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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Eel ATPase activity as biomarker of thiobencarb exposure

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Abstract European eels ( Anguilla anguilla ) were exposed to a sublethal thiobencarb concentration of 0.22 mg/L in a flow-through system for 96 h. Mg 2+ and Na + –K + adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activities were evaluated in gill and muscle tissues at 2, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of thiobencarb exposure. Gill ATPase activities were rapidly inhibited from 2 h of contact onward. Highest inhibition was registered for Na + , K + -ATPase (85%) from 2 to 12 h. Both Mg 2+ and total ATPase were inhibited (>73%) during the first hours of toxicant exposure. At the end of the exposure period (96 h) ATPase activities were still different from those of the controls (>50%). Significant inhibition was detected in Na + , K + -ATPase activity (80%) in muscle tissue after 2 h and it was maintained over the entire exposure time. However, Mg 2+ -ATPase and total ATPase showed only perturbations after 2 h of exposure. Eels were exposed to 0.22 mg/L of thiobencarb for 96 h and then a recovery period in herbicide-free water was allowed for 192 h. Gill and muscle samples were removed at 8, 24, 72, 96, 144, and 192 h and ATPase activity was evaluated. Following 144 h of recovery, Mg 2+ - and Na + , K + -ATPase activities, as well as total ATPase activity, in gills of those animals previously exposed to 0.22 mg/L of thiobencarb were still significantly different compared to controls. Thiobencarb seems to act to alter the ionic profiles. Since ion-dependent ATPases are known to regulate the influx and efflux of ions across the membrane to maintain the physiological requirements of the cells, the inhibition of Na + , K + -ATPase probably induced osmoregulatory perturbations. On the other hand, thiobencarb exposure causes increases in the muscle water content of A. anguilla . The results indicated that water content increased significantly (>100% higher than the controls) during the first 24 h of exposure.