Spatial and seasonal characteristics of phytoplankton in Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong, were studied by microscopic observation of phytoplankton samples and HPLC analysis of chemotaxonomic pigments. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton. Common diatoms included Skeletonema costatum and species of Cerataulina, Leptocylindrus, Pseudo-nitzschia and Thalassiosira. Dinoflagellates occurred sporadically and mainly in the inner part of the harbour. The dinoflagellate Scrippsiella trochoidea was the causative organism for the red tide occurrences in March, April and September 2001. Significant positive correlations between fucoxanthin and diatoms and between peridinin and dinoflagellates suggested that fucoxanthin and peridinin were valuable chemotaxonomic markers for diatoms and dinoflagellates, respectively. Analysis of pigment ratios revealed that red tide events caused by dinoflagellates were marked by increase in the value of PERI:chl a and decrease in the value of FUCO:chl a. Increase in the value of FUCO:chl a also revealed the presence of a dense population of Pseudo-nitzschia that was not indicated by increase in chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin concentrations. Pigment analysis also revealed the presence of cyanobacteria, silicoflagellates, cryptophytes and green algae in the surface waters of Tolo Harbour.
A single oral dose of 1.25 ml kg(-1) of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) was sufficient to induce significantly elevated levels of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) together with signs of acute centrilobular necrosis and fatty accumulation in liver tissue. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in different dosages (2750 mg kg(-1), 5500 mg kg(-1) and 8250 mg kg(-1); dissolved in saline) were screened for their potential activity against CCl(4)-induced liver injury in Sprague-Dawley rats. The results showed that post-administration of high dosages (5500 mg kg(-1) and 8250 mg kg(-1)) of DMSO-saline solution significantly reduced CCl(4)-induced acute elevation in the levels of SGPT and SGOT. The same result was observed in histopathological study of liver tissue. DMSO, in high doses, probably prevented CCl(4)-induced liver injury through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or microsomal enzyme arresting properties.
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