Concentrations Of Cadmium Chloride Research Articles

The cascade of cadmium toxicity: from cellular damage to pyroptotic responses in fish Channa punctatus.

Cadmium pollution is a major environmental issue threatening aquatic ecosystems and the health of aquatic organisms. Our study examines cadmium toxicity at different levels, highlighting pyroptotic cell death in the freshwater fish Channa punctatus (spotted snakehead). For this purpose, 90 well-acclimatized fish were categorized into three groups: one control and two treatment groups, i.e., T1 and T2, which were exposed to two sub-lethal concentrations of cadmium chloride (Cdcl2), i.e., 1.18mg/L (one-tenth of 96-h lethal concentration [LC50]) and 2.36mg/L (one-fifth of 96-h LC50), respectively, for a duration of 7, 14, and 21days. Post-completion of experimental periods, various assessments were carried out. Reactive oxygen species levels significantly increased, indicating enhanced oxidative stress, along with elevated activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase (P < 0.05). In contrast, reduced glutathione levels decreased in a dose- and duration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Additionally, lipid peroxidation increased markedly, and liver biomarkers, including serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase, were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in a time- and concentration-dependent pattern. Histopathological investigations of liver revealed pronounced deformities that were dose-dependent, with higher concentrations of cadmium causing more severe damage. Subsequently, prolonged cadmium exposure led to pyroptosis in the hepatocytes, characterized by the elevated expression of nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3; caspase-1, interleukin-1β, interleukin-18; apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD; and Gasdermin E. These results highlighted the significant impact of cadmium on C. punctatus, underscoring its importance as a key bio-indicator for aquatic pollution. The study emphasizes the urgent need to monitor and regulate cadmium levels to protect aquatic life and maintain ecological balance.

Lead and Cadmium Chloride's Effects on the Physiological State of Schoenoplectus Litoralis and Myriophyllum Verticillatum

The purposes of the study were to assess the levels of total chlorophyll and protein content, as well as to determine the adverse impacts of different lead and cadmium chloride concentrations (10, 20, and 30 mg/L) on the physiological characteristics of Schoenoplectus litoralis and Myriophyllum verticillatum. The results of the study showed that the component concentrations in the water plants under investigation were higher at the end of the investigation when compared to the control sample, in addition to a decrease in the amounts of protein and chlorophyll in the water plants exposed to the effects of heavy metals.

High cadmium exposure impairs adult hippocampal neurogenesis via disruption of store-operated calcium entry

Cadmium (Cd) is a neurotoxicant that gradually accumulates in the human body with age. High Cd burden is correlated with adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) and memory deficits in mammals. However, little knowledge is known about the mechanism by which Cd exposure impairs neurogenesis and cognition. Here, we investigated the roles of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE)-mediated calcium dyshomeostasis in Cd-induced AHN and memory deficits as well as therapeutic potential for the prevention of Cd-induced neurotoxicity. To achieve this goal, 8 weeks-old C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to different concentrations of cadmium chloride (0, 5, 10, 20 ppm) in drinking water for 8 weeks, we then examined the AHN, calcium homeostasis, SOCE channel and memory in Cd-exposed mice by using immunohistochemistry, calcium imaging, Y-maze and fear conditioning test. Our results indicated that chronic Cd exposure markedly increased Cd levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid by almost 10-fold, and inhibited the proliferation and differentiation of hippocampal adult neural stem cells in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, Cd exposure impaired the maturation of hippocampal neural stem cells without inducing gliosis. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Cd exposure inhibited the proliferation of neuroblastoma via alteration of calcium signaling pathway, and attenuated SOCE channels played a pivotal role in mediating Cd-induced cytoplasmic calcium overload and depletion of endoplasmic reticulum calcium stores. Activation of SOCE by hyperforin, a natural derivative from medicinal plant, restored intracellular calcium homeostasis and improved AHN and memory in Cd-exposed mice. Together, this study provided novel insights into the mechanism that Cd exposure impaired AHN and memory by prompting neuronal SOCE-mediated calcium dyshomeostasis, and offered a new therapeutic approach for prevention of Cd-induced neurotoxicity.

