Department of Biological Sciences & Institute of Applied Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, USA.
Environ Sci Technol. 2011 Oct 15;45(20):8982-8. doi: 10.1021/es201641x. Epub 2011 Sep 20.
Mercury (Hg) contamination is a global issue with implications for both ecosystem and human health. In this study, we use a new approach to link Hg exposure to health effects in spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) from Caddo Lake (TX/LA). Previous field studies have reported elevated incidences of macrophage centers in liver, kidney, and spleen of fish with high concentrations of Hg. Macrophage centers are aggregates of specialized white blood cells that form as an immune response to tissue damage, and are considered a general biomarker of contaminant toxicity. We found elevated incidences of macrophage centers in liver of spotted gar and used a new technology for ecotoxicology studies, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), to colocalize aggregates and Hg deposits within the tissue architecture. We conclude that Hg compromises the health of spotted gar in our study and, perhaps, other fish exposed to elevated concentrations of Hg.
汞（Hg）污染是一个全球性问题，对生态系统和人类健康都有影响。在这项研究中，我们使用一种新方法将汞暴露与来自 Caddo Lake（TX/LA）的斑点叉尾鮰（Lepisosteus oculatus）的健康影响联系起来。以前的实地研究报告称，在肝脏、肾脏和脾脏中，Hg 浓度高的鱼类巨噬细胞中心的发生率升高。巨噬细胞中心是一种特殊的白细胞聚集体，作为对组织损伤的免疫反应而形成，被认为是污染物毒性的一般生物标志物。我们发现斑点叉尾鮰肝脏中巨噬细胞中心的发生率升高，并使用一种新的生态毒理学研究技术，即激光烧蚀-电感耦合等离子体质谱（LA-ICP-MS），在组织结构内对聚集物和 Hg 沉积物进行共定位。我们的结论是，Hg 损害了我们研究中斑点叉尾鮰的健康，也许还有其他暴露在高浓度 Hg 下的鱼类。
