Digital light microscopy as a tool in toxicological evaluation of fish erythrocyte morphological abnormalities

Abstract

Fish erythrocytes are very sensitive to environmental pollution because they exhibit pathological alterations before appearance of other external symptoms, may be used as reliable toxicity bioindicators. Microscopic analysis can be a useful tool in early detection of alterations in erythrocyte morphology due to different environmental stressors, and in predicting organism's possible response ways. This study aims to evaluate the toxicity of a polluted freshwater lake on the erythrocytes of crucian carp fish, Carassius carassius, using digital light microscopy (DLM). Scanning DLM micrographs revealed the presence of nuclear and cytoplasmic abnormalities like micronucleus, nuclear buds, lobed nucleus, deformed nucleus, vacuolated cytoplasm, and echinocyte in the erythrocytes of crucian carp fish from a polluted lake. The obtained results substantiate that computation of erythrocyte morphological damages as biomarkers of exposure, through digital light microscopy software, can be effectively used as a toxicological tool.

Dietary Dracocephalum kotschyi essential oil improved growth, haematology, immunity and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss )

“…In general, haematology is an important tool to evaluate the fish health in relation to diseases, stress, nutrition and changes in environmental conditions (Burgos‐Aceves et al, 2019; Enayat Gholampour et al, 2020; Fazio, 2019; Ghafarifarsani, Hoseinifar, Aftabgard, et al, 2022; Rashidian, Kajbaf, et al, 2020; Sula et al, 2020). In this study, dietary DKE caused significant increases in the values of Hct, RBCs, MCV, Hb content and MCHC.…”

Chronic Effects of Diazinon® Exposures Using Integrated Biomarker Responses in Freshwater Walking Catfish, Clarias batrachus

“…In addition, exposure concentration showed a strong positive correlation with HSI and TSG, indicating that the values of these parameters increased from control to the highest exposure concentration. While toxicology studies have demonstrated the disruptive effects of pesticides on erythropoietic tissues [89][90][91][92][93], the relatively higher sensitivity of MCH compared to other hematological parameters in fish at elevated toxicant exposure concentrations have been reported [94]. The significant reduction in MCH across exposure groups (p < 0.05) when compared with the control could be attributed to lowered levels of cellular blood iron or heme-synthesis dysfunction, which stresses the fish by reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of its blood [89,95].…”

Microplastics-Induced Eryptosis and Poikilocytosis in Early-Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

“…Accordingly, the erythrocytes in target organs offer a unique tool for assessing the cytotoxicity in fish (Fazio, 2019 ; Soliman and Sayed, 2020 ). Eryptosis and erythron profiles (poikilocytosis and nuclear abnormalities) of fish erythrocytes are valuable biomarkers of the toxicity of different chemicals, pharmaceutical residues, and ultraviolet radiation (Mekkawy et al, 2011 ; Morina et al, 2012 ; Sayed et al, 2013 , 2015 , 2016 , 2017 ; Sayed, 2016 ; Sula et al, 2020 ). The internal health conditions of the fish can be classified according to the indices iterating serum biochemical, hematological, and immunological aspects (Edsall, 1999 ; Luskova et al, 2002 ).…”