Effects of pollutant exposure on bactericidal activity of Mercenaria mercenaria hemolymph
- Univ. of Maryland, Solomons (USA)
Exposure of mammals to certain immunotoxic environmental contaminants is most commonly manifested by decreased resistance to infectious agents such as microbes and metazoan parasites. It has been shown that exposed clams showed impaired ability to eliminate an injected dose of normally nonpathogenic bacteria from their hemolymph. This apparent form of immunosuppression seen in vivo could result from induced deficiencies in cellular and/or humoral factors. In this paper, the relative contributions of these mechanisms to reduced bactericidal efficiency are evaluated in vitro, in hemolymph withdrawn from exposed and control clams. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) were used as test pollutants. The effects of PCP or HCB exposure on hemolymph bactericidal activity are summarized. Both high and low PCP doses caused significant inhibition of S. marcescens killing, whereas only the high dose inhibited anti-Flavobacterium activity. The HCB dosing procedure resulted in pollutant body burdens comparable to those seen in the low-dose PCP study; activity against S. marcescens was slightly inhibited, but there was no apparent effect in the case of Flavobacterium. These in vitro assays showed that the bacterial clearance impairment previously observed in pollutant-stressed Mercenaria was probably a result of compromised hemocytic activity.
- OSTI ID:
- 7069033
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8909236--
- Journal Information:
- Preprints of Papers Presented at National Meeting, Division of Water, Air and Waste Chemistry, American Chemical Society; (USA), Journal Name: Preprints of Papers Presented at National Meeting, Division of Water, Air and Waste Chemistry, American Chemical Society; (USA) Vol. 28:2; ISSN 0099-7293; ISSN ACWCA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540320* -- Environment
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560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CLAMS
DISEASE RESISTANCE
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
INFECTIVITY
INVERTEBRATES
MICROORGANISMS
MOLLUSCS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SENSITIVITY
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION