Functional enzymes activity and gill histology of carp after copper sulfate exposure and recovery

Copper sulfate is one of the most widely used algicides for the control of phytoplankton in lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. It is also used for aquatic weed control. To study the toxic effects of copper on carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), toxicity tests were carried out. Fish recovery in copper-free water was followed. After a 14-day period of exposure to five concentrations of copper sulfate (0.25-4.0 mg/L CUSO4, values ranging from approximately 5 to 70% of the 96-h LC-50) and a recovery period of the same duration, activities of the functional enzymes alkaline phosphatase (AP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the blood serum and gills were determined. Because the gills are the known target organ for copper, changes in gill structure were investigated as well. In all exposure groups for all the enzymes studied, an increase in activity was noted after 14 days. The increase in AP activity was the most pronounced in both gills and serum of carp exposed to the highest concentration tested (4 mg/L). After a "recovery" period, compared with the end of treatment, a decrease in enzyme activities was recorded, indicating eventual recovery from the Cu-induced stress (the only exception being the ALT activity in gills in the highest CuSO4 concentration). The results of biochemical analysis were confirmed by histopathology. Lesions such as epithelial hyperplasia, curling of secondary lamellae, and changes in chloride cells were observed on the gills, and their severity increased with increased toxicant concentration. Most of the changes were reversible, as exhibited by gill histopathology after the recovery period

Double whammy: Nitrate pollution heightens susceptibility to both hypoxia and heat in a freshwater salmonid

Species persistence in a changing world will depend on how they cope with co-occurring stressors. Stressors can interact in unanticipated ways, where exposure to one stressor may heighten or reduce resilience to another stressor. We examined how a leading threat to aquatic species, nitrate pollution, affects susceptibility to hypoxia and heat stress in a salmonid, the European grayling (Thymallus thymallus). Fish were exposed to nitrate pollution (0, 50 or 200 mg NO3− L−1) at two acclimation temperatures (18 °C or 22 °C) for eight weeks. Hypoxia- and heat-tolerance were subsequently assessed, and the gills of a subset of fish were sampled for histological analyses. Nitrate-exposed fish were significantly more susceptible to acute hypoxia at both acclimation temperatures. Similarly, in 18 °C- acclimated fish, exposure to 200 mg NO3- L- 1 caused a 1 °C decrease in heat tolerance (critical thermal maxima, CTMax). However, the opposite effect was observed in 22 °C-acclimated fish, where nitrate exposure increased heat tolerance by ~1 °C. Further, nitrate exposure induced some histopathological changes to the gills, which limit oxygen uptake. Our findings show that nitrate pollution can heighten the susceptibility of fish to additional threats in their habitat, but interactions are temperature dependent

Morfometrijsko ispitivanje nabora crevne sluzokože šarana hranjenog različitom dodatnom hranom u poluintenzivnom sistemu

