Pesticide-induced alterations of hemopoietic functions in Anabas testudineus inhabiting wetlands in agricultural landscape

The unrestricted use of agrochemicals in crop fields lowers the overall prospects of survival and yield of wetland fish species like Anabas testudineus. In the present study, the impact of different doses of SUMIDON-40, an organophosphate (OP) pesticide on the hematopoiesis of Anabas testudineus has been examined. The small lymphoid hemoblast and consequently the polychromatophilic erythroblasts decreased significantly at both sublethal and LC₅₀ dose-treated fish. The percentage of mature erythrocyte also fell significantly in the pesticide-treated groups. The erythropoietic efficiency was increased in fish exposed to sublethal dose but fell in fish exposed to LC50 dose. Among leucocytes, the percentage of neutrophils rose in Anabas testudineus in both treatment groups and percentage of macrophage decreased significantly only in LC₅₀ dose-treated group. The percentage of lymphocyte increased significantly in sublethal dose-treated groups. The overall leukopoietic efficiency, however, was elevated significantly in both treatment groups. These facts clearly indicated that pesticides affected the overall process of hematopoiesis in this fish species. Flow cytometric analysis of cell cycle in pronephric kidney cells confirmed changes in percentage of cell death and DNA synthesis following pesticide exposure. Data indicate that habitat deterioration from agrochemicals impedes the hematopoiesis in this species resulting in reduced tolerance in their usually hypoxic habitat environment.     

Scanning electron microscopy study of the gills,scales and erythrocytes of Anabas testudineus upon exposure to chlorpyrifos

The present study was undertaken to assess the toxicity of sublethal concentrations (125, 250, and 375 µg L^?1) of chlorpyrifos on Anabas testudineus for 21 days. The morphological changes on the gills, scales, and erythrocytes of A. testudineus were observed using scanning electron microscopy. Gill alterations included highly active mucous cells, epithelial hyperplasia, and fusion of secondary lamellae. The scales showed damaged lepidonts. Oozed out cytoplasmic content and lobopodial projections were observed in the erythrocytes after exposure to chlorpyrifos.     

Alteration of photosystem II activity by atrazine on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii synchronized and asynchronized cell cycle cultures

Inhibition of photosystem II (PSII) activity by atrazine was investigated in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during different states of the cell cycle. The algal cultures were maintained under continuous light or under light/dark cycle (16/8?h) to obtain homogenized cell cycle distribution. The cycle state of algal population was determined by the DNA content using flow cytometry and defined as newly divided cells before the initiation of DNA replication (G₀/G₁) and cells at the end of the replication cycle with fully duplicated DNA content (G₂/M). Under different synchronized states of the cell population, the photosynthetic activity was investigated after treatment at 10, 100, and 1000?µmol?L^?1 atrazine exposed for 24?h by using fluorescence parameters related to PSII activity measured with a plant efficiency analyzer and pulse-amplitude modulated methods. In this study, we found that the atrazine effect was different depending on cell cycle phases and the period of illumination. Algal cells under light–dark cycle showed inhibition of the PSII electron transport leading to an increase of heat energy dissipation by the PSII reaction center. Algal cells grown under continuous light was shown to be more resistant to atrazine than the cells grown under light–dark cycle.