Effects of 2,4-diamin on some parameters of protein and carbohydrate metabolisms in the serum, muscle and liver of Cyprinus carpio

The acute and chronic effects of 2,4-Diamin, which is a widely used herbici de, were investigated in freshwater fish, Cyprinus carpio (L.). The fish we re exposed to 50 and 80 ppm sublethal concentrations of the herbicide for 1 , 2, 3, 4, 15, and 30 days. Various changes in protein and carbohydrate met abolisms in the serum, muscle and liver tissues were determined photometric ally. Both concentrations of 2,4-Diamin inhibited glutamate-oxaloacetate tr ansaminase activity in 30-days treatment and glutamate-pyruvate transaminas e activity on 2-days treatment in the serum. The results showed an increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity at 1-day exposure to 50 ppm 2,4-Diamin, while it was at control level on the other days. Then was no change in all periods after exposure to 80 ppm 2,4-Diamin concentration. Exposure to herb icide did not alter the activities of alkaline phosphatase and acid phospha tase. The effect of herbicide caused an increase in protein lever in the li ver in order to compensate for any possible protein loss. There was a reduc tion in muscle and liver glycogen levels, but serum glucose level was highe r in herbicide-exposed fish than in control fish. The results in the carboh ydrate metabolism suggest that an increase in the rate of glycogenolysis in the tissues of fish could be because of the stress caused by the herbicide . (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.