Quantitative histopathology of Oreochromis niloticus gills after copper exposure

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

monteiro, sm (Author) Other; rocha, e (Author) ICBAS; fontainhas-fernandes, a (Author) Other; sousa, m (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Journal of Fish Biology

Vol. 73

Pages: 1376-1392

ISSN: 0022-1112

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 36 Citations

Scopus - 51 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Agrarian Sciences > Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-VWC

DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02009.x

Abstract (EN): In order to test whether histopathological changes of gills demonstrated a good dose-response relationship with water copper levels, juvenile Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, of both sexes and similar mass (36.3 + 7.7 g), were kept in dechlorinated tap water (temperature 25 degrees C, range +/- 1 degrees C; pH 6.5-7.5; hardness 74.5 mg l(-1) CaCO(3)) and exposed to 40 and 400 mu g l(-1) of copper. Gill samples were collected after 3, 7, 14 and 21 days. Six major histopathological changes (oedema, lifting, changes in filament epithelium thickness, lamellar fusion, vasodilatation and aneurisms) and three minor ones (proliferation of the lamellar epithelium, necrosis and adjacent lamellar fusion) were found and their prevalence estimated. The extent and severity of each histopathological change were used to develop a severity gradation scale (SGS). Semi-quantitative analysis of the histopathological changes and measurements of gill copper deposition levels revealed a good dose- and time-response relationship. Oedemas and aneurisms were significantly correlated with acute exposure periods and lamellar fusion with chronic exposure. Epithelial lifting and changes in filament epithelial thickness were seen at lower and higher metal concentrations, respectively. The data also revealed that the SGS profile of each lesion was dependent of gill copper burden. (C) 2008 The Authors Journal compilation (C) 2008 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 17