Rs. Anderson et al., ENHANCEMENT OF PERKINSUS-MARINUS DISEASE PROGRESSION IN TBT-EXPOSED OYSTERS (CRASSOSTREA-VIRGINICA), Marine environmental research, 42(1-4), 1996, pp. 177-180
In vitro exposure of Crassostrea virginica hemocytes to tributyltin (T
BT) can inhibit antimicrobial defense mechanisms dependent on reactive
oxygen intermediates, as measured by chemiluminescence (CL). However,
tissue TBT concentrations attained in this in vivo study (similar to
7500 ppb, dry weight) did not inhibit hemocyte recruitment, phagocytos
is, CL activity or serum lysozyme. This TBT level was nevertheless eff
ective in enhancing progression and lethality of Perkinsus marinus inf
ections. Immune stimulation was found to be associated :vith advanced
P. marinus infections, as indicated by increased hemocyte recruitment
into the circulation and increased CL activity. This played no apparen
t role in controlling the infection and was insensitive to TBT. Using
this battery of standard assays of defense-related functions, the exac
erbation of P. marinus infections by TBT could not be attributed to it
s putative immunosuppresive activity. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Scie
nce Ltd.