Sex-specific biochemical and histological differences in gonads of sea urchins (Psammechinus miliaris) and their response to phenanthrene exposure.

Sabine Schäfer, Doris Abele, Ellen Weihe, Angela Köhler

Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research within the Helmholtz Association, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany. Sabine.Schaefer@bafg.de

Marine environmental research 2011 Feb

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Female and male individuals of the same species often differ with respect to their susceptibility to toxicant stress. In the present study, sea urchins (Psammechinus miliaris) of both sexes were exposed to high (150 μg L⁻¹) and environmentally relevant (5 μg L⁻¹) concentrations of phenanthrene over 10 days. While food intake was significantly decreased following exposure to 150 μg L⁻¹ phenanthrene, histological indices (lipofuscin accumulation, fibrosis, oocyte atresia), energetic status (energy charge, sum adenylates, AMP/ATP ratio) as well as ascorbate levels in the gonads showed either little or no effect upon phenanthrene exposure. However, most parameters (vitamin C, energy charge, sum adenylates, AMP/ATP ratio, ATP and ADP concentrations, lipofuscin content, fibrosis) significantly differed between male and female animals. This study illustrates the difficulties to identify toxic injury in reproductive tissue as it may be superimposed by gametogenesis and spawning of gametes. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Sabine Schäfer, Doris Abele, Ellen Weihe, Angela Köhler. Sex-specific biochemical and histological differences in gonads of sea urchins (Psammechinus miliaris) and their response to phenanthrene exposure. Marine environmental research. 2011 Feb;71(1):70-8