12 research outputs found
Anthropogenic effects on digestive gland of Pinna nobilis using oxidative stress biomarkers
The fan mussel Pinna nobilis L. is the largest endemic bivalve in the Mediterranean Sea under strict protection. The aim was to determine the effects of anthropogenic activity on antioxidant and oxidative stress biomarkers in digestive gland of P. nobilis. Antioxidant enzyme activities and protein oxidation were significantly increased in mussels sampled in the impacted area. The anthropogenic activities induced a situation of oxidative stress in P. nobilis, resulting in an antioxidant response and in an increased protein oxidatio
Pen shell Pinna nobilis L. (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from different peculiar environments: adaptive mechanisms of osmoregulation and neurotransmission
The pen shell Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) is the largest endemic bivalve mollusc of the Mediterranean Sea, listed as an endangered species in the European Union. Because no information is available about the adaptation of pen shells to different habitats, herein the fundamental conditions of adaptation of P. nobilis to peculiar natural environments, such as the Strait of Messina (SM) and the meromictic Faro Lake (FL; Sicily, Italy), were explored by assessing the morphology, mucous production, osmoregulation and neurotransmission of their gills. Although gills of the pen shells from both sites exhibited a regular morphology, a higher presence of acid mucous cells was detected in P. nobilis from FL than SM, as well as higher levels of osmolytes but without interfering the osmoregulatory processes. About the functioning of gills, the cholinergic (i.e. acetylcholine and AChE) neuronal system was unaltered between individuals from the two sites, whereas the GABAergic neurotransmission (i.e. 4-aminobutyrate or GABA) was significantly augmented in gills of P. nobilis from FL than SM. This may be an adaptive response to hypoxic conditions in FL, as supported by the increased hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) in gills of pen shells from FL than SM. Noteworthy, this study reports for the first time the presence of the GABA neurotransmitter within the metabolite profile, obtained by application of a protonic Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR)-based metabolomics approach, of a marine bivalve. Therefore, GABA may be suggested as a metabolite biomarker in pen shells. Overall, findings from this study provide new insights on the behavioural and adaptive responses of the pen shell Pinna nobilis settled in different peculiar environments
Antioxidant response and oxidative damage in the bivalve Pinna nobilis to contamination in coastal waters of the Balearic Islands
Assessment of environmental pollution applying oxidative stress biomarkers in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
Haemolytic activity and characterization of nematocyst venom from Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)
We investigated the haemolytic capacity of the crude venom extracted from isolated nematocysts of Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa), and evidenced the proteic fractions responsible for this activity. The nematocyst venom was used at various concentrations to evaluate the haemolytic activity and the lysosomal membrane stability of red blood cells of two teleostean species treated with the extract. The nematocyst extract was assayed against erythrocytes of the two teleostean species living in different environments, Carassius auratus as a common freshwater species, and Liza aurata as a representative of seawater species. Experiments on the haemolytic activity of P. noctiluca in the presence of lipid components of erythrocyte membranes showed that sphyngomyelin strongly inhibited this activity. The crude venom was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis SDS-PAGE and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to detect the proteic composition, and it was found that the active haemolytic components of this venom are distributed in
at least four protein fractions. The results of our experiments indicated that Pelagia noctiluca venom induces haemolysis and lysosomal membrane destabilisation in both species and that Carassius auratus was more susceptible to jellyfish venom
than was Liza aurata. No significant differences in glutathione (GSH) levels were observed between control and treatments; consequently the toxins do not cause the oxidative stress but likely recognize specific targets (i.e. sphyngomyelin) in the plasmatic membrane of red blood cells
Effects of the anthropogenic activities on gills of Pinna nobilis using oxidative stress biomarkers
Increased antioxidant response and capability to produce ROS in hemocytes of Pinna nobilis L. under anthropogenic pressure
Increased antioxidant response and capability to produce ROS in hemocytes of Pinna nobilis L. exposed to anthropogenic activiy
Publicado
Attività emolitica dell’estratto da nematocisti di Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa)
Biomarkers of environmental stress in gills of Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus 1758) from Balearic Island
In aquatic environments, bivalve molluscs are used as sentinel species for environmental biomonitoring. In this study Pinna nobilis specimens, the biggest Mediterranean bivalve, were collected in the Magaluf bay (Mallorca), a touristic location and in a pristine area of the Cabrera National Park as the control location. Histological and histochemical analysis in gills of specimens sampled from Magaluf exhibited evident tissue alterations with high presence of haemocytes. Lower acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and protein expression were also found in the gills of specimens collected from Magaluf compared with the control area. The determination of antioxidant enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, showed a higher activities of these antioxidant enzymes and total glutathione content in samples from Magaluf bay than in Cabrera. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that human activities result in morphological tissue alterations and a reduced AChE activity in gills of P. nobilis. Moreover, these stressful environmental conditions induced an adaptive response in P. nobilis as evidenced by increased antioxidant defences and a decreased AChE activity.
CAPSULE: The human activities induce oxidative stress in P. nobilis as evidenced by increased antioxidant defences and a decreased acetylcholinesterase activity.Publicad