Transcriptomic traces of adaptive changes and detoxification in Glyptotendipes tokunagai (Chironomidae) exposed to cadmium-based sediments environment

The chironomid Glyptotendipes tokunagai was chosen to study cadmium's ecotoxicity, owing to its prevalence in benthic sediments. Over 10 days, we exposed chironomids to three different concentrations of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) and examined their gene expression at maximal bioaccumulation levels. The results clearly showed 10275 significantly expressed genes with an average length of 795 bp. Ion homeostasis and Ca2+ ion transport were severely disrupted by Cadmium exposure, impairing the neurological system. Gene regulation indicated increased ROS due to cellular component process disruption, causing DNA damage, oxidative stress, and autophagy-mediated programmed cell death. Cadmium bioaccumulation hindered cuticle formation and growth, requiring more energy from the organism to resist the stress. An enriched detoxification route in response to the metabolic feedback mechanism was an aftereffect of energy deficiency related to their effective survival rate. The study has identified gene expression risk markers for signal transduction disruption, cellular development impairment, ATP synthesis-coupled energy deficit, and detoxification. These risk indicators must be closely monitored to ensure environmental safety.

Mitigation of cadmium toxicity stress by magnetopriming during germination of soybean

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal that poses a significant threat to food safety and agricultural production worldwide. Its solubility enables easy entry into plants, leading to reductions in seed germination, growth and crop yield. Thus, it is crucial to discover methods to alleviate the harmful impact of Cd on plant growth. Magnetopriming (MP) is a non-invasive and cost-effective technique that has been proposed to improve plant growth under abiotic stress conditions. The current study investigated the potential of MP to improve the seed germination, early seedling growth and biochemical responses of soybean under Cd toxicity. Soybean seeds were magnetoprimed with static magnetic field (SMF) strength of 200 mT for 1 hour before germination. The unprimed and magnetoprimed seeds were grown under different concentrations of cadmium chloride (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 200 and 300 μM CdCl2) in Petri plates for five days in the dark at 25 + 1°C. The results revealed that Cd toxicity significantly reduced the germination percentage and inhibited the seedling growth parameters and increased oxidative stress, as determined by malondialdehyde (MDA) content in soybean seedlings from unprimed seeds. The inhibitory effect was increased with increasing concentration of Cd. However, MP remarkably increased the germination percentage, seedling growth parameters, activities of total amylase and protease, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and decreased MDA and proline content in germinating soybean seedlings at all concentrations of Cd. These findings suggest that MP can alleviate the adverse effects of Cd stress in soybean seedlings and increase the tolerance index towards Cd toxicity by enhancing the activity of amylotic and proteolytic enzymes and reducing oxidative stress.

Evaluation of Cd-induced cytotoxicity in primary human keratinocytes.

An increasing number of studies have investigated the effects of Cd on human health. Cd-induced dermatotoxicity is an important field of research, but numerous studies have focused on the effects of Cd on the human skin. Moreover, most studies have been performed using HaCaT cells but not primary keratinocytes. In this study, we provide the results describing the cytotoxic effects of Cd exposure on primary human epidermal keratinocytes obtained from different donors. The subtoxic concentration of cadmium chloride was determined via MTT assay, and transcriptomic analysis of the cells exposed to this concentration (25µM) was performed. As in HaCaT cells, Cd exposure resulted in increased ROS levels, cell cycle arrest, and induction of apoptosis. In addition, we report that exposure to Cd affects zinc and copper homeostasis, induces metallothionein expression, and activates various signaling pathways, including Nrf2, NF-kB, TRAIL, and PI3K. Cd induces the secretion of various cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and PGE2) and upregulates the expression of several cytokeratins, such as KRT6B, KRT6C, KRT16, and KRT17. The results provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of cadmium-induced cytotoxicity and its effect on human epidermal skin cells.

