Thermal effects on bioaccumulation and antioxidant enzyme response in the liver and gills of tilapia oreochromis niloticus exposed to arsenic

Abstract

The effects of waterborne arsenic (As) exposure on bioaccumulation and antioxidant defenses were examined in the liver and gills of tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, under thermal stress. Tilapia were exposed to different As concentrations (0, 200, and 400 μg L-1) at three water temperatures (20, 25, and 30°C) for 20 days. After As exposure, higher levels of As accumulation were observed in the gills compared with the liver in elevated water temperatures. In terms of the antioxidant response, glutathione (GSH) levels and the activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) significantly decreased in the liver and gills of tilapia exposed to As for 20 days, regardless of the As concentration (200 and 400 μg L-1) or water temperature. These enzyme activities exhibited greater fluctuations in the liver and gills of tilapia after As exposure in water warmer than 20°C. The present findings suggest that the simultaneous stress of temperature change and As exposure can accelerate As accumulation and alter the antioxidant enzymes activities of tilapia.