Abstract
We used nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (NMR) to evaluate the metabolic impacts of crude oil, Corexit 5900A, a dispersant, and a crude oil Corexit 5900A mixture exposure on skeletal muscle, heart, and liver physiology of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Tissue samples were obtained from 22 seven-day-old hatchlings after a four day cutaneous exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of crude oil, Corexit 5900A, a combination of crude oil and Corexit 9500A, or a seawater control. We identified 38 metabolites in the aqueous extracts of the liver, and 30 metabolites in both the skeletal and heart muscle aqueous extracts, including organic acids/osmolytes, energy compounds, amino acids, ketone bodies, nucleosides, and nucleotides. Skeletal muscle lactate, creatines, and taurine concentrations were significantly lower in hatchlings exposed to crude oil than in control hatchlings. Lactate, taurine, and cholines appeared to be the basis of some variation in hatchling heart samples, and liver inosine, uracil, and uridine appeared to be influenced by Corexit and crude oil exposure. Observed decreases in concentrations of lactate and creatines may reflect energy depletion in skeletal muscle of oil-exposed animals, while decreased taurine concentrations in these animals may reflect higher oxidative stress.
Highlights
Sea turtles are long-lived, large-bodied animals that move through many habitats throughout their lives [1]
We identified 30, 30, and 38 metabolites from distinct peaks visible in the spectra of hatchling loggerhead sea turtle skeletal muscle, heart, and liver (Figure 1; Table 1), respectively, using 1D
The use of 2D methods along with the 1D 1 H nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (NMR) spectra allowed identification of 53 metabolites in the aqueous fractions, with equal number of metabolites identified in the skeletal muscle and heart (n = 30), and a higher number in the liver (n = 38)
Summary
Sea turtles are long-lived, large-bodied animals that move through many habitats throughout their lives [1]. 5900A, hereafter referred to as Corexit) could enhance declines of already vulnerable sea turtle populations [4]. While health effects of oil exposure to sea turtles at high doses have been reported (e.g., in Reference [5]), the mechanisms of pathogenesis, and sub-lethal and subclinical effects of exposure are not well understood. Fish exhibit changes in metabolite concentrations in skeletal muscle and liver after exposure to crude oil and Corexit [9,10]. Little is known of the toxic effects of crude oil or Corexit on skeletal muscle, heart, or liver in other taxa [12], including sea turtles. While polycyclic hydrocarbons from oil exposure are absorbed into the liver of sea turtles in the wild [5], there is minimal information of how the crude oil and Corexit exposure affect the liver physiology of sea turtles (e.g., [13,14])
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