Lead and cadmium co-exposure modified PC12 viability and ER stress: study from a 3×3 factorial design.

Although exposure to individual metal does exhibit its toxicity, combined exposures provide a more effective representation of the toxic effects of different heavy metal exposures on public health as well as ecosystems. Furthermore, there are few studies on composite exposure to low concentrations of heavy metals, which is more consistent with real-life exposure. The purpose of this study was to explore the neurotoxicity induced by combined exposure to low concentrations of Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and the potential interaction of their mixture in vitro. PC12 cells were incubation with the corresponding concentration of cadmium chloride and/or lead acetate. Viability of PC12 cells was measured by CCK8 assay after 12, 24 and 48h incubation. Next, We measured the ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and apoptosis produced by different treated cells using ROS assay kit, JC-1 MMP assay kit and annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) apoptosis assay kit, respectively. Expression of proteins related to PI3K/AKT and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in PC12 cells were tested by western blotting. Our study was the first to analyze the interaction between Pb and Cd using a 3 × 3 factorial design approach to observe neurotoxicity. The results showed that the combined exposure of them was more cytotoxic than the single metal. The activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and several parameters related to oxidative stress and ER stress were significantly altered in combined exposure to low concentrations of Pb and Cd compared with the Pb or Cd. Regarding apoptosis and ER stress, a synergistic interaction between Pb and Cd was evident. Moreover, evoked ER stress as a mechanism involved in the apoptosis of PC12 cells by the combined exposure to Pb and Cd. The present study provides a theoretical basis used for the toxicological assessment of metal mixtures induced neurotoxicity of concern in terms of public health, and more effective control measures should be taken for the environmental pollution caused by various mixed heavy metals discharged from industry and agriculture.

Studying the effect of cadmium chloride and thiourea concentrations on the structural and optical properties of CdS films deposited using the spray pyrolysis technique

Studying the effect of cadmium chloride and thiourea concentrations on the structural and optical properties of CdS films deposited using the spray pyrolysis technique

ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF CADMIUM IONS FROM ETHYLENE GLYCOL ELECTROLYTE

The work is devoted to the study of the process of cathodic reduction of Cd ions from anhydrous ethylene glycol electrolyte. The mechanism of the process of cadmium reduction was studied by taking linear and cyclic potentiodynamic polarization curves. The influence of cadmium chloride concentration, potential sweep rate and temperature on the process of electrochemical deposition of cadmium ions was studied. With an increase in the concentration of cadmium in the electrolyte, the rate of its release at the cathode increases. Precipitates of good quality are obtained at current densities of 25 mA/sm2. It has been established that the cadmium deposition potential almost does not change with increasing potential sweep rate. The dependence of cadmium electrodeposition from ethylene glycol electrolyte on temperature was studied, which made it possible to establish the optimal deposition temperature, which was 363–373 K, and to conclude that the deposition process is controlled by electrochemical polarization. The diffusion coefficient of cadmium ions to the cathode surface has been calculated

Autophagy protects against Cd-induced cell damage in primary chicken hepatocytes via mitigation of oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress

