Comparison of biomarker responses after acute and chronic bioassays in Lumbriculus variegatus

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 28; no. 32; pp. 44124 - 44131
• Main Authors: Martínez, María L., Nudelman, Norma Sbarbati, Verrengia Guerrero, Noemí R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetylcholinesterase; Antifouling substances; Antioxidants; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Binary mixtures; Bioassays; Bioindicators; Biomarkers; Catalase; Chemical activity; Deprivation; Dietary restrictions; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Food; Glutathione; Goethite; Indicator species; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Lumbriculus variegatus; Organisms; Oxidants; Oxidative stress; Oxidizing agents; Peroxidation; Research Article; Superoxide dismutase; Toxicity; Toxicity testing; Tributyltin; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control; Acute bioassays; Biomarkers; Oxidative stress; Chronic bioassays; Nano-goethite; TBT; Lumbriculus variegatus
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12515-7

Differential biomarker responses may occur after acute or chronic bioassays when animals are unfed. In many aquatic species, food deprivation may lead to a pro-oxidant condition. However, information about its effects on the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus , a bioindicator organism for water and sediment toxicity tests, is almost completely lacking. Acute (48 h) and chronic (21 days) bioassays were performed using unfed L. variegatus to assess the impact of food deprivation on several biomarkers related to the redox cellular status. Results showed that food deprivation inhibited the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, whilst levels of total glutathione (t-GSH) and lipid peroxidation processes increased with respect to controls. The same biomarkers were evaluated in unfed organisms exposed to tributyltin (TBT), nano-goethite or a binary mixture of both, for 48 h and 21 days. After 48 h, the organisms were able to cope with chemical stressors by enhancing antioxidant defences and lipid peroxidation processes were not observed. After 21 days, both TBT and the binary mixture induced the most noxious effects. At this time, the antioxidant enzymatic defences were still higher than controls, but levels of t-GSH were significantly decreased and lipid peroxidation was found. Therefore, differential biomarker responses were observed between starved organisms for 21 days and those simultaneously exposed to other chemical stressors. The activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase was also determined, but it remained unchanged in all cases.