Comparison of cellular and molecular cytotoxic mechanisms of Cochlodinium polykrikoides in isolated trout and rat hepatocytes

Harmful algal blooms produced by the marine ichthyotoxic dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides are responsible for mass mortalities of wild and farmed fish globally. This study compared the cytotoxic mechanisms of C. polykrikoides total extract on both trout and rat liver hepatocytes. Trout hepatocytes were more sensitive than rat hepatocytes against C. polykrikoides extract. The effective concentration 50 after 3 hour incubation (EC50_3hr) concentrations found for C. polykrikoides extract in trout and rat hepatocytes (i.e., 50% membrane lysis in 3 hr) were Eq. 1 cell/ml and Eq. 240 cell/ml, respectively. C. polykrikoides extract exposure in both isolated trout and rat hepatocytes resulted in membrane lysis, reactive oxygen species formation, glutathione depletion, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP depletion, increase in adenosine diphosphate (ADP)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio, cytochrome c release into the hepatocyte cytosol, and activation of caspases cascade. Trout hepatocyte toxicity was also associated with lysosomal membrane injury. Mitochondrial permeability transition in both trout and rat hepatocytes produced cytochrome c release from the mitochondrial intramembrane space into the cytosol. Thus, the cytochrome c release triggered activation of caspase-3 and apoptosis. Finally, data demonstrated that C. polykrikoides extract may induce more apoptotic phenotype in rat than trout hepatocytes, which in the latter favored predominantly necrotic mode of cell death.     

2009年秋季旋沟藻赤潮爆发期间珠江口表层水体的环境特征

2009年秋季在珠江口海域爆发了一次大规模的双胞旋沟藻赤潮,影响面积高达300 km2。赤潮爆发期间,我们对珠江口水域的环境因子特征进行了调查。结果表明,调查期间珠江口西侧受径流的影响程度远高于东部,营养盐一般呈西高东低的水平分布格局,其中以NO3-N、DIN和SiO3-Si的差异最为明显。表层水体的DIN、PO4-P和SiO3-Si的平均浓度分别为31.64μmol/L、0.71μmol/L和46.3μmol/L。SiO3-Si和PO4-P的高值区主要位于洪奇门及以下的珠海沿岸,PO4-P的高值区主要位于洪奇门以上的水域,虎门附近S1站位的PO4-P浓度高达6.23μmol/L。高的营养盐输入、低的降雨量和严重的咸潮入侵应该是导致这次双胞旋沟藻赤潮爆发的重要诱因。