Changes in Glutathione S-Transferase Activity and Parental Care Patterns in a Catfish (Pisces, Ariidae) as a Biomarker of Anthropogenic Impact in a Brazilian Harbor

Abstract

Catfish have been used as a model system for studying biochemical mechanisms of biotransformation. The main goal of this study was to identify alterations in hepatic glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and changes in the parental care pattern of a mouth-brooding catfish, Sciades herzbergii, as a biomarker of anthropogenic impact in a port area on the northeastern coast of Brazil. The fish were sampled from a natural reserve (A1 = reference site) and from an industrialized port area (A2 = impacted site). Two analyses were carried out: hepatic GST activity and mouth-brooding behavior of males. Catfish collected from the A1 site displayed all stages of gonadal maturation, and some of the adult males were mouth brooding 12-30 embryos. Not all gonadal maturation stages of the catfish were represented at the A2 site, and no mouth-brooding males were observed. GST activity in the liver of S. herzbergii was significantly higher in fish from the impacted site compared with fish from the reference site. Values for the enzymatic activity increased progressively in fish sampled from the reserve area as they became more reproductively mature (immature ≤ maturing ≤ mature ≤ spent). However, the greatest values for GST activity (2.84 ± 0.31 μmol min mg protein) among fish sampled from the impacted area were found in (immature) juveniles. These data suggest that changes in hepatic GST activity and mouth-brooding behavior of S. herzbergii can be used as biomarkers of anthropogenic impact.

Dynamic Transcriptomic Profiling During Liver Development in Schizothorax Prenanti

“…The activity of GST is elevated at 24 h under the action of low concentration toxicity (triclosan), significantly inhibited at 72 h, but induced at 168 h in yellow catfish ( Ku et al, 2014 ). In addition, Neta et al have proved that GST activity is changed in different periods in catfish sampled ( Neta et al, 2017 ). Previous study showed that the activities of CBR1 and GST are 2.4 folds and 5.6 folds higher in the 21-month-old rats compared with 6-week-old rats, respectively, but UGT is significantly decreased ( Vyskocilova et al, 2013 ).…”