Liver histopathology of the fish brachydanio rerio hamilton-buchman after acute exposure to sublethal levels of the organophosphate dimethoate 500

Liver histopathology of the fish brachydanio rerio hamilton-buchman after acute exposure to sublethal levels of the organophosphate dimethoate 500

Edson de Lara Rodrigues^I; Edith Fanta¹

^IInstituto Adventista de Ensino, Faculdade Adventista de Ciências. Caixa Postal 12630, 04744-970 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Among the new substances that were synthesised by the chemical industiy during the last decades, with the aim to improve human prosperity, some cause negative effects on non target organisms like fish. Among the pesticides, the organophosphates (OP) are widely used in cattle management, agriculture and aquaculture activities. Brachydanio rerio Hamilton-Buchman, 1822 is used world-wide in fish-tests for the establishment of the lethal levels of pesticides. Nevertheless, these fish show morphological changes in their hepatocytes when exposed experimentally for 24 hours to the sublethal dose of 0.025 µl/l of the OP Dimethoate 500, in acute tests. Right hours after exposure, a high density of cells with cytoplasmic granulation is seen as well as focal necrosis. The main changes that occurred in the first 24 hours of exposure were the loss of the typical polygonal cell shape and of detectable cell limits, lateral migration of nuclei, nuclear size and shape, condensation of chromatin and pycnosis, increased cytoplasmic granulation followed by vacuolisation. After 48 hours in clean water, 72 hours from contamination, besides significant morphological changes and necrosis, focal regeneration of the hepatocytes, canaliculi, ducts and sinusoids were seen. Even having been exposed to the half of the dose considered as safe according to the general pesticide allowance rules, significant changes of the liver tissue were observed.

Key words: Dimethoate, histopathology, fish, liver, organophosphates, sublethal contamination

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The research was conducted with a grant from FUNPAR/UFPR, a CNPq Master Stipend for E.L. Rodrigues, and a CNPq Scientist Stipend for E.Fanta. The authors wish to thank the Biologists A.C.Vianna and S.Romão for the histological photography.

Recebido em 17.IV.1997; aceito em 10.VI.1998.

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1

Correspondence to: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Biologia Celular. Caixa Postal 19031, 81531-970 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  10 July 2009
• Date of issue
  1998

History

• Received
  17 Apr 1997
• Accepted
  10 June 1998