Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Diversity, Management and Conservation of Biological Systems, University of Tunis El Manar, LR18ES06, Tunis, Tunisia.
Department of Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141, Essen, Germany.
J Helminthol. 2021 Nov 2;95:e61. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X21000572.
Acanthocephalans belonging to the species Neoechinorhynchus agilis were collected from two mullets, Mugil cephalus and Chelon ramada from Ichkeul Lagoon in northern Tunisia. Collected parasites, as well as tissues of their hosts (muscle, liver and intestine), were analysed for trace elements (silver, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium, vanadium (V), zinc) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our results showed different accumulation patterns of trace elements in fish tissues and parasites. Among the host tissues, liver accumulated the highest metal amounts. Acanthocephalans showed Ni, Pb and V in significantly higher concentrations compared to their host's tissues. Further, the calculated bioconcentration factors demonstrated a 390-fold higher Pb accumulation in the parasite compared to fish muscle. This study is the first field survey in Tunisia dealing with elements' uptake in parasites and their hosts. Our results corroborate the usefulness of the acanthocephalans for biomonitoring of metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems and promote more research in order to understand host-parasite systems in brackish waters of the Mediterranean area.
从突尼斯北部伊克基尔泻湖的两种鲻鱼（Mugil cephalus 和 Chelon ramada）中采集到属于棘头虫新棘头属（Neoechinorhynchus agilis）的棘头虫。收集的寄生虫以及其宿主（肌肉、肝脏和肠道）的组织样本，使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）分析了微量元素（银、砷、镉、钴、铜、铁、锰、镍（Ni）、铅（Pb）、硒、钒（V）、锌）。我们的研究结果表明，在鱼类组织和寄生虫中，微量元素的积累模式不同。在宿主组织中，肝脏积累的金属量最高。棘头虫中 Ni、Pb 和 V 的浓度明显高于其宿主组织。此外，计算出的生物浓缩因子表明，寄生虫中 Pb 的积累比鱼类肌肉高 390 倍。本研究是突尼斯首次对寄生虫和其宿主中元素吸收进行的实地调查。我们的研究结果证实了棘头虫在水生生态系统金属污染生物监测中的有用性，并促进了更多的研究，以了解地中海地区咸水宿主-寄生虫系统。
