M. Lyonsalcantara et al., THE EFFECTS OF CADMIUM EXPOSURE ON THE CYTOLOGY AND FUNCTION OF PRIMARY CULTURES FROM RAINBOW-TROUT, Cell biochemistry and function, 16(1), 1998, pp. 1-13
Cultured epidermal cells from explants of skin of rainbow trout were u
sed to study the cytological and functional changes following subletha
l exposure to cadmium stress. The aim was to develop diagnostic marker
s for ecotoxicology. Cultures were exposed to the pollutant for 48 h.
Cell structural and cytological changes were established by light and
electron microscopy, Metabolic alterations were detected by immunohist
ochemistry. The relation between the initiation of cellular alteration
s and cadmium concentrations was compared in cultures exposed in comme
rcially-available serum-free and serum-containing medium, The expressi
on of stress proteins (metallothionein and heat shock protein) was als
o studied, Rainbow trout epithelial cells exposed to cadmium showed ty
pical morphological changes indicative of cell death by apoptosis. Sub
lethal exposure also resulted in cellular metabolic disturbances with
increased deposits of glycogen. Increased melanization was also observ
ed. These changes appeared at lower concentrations of cadmium when cel
ls were exposed in serum-free media than in serum-containing media. Ca
dmium induced the expression of heat shock proteins but not of metallo
thioneins. The results broadly confirm in vivo findings for cadmium to
xicity and suggest that this in vitro technique may have applications
in aquatic toxicology. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.