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Mercury distribution in target organs and biochemical responses after subchronic and trophic exposure to Neotropical fish Hoplias malabaricus

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Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the mercury distribution, mercury bioaccumulation, and oxidative parameters in the Neotropical fish Hoplias malabaricus after trophic exposure. Forty-three individuals were distributed into three groups (two exposed and one control) and trophically exposed to fourteen doses of methylmercury each 5 days, totalizing the doses of 1.05 μg g−1 (M1.05) and 10.5 μg g−1 (M10.5 group). Autometallography technique revealed the presence of mercury in the intestinal epithelia, hepatocytes, and renal tubule cells. Mercury distribution was dose-dependent in the three organs: intestine, liver, and kidney. Reduced glutathione concentration, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase significantly decreased in the liver of M1.05, but glutathione reductase increased and lipid peroxidation levels were not altered. In the M10.5, most biomarkers were not altered; only catalase activity decreased. Hepatic and muscle mercury bioaccumulation was dose-dependent, but was not influenced by fish sex. The mercury localization and bioaccumulation corroborates some histopathological findings in this fish species (previously verified by Mela et al. in Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 68:426–435, 2007). However, the results of redox biomarkers did not explain histopathological findings previously reported in M10.5. Thus, fish accommodation to the stressor may reestablish antioxidant status at the highest dose, but not avoid cell injury.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), a Brazilian Agency for Scientific and Technology Development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Maritana Mela & Dora Fix Ventura

  2. Núcleo de Apoio à Pesquisa em Neurociência e Comportamento, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Maritana Mela & Dora Fix Ventura

  3. Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Francisco Filipak Neto, Flávia Yoshie Yamamoto, Sonia Regina Grötzner & Ciro Alberto de Oliveira Ribeiro

  4. Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil

    Ronaldo Almeida

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  1. Maritana Mela
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  2. Francisco Filipak Neto
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  3. Flávia Yoshie Yamamoto
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  4. Ronaldo Almeida
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Correspondence to Maritana Mela.

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Mela, M., Neto, F.F., Yamamoto, F.Y. et al. Mercury distribution in target organs and biochemical responses after subchronic and trophic exposure to Neotropical fish Hoplias malabaricus . Fish Physiol Biochem 40, 245–256 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-013-9840-4

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