Journal
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
Volume 109, Issue -, Pages 143-149Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2011.12.011
Keywords
Naphthenic acids; Immunotoxicity; Oil sands process water; Macrophages; Trypanosoma carassii
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Funding
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC)
- Alberta Water Research Institute (AWRI), Helmholtz-University of Alberta Initiative (HAI)
- NSERC Industrial Research Chair (IRC)
- Queen Elisabeth II Graduate scholarship
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Naphthenic acids (NAs) are believed to be the major toxic component in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) produced by the oil sands mining industry in Northern Alberta, Canada. We recently reported that oral exposure to NAs alters mammalian immune responses, but the effect of OSPW or NAs on the immune mechanisms of aquatic organisms has not been fully elucidated. We analyzed the effects of acute and sub-chronic NAs exposures on goldfish immune responses by measuring the expression of three pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, antimicrobial functions of macrophages, and host defense after challenge with a protozoan pathogen (Trypanosoma carassii). One week after NAs exposure, fish exhibited increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN gamma, IL-1 beta 1,TNF-alpha 2) in the gills, kidney and spleen. Primary macrophages from fish exposed to NAs for one week, exhibited increased production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen intermediates. Goldfish exposed for one week to 20 mg/L NAs were more resistant to infection by T. carassii. In contrast, sub-chronic exposure of goldfish (12 weeks) to NAs resulted in decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the gills, kidney and spleen. The sub-chronic exposure to NAs reduced the ability of goldfish to control the T. carassii infection, exemplified by a drastic increase in fish mortality and increased blood parasite loads. This is the first report analyzing the effects of OSPW contaminants on the immune system of aquatic vertebrates. We believe that the bioassays depicted in this work will be valuable tools for analyzing the efficacy of OSPW remediation techniques and assessment of diverse environmental pollutants. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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