Alteration of Antioxidant Response and Expression of Related Genes by Cadmium in Chinese Rare Minnow Larvae

• Published in: Clean : soil, air, water Vol. 43; no. 5; pp. 671 - 675
• Main Authors: Li, Zhi-Hua, Wu, Yan-Hua, Li, Ping, Li, Yun-Feng, Ni, Zhao-Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Gobiocypris rarus; Growth; Growth hormones; Ion regulation; Medical research; Oxidative stress; Physiological stress; Rodents
• ISSN: 1863-0650; 1863-0669
• DOI: 10.1002/clen.201400113

In the present study, antioxidant parameters were measured in whole body of Chinese rare minnow larvae (Gobiocypris rarus) after exposure to Cd2+ (0, 0.5, and 2.5 mg/L) for four days, as well as a series of genes expression, including cortisol receptor (cr), Na+/K+‐ATPase (aptase), and prolactin (prl) genes involved in ion‐regulatory process, insulin‐like growth factor I (igf1) and growth hormone (gh) related to growth rate, as well as heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) and metallothionein (mt) used as physiological stress indices. The results showed that oxidative stress was generated in fish exposed to Cd2+ and the transcription of the cr, atpase, gh, hsp70, and mt genes increased in a dose‐dependent manner, but two genes expressions, prl and igf1, showed a decrease in the treated groups. The changes in antioxidant responses and the altered genes expression in this study could provide useful information for evaluating the influence mechanisms of cadmium on fish, and could be used as potential biomarkers for monitoring Cd2+ in aquatic environment in the future. Individual variations of biochemical and molecular parameters in Chinese rare minnow larvae exposed to Cd2+ by using PCA are described. The changes in antioxidant responses and altered genes expression in this study may be used as potential biomarkers to evaluate the influence of cadmium on fish.