TITLE:
Effects of Biodegradable Detergents in Morphological Parameters of Liver in Two Neotropical Fish Species (Prochilodus lineatus and Astyanax altiparanae)
AUTHORS:
Bruno Fiorelini Pereira, Rebeca Mamede da Silva Alves, Anderson Luis Alves, José Augusto Senhorini, Rita de Cássia Gimenes de Alcântara Rocha, Priscilla Hakime Scalize, Dimítrius Leonardo Pitol, Flávio Henrique Caetano
KEYWORDS:
Liver, Fish, Detergent, Urban Lake, Pollution
JOURNAL NAME:
Microscopy Research,
Vol.2 No.2,
April
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: Indiscriminate disposal of residues of domestic and/or industrial origin in aquatic ecosystems resulting from urban activities causes concern about their effects on the fauna. Substances absorbed by animals, such as those cited above, are metabolized by the liver, as it is the main target organ of several pollutants and also exercises basic vital functions in the organism. For this reason the liver is used as the main and most reliable biomarker in environmental studies. Thus the objective of the present study was to identify hepatic alterations resulting from exposure to water contaminated by a few commercial brands of biodegradable detergents and their effects when present together with several other contaminants found in nature. For such, a solution of 1 ppm of biodegradable detergents and water from an urban lake were tested on two widely distributed native Brazilian fish (Astyanax altiparanae and Prochilodus lineatus). Several alterations were found on the liver, including cytoplasm vacuolization, nuclear displacement, macrophage recruitment and reduced liver glycogen, showing a degenerative process in the liver of the fish, due to the action of contaminants.