Exposure to benzo[α]pyrene causes oxidative stress and cell damage in bay scallop Argopecten irradians

Abstract

In the present study, bay scallop antioxidant response to acute exposure to the benzo[α]pyrene (BaP; a type of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) was investigated. Scallops were exposed to doses of 0.5 and 1.0 µg/L (low-dose group) and 10 and 50 µg/L (high-dose group) for 72 h. The following oxidative stress indicators were measured in the digestive diverticula tissues or hemolymph: superoxide dismutase, catalase, hydrogen peroxide, and lipid peroxidation. The apoptotic response in the high dose group was assessed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The stress indicators in each group increased significantly with time, except in the 0.5 µg/L group. The TUNEL assay revealed that more apoptotic cells were detected after exposure to BaP over time. These results suggest that exposure to BaP induces oxidative stress and causes tissue damage in bivalves. These findings also revealed that high concentrations of BaP exposure can have potential adverse effects (apoptosis and cell damage) in bivalves. Additionally, these results might shed some new light on the ecotoxicological effects of BaP on marine bivalves.