Disruption in calcium regulating endocrine gland, corpuscle of Stannius in freshwater catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis after dimethoate exposure

Rakesh Kumar Pandey and Vijai Krishna Das

Department of Zoology, Kamla Nehru Institute of Physical and Social Sciences, Sultanpur, U.P. 228118, India

ABSTRACT The CS is considered to play important role in the endocrine control of calcium metabolism. Fishes are in intimate contact with their surrounding environment through the gills, therefore, activity of fish CS is influenced by several external and internal factors. Under stressful conditions, ion balance is easily disturbed by the stress factors such as pesticides. The present study was conducted to observe the toxic effect of dimethoate an organophosphate insecticide on the corpuscles of Stannius (CS) in freshwater air-breathing catfish Heteropneustes fossilis. The fish were subjected to short-term (2.24 mg/l dimethoate i.e. 75% of 96 h LC50) and longterm (1.00 mg/l dimethoate i.e. 25% of 96 h LC50) exposure to the insecticide. The fish were sacrificed after 24, 48, 72 and 96 h in short-term and after 6, 12, 24 and 36 d in long-term experiment. The levels of serum calcium were recorded and the CS were fixed for histological studies at each duration.

In short-term experiment serum Ca2+ levels of fish recorded significant increase following 24 h dimethoate exposure. The calcium levels, however, showed a decline after 48 h and continued to fall gradually up to 96 h. In long term dimethoate exposure the serum Ca2+ level records a minor increase after 6 days, thereafter, records a gradual decrease leading to significant hypocalcaemia up to 36 d. In short-term experiment, the glandular cells of CS exhibit hyperactivity marked by the increase in the nuclear volume (NV) along with an apparent increase in the nucleoli number after 24 h dimethoate exposure. After 48 h, the NV records a decrease. Following 72 h, the cells in cord exhibit hyperplasia and the NV records a decrease when compared to 24 h, 48 h treated and control. The CS of 96 h exposed fishes exhibit nuclear deformity and the nuclear volume records a little increase when compared to 72 h exposed fish. In long-term experiment the CS of fish exhibits hyperactivity

recorded by increase in nuclear volume of the cells after 6 d dimethoate exposure. There is a further increase in the NV and staining property of the glandular cells following 12 d exposure. However, after 24 d treatment, there is significant decrease in nuclear volume and the nuclear boundaries become indented. The gland exhibits further degeneration and decrease in NV after 36 d of dimethoate exposure.
Keywords: Corpuscles of Stannius, dimethoate, calcium, histology, Heteropneustes fossilis