Toxicological Evaluation of Acetylsalicylic Acid in Non-Target Organisms: Chronic Exposure on Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819)

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals are now considered to be established contaminants, and their presence in water poses a real risk not only to the marine ecosystem, as they may adversely affect non-target organisms that are exposed to them, but also indirectly to humans. This is particularly true for the model organism considered in this work, Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819), a suspensivore and bioaccumulating organism that enters the human food chain. Among the most commonly used over-the-counter medicines, anti-inflammatory drugs certainly feature prominently, with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) at the top. In this work, M. galloprovincialis specimens were exposed to two concentrations of ASA (10 and 100 μg/L) for 10 and 20 days to evaluate possible alterations in the decrease in regulatory volume (RVD) in digestive gland cells and cell viability of both these cells and hemocytes. In addition, the histopathological condition index of the gills and digestive gland was evaluated. The data obtained showed that chronic exposure to ASA did not alter the cell viability of hemocytes and digestive gland cells but alters the physiological mechanisms of volume regulation in the digestive gland and, in addition, a time-dose reaction to ASA in the gills and digestive gland showing numerous alterations such as lipofuscin deposits and hemocyte infiltration was found. These results confirm the potential toxicity to the marine biota, highlighting the necessity to deepen the knowledge regarding the link between over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and non-target organisms.

The odd couple: Caffeine and microplastics. Morphological and physiological changes in Mytilus galloprovincialis

“…While digestive cells in this group exhibited swelling in a hypotonic environment, they were unable to return to their initial volume, remaining swollen throughout the analysis. This trend corresponds with previous research findings regarding the impact of xenobiotics on M. galloprovincialis and may potentially disrupt the activity of enzymes involved in nutrient metabolism and digestion, ultimately leading to organ dysfunction (Impellitteri, Multisanti, Rusanova, Piccione, et al, 2023;Impellitteri, Yunko, Martyniuk, Khoma, et al, 2023;Impellitteri, Yunko, Martyniuk, Matskiv, et al, 2023;Pagano et al, 2022;.…”

“…To assess the potential impacts of caffeine and MPs, we chose to concentrate on the viability of digestive gland cells. The digestive gland is a pivotal organ for M. galloprovincialis as it plays a crucial role in digestion and metabolism, facilitating the absorption of environmental compounds, including xenobiotics (Pagano et al, 2022; Tresnakova, Famulari, et al, 2023; Tresnakova, Impellitteri, et al, 2023). Any decline in the health of these cells can have significant implications for the overall well‐being of the organism (Curpan et al, 2022; Impellitteri, Multisanti, Rusanova, Piccione, et al, 2023; Impellitteri, Yunko, Martyniuk, Khoma, et al, 2023).…”

Cellular and oxidative stress responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis to chlorpromazine: implications of an antipsychotic drug exposure study

“…To perform cell viability tests on hemolymph, approximately 1 mL of hemolymph was extracted from the anterior adductor muscle of each mussel using a 1 mL plastic syringe equipped with a 23-gauge needle, following the established protocol described in the literature ( Impellitteri et al, 2022 ; Pagano et al, 2022 ; Tresnakova et al, 2023b ).…”

Ependymal and Neural Stem Cells of Adult Molly Fish (Poecilia sphenops, Valenciennes, 1846) Brain: Histomorphometry, Immunohistochemical, and Ultrastructural Studies

“…The tissues were washed with a wash buffer and were incubated for 5–15 min with a 1× metal-enhanced DAB substrate working solution. After obtaining the desired staining, the sections were finally washed with the wash buffer, counterstained with Harris modified hematoxylin stain, and mounted with mounting media provided in the detection kit [ 29 , 30 ].…”