Skip to main content
Log in

Potential mechanisms of Na+/K+-ATPase attenuation by heat and pesticides co-exposure in goldfish: role of cellular apoptosis, oxidative/nitrative stress, and antioxidants in gills

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, we examined the dose-dependent effects of an environmentally relevant pesticide cocktail (metalachlor, linuron, isoproturon, tebucanazole, aclonifen, atrazine, pendimethalin, and azinphos-methyl) and temperature change (22 vs. 32 °C for 4-week exposure) on Na+/K+-ATPase, 3-nitrotyrosine protein (NTP), dinitrophenyl protein (DNP), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) expressions in gills of goldfish (Carassius auratus). Histopathological analysis showed widespread damage to gill in elevated temperature (32 °C) and pesticide co-exposure groups, including fusion of secondary lamellae, club-shaped primary lamellae, rupture of epithelial layer, loss of normal architecture, and hemorrhaging. Immunohistochemical and qRT-PCR analyses showed significant decreases in Na+/K+-ATPase protein and mRNA expressions in gills exposed to higher temperature and pesticides; however, combined exposure to heat and pesticides significantly increases NTP, DNP, CAT, and SOD expressions. In situ TUNEL assay revealed elevated levels of apoptotic cells in response to combined exposure. Collectively, our results suggest the combined effects of heat and pesticide stress cause cellular damage, upregulate oxidative/nitrative stress biomarkers, and increase apoptotic cells, downregulate Na+/K+-ATPase expression in gills. This provides new evidence for oxidant/antioxidant-dependent mechanisms for downregulation of Na+/K+-ATPase expression in gills during combined exposure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All the data generated and analyzed during this study are included in this manuscript and available from the corresponding author upon request.

Abbreviations

Na+/K+-ATPase:

Sodium-potassium ATPase

NTP:

3-Nitrotyrosine protein

DNP:

Dinitrophenyl protein

CAT:

Catalase

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

GPx:

Glutathione peroxidase

GST:

Glutathione S-transferase

GR:

Glutathione reductase

2,4-D:

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

p,p’-DDE:

Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene

DDT:

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

qRT-PCR:

Quantitative real-time PCR

TUNEL:

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick labeling

rTdT:

Recombinant terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Leinady Estrada, Michelle Rivera, Brandon Escareno, and Esmirna Cantu for their valuable input on the revision of the manuscript. We would also like to thank Dr. Aubrey Converse, University of Texas Marine Science Institute and Andrew Lawler, Division of Research, Graduate Studies and New Program Development, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) for critically reviewing and editing the manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded in part by the start-up fund and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) College of Science SEED grant (grant no. 210000371) to Md Saydur Rahman, and the UTRGV Presidential Graduate Research Assistant (PGRA) to Brittney Lacy.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Md Saydur Rahman gave the research idea and supervised research. Brittney Lacy conducted laboratory studies and collected data. Brittney Lacy and Md Saydur Rahman analyzed data. Md Sadequr Rahman helped laboratory sampling and histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Md Saydur Rahman and Brittney Lacy designed the figures. Brittney Lacy drafted manuscript. Brittney Lacy, Md Sadequr Rahman, and Md Saydur Rahman editing and reviewing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Md Saydur Rahman.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

All animal husbandry practices and the following laboratory experimental procedures were approved by the UTRGV Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC, protocol# 19–04) and by UTRGV’s consulting veterinarian.

Consent for publication

All the authors have approved to submit the final version of manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Bruno Nunes

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lacy, B., Rahman, M.S. & Rahman, M.S. Potential mechanisms of Na+/K+-ATPase attenuation by heat and pesticides co-exposure in goldfish: role of cellular apoptosis, oxidative/nitrative stress, and antioxidants in gills. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 57376–57394 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19779-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19779-7

Keywords

Navigation