doiSerbia

Biochemical and ultrastructural changes in the liver of European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) in response to cyanobacterial bloom in the Gruža reservoir

Perendija Branka R. (Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, Belgrade)
Despotović Svetlana G. (Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, Belgrade)
Radovanović Tijana B. (Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, Belgrade)
Gavrić Jelena P. (Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, Belgrade)
Mitić Borković Slavica S. (Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, Belgrade)
Pavlović S.Z. (Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research Siniša Stanković, Belgrade)
Ognjanović Branka I. (Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Kragujevac)
Simić Snežana B. (Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Kragujevac)
Pajović Snežana B. (Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, Institute of Nuclear Sciences “Vinča”, Belgrade)
Saičić Zorica S. (Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, Belgrade)

We investigated the biochemical and ultrastructural changes in the liver of the freshwater fish, European perch (Perca fluviatilis), in response to Aphanizomenon flos-aquae bloom in the Gruža Reservoir, Serbia. The activities of total manganese- and copper zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Tot SOD, Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR) and biotransformation phase II enzyme glutathione-S-transferase (GST), as well as concentrations of total glutathione (GSH) and sulfhydryl (-SH) groups were examined before and during the bloom period. Mn-SOD activity was significantly higher, while the activities of Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT and GSH-Px and the concentration of the -SH groups were significantly lower during the bloom. The ultrastructure of the liver revealed necrotic and apoptotic damage to the hepatocytes during the bloom period. Our work represents the first study to report the influences of an Aphanizomenon flos-aquae bloom in the Gruža Reservoir on antioxidant biomarkers and on histopathological alterations in the liver of the freshwater fish European perch (Perca fluviatilis).

Keywords: Perca fluviatilis, liver, oxidative stress, antioxidant biomarkers, ultrastructural changes, cyanobacterial bloom