title: Sustaining immunity during starvation in bivalve mollusc: A costly affair.
abstract: Complete or partial depletion of resource in a freshwater habitat is a common phenomenon. As a consequence, aquatic fauna including bivalve molluscs may be exposed to dietary stress on a seasonal basis. Haemocyte based innate immune profile of the freshwater mollusc Lamellidens marginalis (Bivalvia: Eulamellibranchiata) was evaluated under starvation induced stress for a maximum period of 32 days in a controlled laboratory condition. During starvation, the bivalve haemocytes maintained a homeostasis in phagocytic efficacy and nitric oxide generation ability with respect to the control. The mollusc maintained a significantly high protein content in its haemolymph and tissues under the nutritional stress with respect to the control. The dietary stress had no significant impact on the activity of digestive tissue derived α-amylase till sixteenth day but by 32 days the enzyme activity went down significantly. The histopathological profile revealed that the bivalve was adapted to maintain a steady immune profile by incurring degeneration of its own tissue structure. The total haemocyte count surged significantly till 16 days but differed insignificantly with respect to the control at 32 days implying probable haematopoietic exhaustion. The study reflects the instinctive urge of the bivalve to maintain immune physiology at heavy metabolic cost under nutrient limited condition.
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mahapatra
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Dishari
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Navodipa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Suvrotoa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Debakana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Soumita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Nabanita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Avijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata 700013, West Bengal, India; Department of Zoology, Government General Degree College, Keshiary, Paschim Medinipur 721133, West Bengal, India. Electronic address: writesudipto@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: Sudipta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005618:Fresh Water; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D013217:Starvation; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: Bivalve; Haemocytes; Nitric oxide; Phagocytosis; Starvation