European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

METALLOTHIONEIN SYNTHESIS, MICRO-ARCHITECTURAL ALTERATIONS AND APOPTOSIS IN CADMIUM EXPOSED LIVER TISSUE OF MARINE CATFISH, ARIUS ARIUS

Ramalingam Mani, Boominathan Meena*, Sumit Rose and Ayothi Suresh

ABSTRACT

Cadmium is one of the toxic heavy metal in the aquatic environment that affects aquatic organisms. They are also known to affect humans as they are carried through the food chain. In the present study, the effects of Cd were analyzed in the liver tissue of marine Catfish, Arius arius, when exposed to 20 ppm CdCl2 for 24, 48 and 72 h. Cd accumulation and MT synthesis significantly increased in time dependent. A positive correlation was observed between Cd accumulation and MT synthesis. Typical morphological characteristic and physiological changes of apoptosis were observed following various methods such as; Histological alterations, Histomorphometric and Stereological analysis, DAPI nuclear staining and DNA fragmentation analysis. The activities of caspase-3 increased in time dependent after Cd exposure. The results showed significant alterations in the hepatocytes, hepatocytes nuclei and sinusoids in histology and histomorphometry with concomitant increase in apoptotic cell death in Cd exposed fish compared to control. From the results it can be concluded that Cd induced oxidative damage as well as apoptosis in the liver of marine catfish, A. arius. The induction of MT on Cd exposure shows its adaptive significance.

Keywords: Cadmium toxicity; Histomorphometric and Stereological Analysis; Apoptosis; Caspase-3 activity; Arius arius; Metallothionein.