Effect of copper on tissue acid and alkaline phosphates in the green snakehead, Ophiocephalus punctatus (Bloch).

In vitro exposure to 10(-6) and 10(-5) M copper caused a decline in the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases in both liver and kidney of Ophiocephalus punctatus. While in vivo exposure to 5 and 7.5 mg/l copper resulted in the activation of alkaline phosphatase in the kidney, the activity of this enzyme in the liver was inhibited at the highest concentration. The acid phosphatase was inhibited in the liver and kidney on in vivo exposure to both concentrations. The varied responses of these enzymes to in vitro and in vivo exposure to copper indicate the involvement of different molecular processes.