Informatics Publishing Limited

Xue-Feng Wang ¹, Han-Qu Zhao ²

Affiliations
1 Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang-524088, CN
2 Monitoring Station for Zhejiang Freshwater Fishery Environment, Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries Huzhou City-313001, CN

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution has attracted worldwide concerns as it threatens both the aquatic organisms and the integrity of aquatic ecosystem. Moreover, human health has faced up the challenges due to its bioaccumulation through the food chains, among of which fish consuming has been one of the important ways. This paper reviewed the sources of trace metals in coastal waters and analysed the toxicity of trace metals and its toxic mechanisms to fish as well. Recent researches and applications of the biomarkers which can quantify the response fish to pollution stress mainly including the cytochrome P450 enzymes, heat shock protein, metallothionein, antioxidant enzymes and gentoxicology (DNA damage by comet assay), histopathological and morphological parameters were summarized. Finally, the paper discussed these questions to be solved in future: to improve the applications of fish biomarkers and to combine the chemical analysing method, biochemical assay and biomarkers response testing in assessing the risks of pollutants to aquatic ecosystem still need to be studied further.

Keywords

Fish Biomarker, Heavy Metal, Pollution Stress, Biological Response.

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Xue-Feng Wang ¹, Hai-Gang Chen ², Zhe Zhang ², Wen-Gui Cai ², Xiao-Ping Jia ²

Affiliations
1 Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang-524 088, CN
2 Key Lab of Fishery Ecology and Environment, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou-510300, CN

Abstract

Fish are widely used as biological monitors of variations in environmental levels of pollutants. To understand how the fish antioxidant, neural systems respond to the oxidative stress under acute Cd²⁺ exposures (0.005 mg/L, 0.025mg/L, 0.05mg/L, 0.25mg/L), the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and lip peroxidation (MDA ) contents in the liver and gill, and acetycholinesterase (AChE) activities in the brain of Lutijanus erythropterus were measured respectively. The results showed that the hepatic SOD activities were induced significantly (p<0.01) on 24 and 48 hours of cadmium exposure, but inhibited on 168 hours (p<0.01), and impaired after 96 hours exposure from the content of MDA except the group of 0.005mg/L Cd²⁺. While the SOD activities of branchial tissues were earlier than that of the hepatic in response to the cadmium exposure (about 6 and 12 hours), but the oxidative damage to the gills was less than the liver on 168 hours exposure. In addition, the activities of AChE in brain tissues were disturbed during 96 hours exposure, and inhibited on 168 hours exposure, which may have relations with the oxidative stress resulted from the cadmium exposure.

Keywords

Lutjanus erythropterus, Heavy Metals, Superoxide Dismutase, Maleic Dialdehyde, Acetylcholinesterase, Oxidative Stress.

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