Relationship of serum chemistry values to liver and kidney histopathology in English sole ( Parophrys vetulus) after acute exposure to carbon tetrachloride

Abstract

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4) was injected intraperitoneally into English sole ( Parophrys vetulus) to determine relationships between induced lesions of liver and kidney tissue and serum indicators of tissue damage. The CCl 4 doses used were from 4 to 63% of the 96-h LC 50 (4.8 ml CCl 4/kg). Within 48 h post injection, histopathological changes in liver ranged from subcapsular hepatocellular coagulation necrosis with sinusoidal congestion to coagulation necrosis of centrally located hepatocytes and hepatocellular fatty change. Kidney lesions were minor at low doses of CCl 4 but at higher doses pyknosis, microvacuolar degeneration, scalloping of the brush border and frank necrosis of the tubular epithelium in the second proximal kidney tubule were seen. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) activities were correlated with specific liver lesions. In addition, serum glucose was elevated 8 h after CCl 4 injection, whereas serum albumin, total protein, bilirubin and urea nitrogen did not significantly change in relation to liver lesions after CCl 4 exposure. Serum phosphate was found to be elevated in fish with kidney lesions. Serum creatinine, magnesium and calcium also reflected kidney damage, but only at the higher CCl 4 concentrations. These studies suggest that some, but not all, of the classically used serum chemical indices of damage in liver and kidney tissue have diagnostic and prognostic utility for this species of marine fish.