Ultimobranchial gland of a freshwater teleost, Heteropneustes fossilis, in response to cadmium treatment

• Published in: Environmental toxicology 2009-12, Vol.24 (6), p.589-593
• Main Authors: Rai, Rubi, Mishra, Diwakar, Srivastav, Sunil Kumar, Srivastav, Ajai Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; cadmium; Cadmium Chloride - blood; Cadmium Chloride - toxicity; Calcium - blood; Catfishes - blood; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Heteropneustes fossilis; plasma calcium; Teleostei; Toxicity Tests; Ultimobranchial Body - drug effects; Ultimobranchial Body - pathology; ultimobranchial gland; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Water Pollutants, Chemical - blood; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
• ISSN: 1520-4081; 1522-7278
• DOI: 10.1002/tox.20460

Heteropneustes fossilis were subjected to 288 mg/L (0.8 of 96 h LC₅₀) and 72 mg/L (0.2 of 96 h LC₅₀) of cadmium chloride for short-term and long-term experiments, respectively. After sacrificing the fish, the blood was collected on 24, 48, 72, and 96 h in short-term and after 7, 14, 21, and 28 days in long-term experiment and analyzed for plasma calcium levels. Also, ultimobranchial glands were fixed on these intervals. The plasma calcium levels of short-term cadmium-exposed fish remain unchanged after 24 h. The levels exhibit a progressive decrease from 48 h onwards. The fish exposed to cadmium for 7 days exhibit a decrease in the plasma calcium level. Thereafter, the levels progressively decrease till the end of the experiment (28 days). Up to 72 h exposure of the fish to cadmium, the ultimobranchial gland exhibits no histological change. After 96 h, a decrease in the staining response of the cytoplasm of ultimobranchial cells has been noticed. The nuclear volume of these cells records a slight decrease. Up to 14 days of cadmium exposure, there is no change in the histological structure of ultimobranchial gland. After 21 days following the exposure, the ultimobranchial cells exhibit a slight decrease in the staining response of the cytoplasm and the nuclear volume of these cells records a decrease. Following 28 days cadmium exposure the nuclear volume exhibits a further decrease, and degeneration and vacuolization sets in.