A study of genotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by mercuric chloride in the marine polychaete Perinereis aibuhitensis

Publication date: Available online 28 October 2017 Source:Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology Author(s): Lai Jun Zhang, Yao Li, Pan Chen, Xiao Mei Li, Yong Gan Chen, Yu Yu Hang, Wei Jie Gong The marine polychaete worm Perinereis aibuhitensis was used to study the genotoxic effects of mercuric chloride by means of the comet assay and micronucleus (MN) test. P. aibuhitensis was subjected in vivo to two different concentrations of mercuric chloride (0.05mgL−1 and 0.5mgL−1) for 96h. The comet assay of coelomocytes demonstrated that TailDNA% values increased with extended exposure to or increased concentrations of HgCl2 (p< 0.01). The frequency of MNs was the highest in the treatment with 96h of exposure at all concentrations (p < 0.01). The genotoxic effect of HgCl2 was both dose- and time-dependent in exposed P. aibuhitensis. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidases (GPx) were also estimated. Significant variations in antioxidant enzyme activities depended on the sampling time and the concentrations of mercuric chloride. Compared with the control, the activities of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GPx) were elevated at the lower concentration of mercuric chloride (0.05mg L−1) (p <0.05) for shorter exposure periods (24h and 72h). At the higher concentration of mercury (0.5mgL−1), the activities of GPx and SOD were inhibited; no variation was observed. These results proved that the...
Source: Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research