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Morphological and metabolic changes in common carp, Cyprinus carpio , during short‐term copper exposure: Interactions between Cu 2+ and plasma cortisol elevation
Author(s) -
De Boeck Gudrun,
Vlaeminck Andrea,
Balm Paul H. M.,
Lock Robert A. C.,
De Wachter Bart,
Blust Ronny
Publication year - 2001
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.5620200219
Subject(s) - cyprinus , common carp , endocrinology , medicine , copper , atpase , carp , anaerobic exercise , chemistry , endogeny , metabolism , hydrocortisone , zoology , biology , fish <actinopterygii> , biochemistry , enzyme , fishery , physiology , organic chemistry
The effects of increased endogenous cortisol levels were compared with those of sublethal copper exposurein the freshwater common carp, Cyprinus carpio. Fish were exposed to either increased levels of endogenous cortisol (200 ng/ml) or sublethal copper (1.9 μM) alone or were pretreated by elevating plasma cortisol levels prior to copper exposure to assess whether interactions between both treatments occurred. Effects induced by increased cortisol levels included increased Na + /K + ‐adenosine triphosphate (ATPase) activity and increased plasma Na + and plasma osmolarity, while copper exposure induced anaerobic metabolism, gill damage, decreasing Na + /K + ‐ATPase activity, decreasing plasma ion levels, and blood thickening. Pretreatment of copperexposed fish with cortisol partially protected these fish by reducing the copper‐induced decrease in Na + /K + ‐ATPase activity. Overall, the results obtained in this study argue against a major role for cortisol as an intermediate for the toxic effects of copper.