Activity pattern of haemolymph transaminases in the freshwater gastropod Pila virens (Lamarck) exposed to pesticides

Abstract

The impact of toxicity of the organophosphate pesticide Dimecron® and the organochloride pesticide Endocel 35 EC was ascertained by estimating the activity levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) in the haemolymph of the freshwater gastropod Pila virens at different time-periods. Forty specimens of P. virens were exposed to each of the concentrations of 6, 12 and 18 ppm of Dimecron®, and 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 ppm of Endocel 35 EC for 48 h, and the haemolymph enzyme activities were determined quantitatively at 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h post-exposure. In both the exposures, GOT activity was higher than GPT activity. In snails exposed to Dimecron®, GOT and GPT levels were significantly higher during early time-periods but later almost normalized to control levels. Higher GOT activity levels were found to be maintained for longer periods than those of GPT. GOT activity in Endocel 35 EC exposed snails was significantly lower in the initial period of exposure, while GPT activity was significantly higher, particularly at higher concentrations. Probable changes in metabolic activities induced by pesticide stress in the light of the observed variations in the activity pattern of the enzymes are discussed.