ABSTRACT
The use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as dipyrone is so widespread that this drug and its metabolites have been detected in effluents and surface water. This study aimed to evaluate the potential toxic effects of dipyrone on the aquatic environment, using a native fish species, Rhamdia quelen. Fish were exposed to three concentrations of dipyrone, 0.5, 5 and 50 µg/L, in the water for 15 days, and hematological, biochemical, genetic and morphological biomarkers were evaluated. The glutathione S-transferase activity decreased in the highest concentration in relation to the control group. In addition, hematocrit, red blood cells and thrombocyte counts were decreased in all three exposed groups in relation to the control group. The comet assay showed DNA damage at the lowest concentration of dipyrone and significant kidney damage. Those results suggest that a constant exposure of aquatic organisms to dipyrone presents potential toxic effects.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/toxicity , Catfishes/physiology , Dipyrone/toxicity , Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity , Animals , Biomarkers/blood , Biomarkers/metabolism , Catalase/metabolism , Catfishes/metabolism , DNA Damage , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Erythrocyte Count , Glutathione Transferase/metabolism , Hematocrit , Kidney/drug effects , Kidney/metabolism , Kidney/pathology , Lipid Peroxidation/drug effectsABSTRACT
Adult specimens of traira (Hoplias malabaricus Bloch) were subjected to long-term starvation (30 to 240 days) and re-fed for 30 days after 90 and 240 days of food deprivation. Counting of immature erythrocytes in peripheral blood showed that erythropoiesis decreased significantly during the first 30 days of food deprivation. The results suggest that a process of senescence takes place in the pre-existent red blood cells and that the cells are not replaced during starvation. After 240 days of starvation, H. malabaricus had a significantly reduced number of red blood cells, causing changes in hematocrit and blood indices (mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration). Furthermore, during this period, the fish presented leukopenia (lymphocytopenia) and thrombocytopenia. After re-feeding, the number of leukocytes and thrombocytes recovered, but the red blood cell number remained reduced and there was a significant increase in abnormal red cell nuclei.
