Contaminants-Induced Oxidative Damage on the Carp Cyprinus carpio Collected from the Upper Yellow River, China

Abstract

The Yellow River, the second largest river in China, is the most important resource of water supply in North China. In the last 40 years, even in the upper Yellow River, with the development of industry and agriculture, more and more contaminants have been discharged into this river and greatly polluted the water. Although a routine chemical component analysis has been performed, little is known about the real toxic effects of the polluted water on organisms at environmental level. To explore whether the pollutants induced oxidative stress and damage to aquatic organisms, malondialdehyde (MDA) level and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in hepatopancreas, kidney and intestine of the field-collected carp Cyprinus carpio from a mixed polluted (Lanzhou Region, LZR) and a relatively unpolluted (Liujiaxia Region, LJXR) sites of the upper Yellow River were measured. The results showed that when the values of LZR compared with those of LJXR, SOD and GST activities increased and GPx activity decreased significantly in all the three organs (P < 0.05-0.01); CAT activity decreased but MDA level increased significantly (P < 0.05-0.01) only in kidney and intestine. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the pollutants can induce obvious oxidative damage in the carp, and the SOD, GST and GPx might be better indicators for the oxidative damage in aquatic organisms.

Binary mixtures of diclofenac with paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetylsalicylic acid and these pharmaceuticals in isolated form induce oxidative stress on Hyalella azteca

“…This may be due to an increase in hydrogen peroxide production acting as signal to activate CAT in order to transform this highly toxic radical to less toxic compounds. A similar response has been obtained in other aquatic organisms exposed to other contaminants such as metals and pesticides (Huang et al 2007). However, it is worth noting that excess production of peroxide not only activates CAT, but also favors NSAID oxidation and production of reactive metabolites, potentially affecting other biomolecules (Galati et al 2002;Huq 2006).…”

Environmental Pollution and Oxidative Stress in Fish

“…But LPO intensity assessed as TBARS level did not differ between two sites. Similar results were obtained by Huang et al (2007) in the hepatopancreas of carp from polluted site, unlike the responses of other studied tissues, kidney and intestine. Despite differences in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), the level of LPO was the same in the fish from two sites, indicating a stronger antioxidant capacity of this organ.…”

“…The depletion of catalase activity or its stability along with increment of SOD activity were reported (Pandey et al, 2003;Stanic et al, 2006;Huang et al, 2007), and even although catalase mRNA levels were higher in the exposed fish (Hansen et al, 2006a). Dorval and colleagues (2005) in hepatic and adrenal tissues of white sucker (C. commersoni) from a river Yamaska that drains an agricultural region in Québec (Canada) found that in fish from the contaminated sites catalase and GPx activities were lower than those in the fish from reference site.…”

“…For example, in the field study C. carpio were collected in two sites of the upper Yellow River, and the results showed that in polluted site, SOD and GST activities were higher and catalase and also GPx activities were lower in almost each case of comparison (activities were determined in hepatopancreas, kidney and intestine) (Huang et al, 2007). The concerted elevation of SOD and GPx activities was indicated in liver of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus L.) collected from the Danube-oil refinery site compared to that from the reference site, while no differences were found in other studied enzymes (catalase, GST, the same as the enzymes of biotransformation in liver, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase in serum) (Stanic et al, 2006).…”

The toxicity of a new disinfection by-product, 2,2-dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm), on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) and its occurrence in the chlorinated drinking water

“…The significant increase in the SOD activity may indicate an increased production of superoxide anions and H 2 O 2 in zebrafish. In general, these powerful and potentially harmful oxidizing agents could be metabolized by CAT and GPx into harmless agents, including H 2 O and O 2 (Huang et al, 2007). However, the GPx and CAT activities were significantly inhibited in this study, which may reflect a damaged defense chain caused by the DCAcAm.…”