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Growth, fecundity and glycogen utilization in Lymnaea palustris exposed to atrazine and hexachlorobenzene in freshwater mesocosms
Author(s) -
Baturo Wojciech,
Lagadic Laurent,
Caquet Thierry
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620140320
Subject(s) - freshwater snail , glycogen , atrazine , hexachlorobenzene , biology , fecundity , polysaccharide , pesticide , lymnaea stagnalis , gastropoda , snail , ecology , biochemistry , population , demography , sociology
Freshwater mesocosms were used to study the long‐term sublethal effects of atrazine and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) on a basommatophoran gastropod, Lymnaea palustris (Müller). Growth, fecundity, and biochemical parameters related to polysaccharide metabolism (glycogen content and polysaccharide‐hydrolyzing enzyme activity) of pesticide‐exposed snails were compared with those of control animals maintained in untreated mesocosms. HCB inhibited body growth and stimulated egg production, whereas atrazine had no relevant effect on these physiological parameters. Also, HCB stimulated the activity of polysaccharide‐hydrolyzing enzymes, suggesting that changes in the metabolism of reserve polysaccharides (glycogen) may be involved in the inhibition of growth and increase of fecundity. In contrast, atrazine had no effect on the metabolism of polysaccharides. It is concluded that the effects of HCB are related to its neurotoxicity that would have affected the neurohormonal control of growth and reproduction of exposed snails. It is suggested that polysaccharide‐hydrolyzing enzymes may be used as biomarkers to predict the effects of neurotoxic pesticides on freshwater snail populations.