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Responses of biomarkers in wild freshwater mussels chronically exposed to complex contaminant mixtures

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Abstract

Subcellular biochemical biomarkers are valuable early warning indicators of environmental contaminant effects. Thus, the present study evaluated several biomarkers and the relationships among them in wild freshwater mussels (Lasmigona costata) from a gradient of metal exposure and differential levels of other urban-related influences in the Grand River (ON, Canada). The biomarkers examined are related to metal exposure [gill ion and metal concentrations (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn)], oxidative status [reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), antioxidant capacity (ACAP)], sulfhydryl (SH) metabolism [glutathione (GSH), protein sulfhydryl groups (SH protein), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR)], and lipid peroxidation. Gill metal concentration increased proportionally to waterborne metal concentration and disturbances in osmotic and divalent cations (Ca and Mg) concentrations were observed. This suggests that the observed effects are associated with metal exposure, although simultaneous relationships with other contaminants are also possible. Oxidative status biomarkers (ROS, SOD, CAT and ACAP) were more sensitive to urban-influences than gill metal concentration. In contrast, biomarkers involving SH metabolism (GSH, SH protein, total SH, GR and GST) were more correlated with gill metal concentration. Oxidative damage occurred when both metal and urban-related influences were high. Mechanistically, the way of dealing with oxidative stress changed when mussels were exposed to high levels of contaminants. The reduction in ROS content, SOD and CAT activity, and ACAP accompanying the stimulation of detoxification metabolism via SH (GSH and SH protein contents, GST and GR activities) and their association with gill metal concentration are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Sarah Higgins, Rodney McInnis and Tina Hooey (Environment Canada) for field and laboratory assistance. Financial support was provided by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Ottawa, Canada), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES—Programa Ciências do Mar, Brasília, DF, Brazil) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq—Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Toxicologia Aquática, Brasília, DF, Brazil). A. Bianchini is a Research Fellow from the Brazilian CNPq (Proc. # 304430/2009-9) and supported by the International Canada Research Chair Program from IDRC. C.M. Wood is supported by the Canada Research Chair Program. P.L. Gillis is supported by Environment Canada.

Ethical standards

All the methods for obtaining the results presented here comply with the current laws of Canada.

Conflict of interest

Everyone meriting authorship in this work has been above named and the authors state that they have no conflict of interest regarding this study.

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  1. Anderson Abel de S. Machado

    Present address: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Burlington, ON, L7R-4A6, Canada

    Anderson Abel de S. Machado & Patricia L. Gillis

  2. Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S-4K1, Canada

    Anderson Abel de S. Machado & Chris M. Wood

  3. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Av. Itália Km 8, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil

    Anderson Abel de S. Machado & Adalto Bianchini

  4. EACEA Science for Management of Rivers and Their Tidal Systems (Freie Universität Berlin, Queen Mary University of London & University of Trento), Via Mesiano 77, 38123, Trento, Italy

    Anderson Abel de S. Machado

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  1. Anderson Abel de S. Machado
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Correspondence to Anderson Abel de S. Machado.

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Machado, A.A.S., Wood, C.M., Bianchini, A. et al. Responses of biomarkers in wild freshwater mussels chronically exposed to complex contaminant mixtures. Ecotoxicology 23, 1345–1358 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-014-1277-8

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