Molecular cell pathology of pollutant-induced liver injury in flatfish: use of fluorescent probes

Abstract

This study was conducted to test whether live cells from the liver of fish could be used to detect early changes that are indicative of pollutant-induced liver damage. During the Bremerhaven Workshop, low molecular weight fluorescent probes were inserted into isolated hepatocytes from dab Limanda limanda caught at each of 5 sites along a transect in the North Sea, ranging from the Elbe plume to the edge of the Dogger Bank. These included bioprobes for endoplasmic reticulum (ER), cytochrome P-450 associated 7-ethoxyresorufin-0-deethylase (EROD), oxyradicals, reduced glutathi-one (GSH) and microtubules (MT). Endocytosis of Texas Red-albumin was used as an integrated indicator of hepatocyte performance. Findings showed increases in ER associated fluorescence, EROD and oxyradical generation, with a marked decrease in endocytosis in hepatocytes from fish caught at the more contaminated lnshore sites. These results indicate that fish from the contaminated sites were im-pacted by organic xenobiotics as indicated by increased activity of the biotransformation system, increased radical production and cell injury.