The effects of pure microcystin LR and biomass of blue-green algae on blood indices of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

The aim of this work was to find out how the administration of the Microcys tin LR and the biomass of blue-green algae with known amount of the Microcy stin LR to juvenile carp influences indices of the red blood cells and acti vities of plasma enzymes. The experimental fish were given either pure Microcystin LR or the biomass of blue-green algae with known amount of Microcystin LR. The administration of pure Microcystin LR at the dose of 400 mu g per 1 kg of body mass was c onducted intraperitoneally, the biomass was applied per os. Microcystin LR volume in single doses was 3, 300, 600 and 1200 mu g per 1 kg of body mass. After 24 and 48 h blood was taken from fish by cardiac punction. The follo wing indices of the blood were evaluated: the red blood cell count (RBC), h aematocrit (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrat ion (MCHC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH). Activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransfe rase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and total plasma proteins (TPP) were measured. Significant changes (p less than or equal to 0.05 or p less than or equal t o 0.01) of RBC, PCV, Hb, MCV and MCH were found only after the application of the biomass of blue-green algae. These changes were usually within the p hysiological range of values variation or slightly under this range. The activities of ALT, AST and LDH were mostly increased after all forms of administrations. The rate of increase depended on the route of administrat ion, character of the material and amount of the toxin. A highly significan t increase (p less than or equal to 0.01) of the activities of ALT (60.07 /- 36.89 mu kat.l(-1), control 2.98 +/- 1.58 mu kat.l(-1)), AST(38.91 +/- 1 5.51 mu kat.l(-1), control 4.83 +/- 3.47 mu kat.l(-1)) and LDH (303.2 +/- 1 10.7 mu kat.l(-1), control 10.4 +/- 5.1 mu kat.l(-1)) was detected 24 h aft er i.p. administration of pure Microcystin LR. Significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) increase of the activities of ALT was detected after oral ad ministration of 3, 300 and 600 mu g of Microcystin LR per 1 kg of body mass , highly significant (p less than or equal to 0.01) increase was detected a fter oral administration of 1200 mu g. Significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) or highly significant (p < 0.01) increase of the activities of AST a nd LDH was detected only after oral administration of 1200 mu g of Microcys tin LR. These changes were above the range of the normal values variation. The volume of TPP was significantly decreased (p less than or equal to 0.01 ) only 48 h after the administration of pure Microcystin LR (19.38 +/- 4.90 g.l(-1), control 30.68 +/- 4.10 g.l(-1)). This change was at the limit of the normal values variation. Our investigation found out the influence of the biomass of blue-green alga e to indices of red blood cells and verified the influence of Microcystin L R and the biomass of blue-green algae to activities of plasma enzymes.