U poluintenzivnom sistemu gajenja šarana u poslednjoj deceniji dolazi do promena u vrsti dodatne hrane koje povećavaju održivost proizvodnje. Sa žitarica koje su se godinama koristile kao dodata hrana, sada se prelazi na peletiranu i ekstrudiranu hranu. Ova zamena uzrokuje i promene u fiziologiji varenja riba, a kao posledica se dešavaju morfološke promene na crevima. Najčešće se na organima za varenje riba gajenih u akvakulturi ne nalaze teže histopatološke promene, pa se pribegava kvantifikaciji i morfometriji histoloških parametara koje mogu da ukažu na odstupanja od normalne građe/funkcije. Metod evaluacije dužine crevnih nabora je korišćen u velikom broju studija koje su se bavile efektima različitih tipova hrane i/ili aditiva na crevo riba. Cilj rada je da se utvrdi efekat različitih tipova hrane (žitarice, peletirana, ekstrudirana hrana) na crevo šarana merenjem dužine crevnih nabora kod riba koje su gajene poluintenzivno. Dužina crevnih nabora je korelisana sa prirastom ribe. Kretanje dužine crevnih nabora po jezerima/vrsti dodate hrane je imalo pravilan tok (Fig. 1). Najkraći crevni nabori su izmereni kod riba hranjenih žitaricama. U sva tri jezera primetan je pad dužine nabora u junu. U ovom mesecu su vrednosti najmanje, manje čak i od inicijalnih na početku eksperimenta (u aprilu), kao i vrednosti dobijenih u maju. Od juna dužina nabora creva konstantno raste kod riba u svim jezerima, bez obzira na tip dodate hrane. Rezultati su pokazali visok stepen statistički značajne korelacije između mase tela ribe i dužine crevnih nabora u svim jezerima (Tab. 2). Ukoliko se posmatraju pojedinačna jezera, vrednosti se kreću između 0.82 kod riba hranjenih peletiranom hranom, preko 0.83 kod riba hranjenih žitaricama do 0.86 kod riba hranjenih ekstrudiranom hranom. Dužina crevnih nabora je koristan parametar u eksperimentima ishrane riba i često se primenjuje u proceni efekta određene hrane na crevo riba. Smanjenje dužine nabora može da ukaže na pojavu enteritisa, na nedovoljnu ishranu ili gladovanje. Naši rezultati pokazuju pozitivnu korelaciju između mase tela ribe i dužine crevnih nabora. Oni su u skladu i sa sličnim istraživanjima koja su sprovedena na drugim životinjskim vrstama, mahom na domaćim životinjama. Crevni nabori na početku eksperimenta ne rastu, čak pokazuju trend pada sve do juna meseca i to iako ribe pokazuju konstantan prirast u svim jezerima, što se objašnjava količinom prirodne hrane koja je u to doba najveća u jezerima. Naime, na osnovu analize prirodne hrane tokom ovog perioda možemo videti da postoji velika biomasa zooplanktona u toku aprila, maja i juna dok je zoobentos na niskom nivou u svim jezerima u toku celog eksperimenta i ne prelazi 10 g/m2. Ovo uzrokuje promene u načinu ishrane ribe od juna meseca. Do tada se šaran hranio uglavnom zooplanktonom, koga je bilo u izobilju, a nakon toga, početkom juna, zbog nedostatka prirodne hrane,riba počinje da sve više konzumira dodatu, što uzrokuje i povećanje dužine crevnih nabora, s obzirom da su pelete, kojom se ribe hrane voluminoznije i većih dimenzija od zooplanktona. Hranjenjem, ribe pune creva i samim tim ih i šire, što omogućava povećanje apsorpcione površine povećanjem dužine crevnih nabora. Ovaj fenomen u stvari predstavlja adaptaciju creva na različite tipove hrane kod riba. Naše istraživanje je pokazalo da praćenje histologije šarana može da ukaže kako se odvija proces varenja zavisno od dela sezone/razvoja zajednice zooplanktona, ali i vrste dodate hrane u poluintenzivnom sistemu

STUDY OF THE MORPHOLOGY OF OVARY AND CYTOLOGY OF OOCYTE AS BASIS FOR ESTABLISHING METHODS IVM, IVF AND EMBRYO TRANSFER**

Abstract: In three types of domestic animals: cattle, pigs and sheep, morphology of ovary was studied. Results such as differences in shape, size within and between species, number of follicles in maturation, changes in sex cycle, connection of follicles in maturation are presented in figures. By method of aspiration, oocytes were isolated from ovaries and their cytology analyzed as the first step in methods of in vitro maturation (IVM), followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer. These methods are wide spread in modern livestock production (cattle, horses) since they have many advantages of which the most important is to obtain more offspring from high quality female heads. Method has disadvantage: potential diminishing of biodiversity, therefore special attention is necessary in order not to endanger biodiversity and still get more offspring with high production abilities and traits. IVM, IVF and embryo transfer represent new approach to selection, fast and with similar effect like in conventional artificial insemination, therefore they should be applied in practice also in our country. Key words: ovary, follicle, oocyte, in vitro maturation of oocyte (IVM

Long-Term Effects of Maternal Deprivation on Redox Regulation in Rat Brain: Involvement of NADPH Oxidase

Maternal deprivation (MD) causes perinatal stress, with subsequent behavioral changes which resemble the symptoms of schizophrenia. The NADPH oxidase is one of the major generators of reactive oxygen species, known to play a role in stress response in different tissues. The aim of this study was to elucidate the long-term effects of MD on the expression of NADPH oxidase subunits (gp91phox, p22phox, p67phox, p47phox, and p40phox). Activities of cytochrome C oxidase and respiratory chain Complex I, as well as the oxidative stress parameters using appropriate spectrophotometric techniques were analyzed. Nine-day-old Wistar rats were exposed to a 24 h maternal deprivation and sacrificed at young adult age. The structures affected by perinatal stress, cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and caudate nuclei were investigated. The most prominent findings were increased expressions of gp91phox in the cortex and hippocampus, increased expression of p22phox and p40phox, and decreased expression of gp91phox, p22phox, and p47phox in the caudate nuclei. Complex I activity was increased in all structures except cortex. Content of reduced glutathione was decreased in all sections while region-specific changes of other oxidative stress parameters were found. Our results indicate the presence of long-term redox alterations in MD rats