. Leukocytosis showed general defence response against heavy metal toxicity and marker enzymes showed tissue degeneration. In conclusion, thermal power plant effluent has strong potential to induce micronuclei, tissue pathology, making the fish anemic, weak, stressed and vulnerable to diseases.
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Toxicology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh 202002 India.
authors.forename: Mehjbeen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Javed
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002 Uttar Pradesh India.
authors.forename: Irshad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002 Uttar Pradesh India.
authors.forename: Ajaz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Toxicology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh 202002 India.
authors.forename: Nazura
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Usmani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002 Uttar Pradesh India.
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
keywords: Genotoxicity; Haematology; Heavy metals; Kinase; Phosphatase; Transferase