Cadmium (Cd) is widespread globally in the environment as a toxic metal. Although it is well known to induce hepatotoxicity in the cells, defense mechanisms against the detrimental effects of Cd are still unknown. We examined the role of autophagy (a cellular defense mechanism) on Cd-induced cytotoxicity in bird hepatocytes. Primary chicken hepatocytes were cultured with different concentrations (0, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 μM) of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) for 12 h. We assessed the effects of CdCl2 on the cell viability, antioxidant status, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, autophagy response and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Further, it is also evaluated that insight into underling molecular mechanisms involved in the study. In this study, CdCl2-induce hepatotoxicity was caused by drastically increased ROS generation as well as a reduction level of antioxidant enzymes. It was also demonstrated that marked activation of ER stress markers (GRP78, IRE1, PERK, ATF4, ATF6 and XBP-1 s) was observed. Simultaneously, increased activation of autophagy in low-dose CdCl2 (1 μM) exposed group was observed, but high-dose CdCl2 (10 μM) inhibited autophagy and significantly promoted apoptosis, as indicated by the expression of the autophagy related genes for P62, Beclin-1, ATG3, ATG5, ATG9, and the detection of autophagic vacuoles. Pretreatment with autophagy agonist Rapamycin (RAP) has successfully reduced ROS production, attenuated ER stress and enhanced hepatocytes viability, while the autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) had the opposite effect. Hence, these findings stipulate that Cd could inhibit viability of hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy relieves hepatotoxicity of Cd via reducing ROS generation and regulating ER stress. We identified autophagy as a novel protective mechanism involved in Cd-mediated chicken hepatotoxicity.

Adjuvant Effect of Cadmium on Pollen Grain Allergenicity in Petunia hybrida Juss.

Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal and an important part of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs). Cadmium in high concentrations exhibits detrimental effects and increases the allergenicity of pollen grains. Objectives: The research aimed to study the effects of Cd on the proteins and allergenicity of Petunia hybrida pollen. Methods: Petunia plants were cultured in a greenhouse and treated with various concentrations of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) (400, 800, and 1200 μmol/L). The pollen were collected daily from the flowers of both experimental and control plants. Pollen extracts were prepared in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) from control and Cd-treated plants, and changes in protein banding profiles were compared by sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Mice were sensitized by the treatment of pollen extracts and aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) as an adjuvant 3 times. The allergenicity of pollen extracts was evaluated by the skin test and the amount of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the experimental animals. Results: The gel electrophoresis results revealed that in the Cd-treated pollen grains, two new protein bands, 46 and 51 kilodaltons (kDa), were observed that may have allergenicity. The results of serological tests showed that the mean of wheal diameter and IgE level were higher in animals sensitized by Cd-treated pollen grains than in control ones. Conclusions: In recent years, pollinosis has increased in polluted areas, especially DEP-polluted areas; the reason may be that Cd, as an important part of DEP, acts as an effective agent in the induction of the formation of detoxifying proteins which can also act as new allergens.

Cadmium exposure induces histological damage and cytotoxicity in the cardiovascular system of mice.

Epidemiological studies have reported an association between chronic cadmium (Cd) exposure and increased cardiovascular risk; however, their causal relationship remains unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of Cd exposure on the cardiac and arterial systems in mice. According to the concentration of cadmium chloride in drinking water, male mice were randomly divided into control and low-dose and high-dose Cd exposure groups. The intervention duration was 12 weeks. In cardiac tissues, Cd exposure led to focal necrosis, myofibril disarray, perivascular and interstitial fibrosis, and disorganized sarcomere structures. Cd also induced the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and increased the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-14 in cardiac tissues. In the arterial tissues, Cd exposure damaged the intimal and medial layers of the aorta. Cd further reduced the viability of aortic smooth muscle cells in vitro. This study provides evidence for the Cd-induced damage of the cardiovascular system, which may contribute to various cardiovascular diseases.

Non-Lethal Concentrations of CdCl2 Cause Marked Alternations in Cellular Stress Responses within Exposed Sertoli Cell Line

Cadmium is a component of ambient metal pollution, which is linked to diverse health issues globally, including male reproductive impairment. Assessments of the acute effects of cadmium on male reproduction systems, such as testes, tend to be based on frank adverse effects, with particular molecular pathways also involved. The relationship between cytotoxicity potential and cellular stress response has been suggested to be one of the many possible drivers of the acute effects of cadmium, but the link remains uncertain. In consequence, there is still much to be learned about the cellular stress response induced by a non-lethal concentration of cadmium in male reproductive cells. The present study used temporal assays to evaluate cellular stress response upon exposure to non-lethal concentrations of Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) in the Sertoli cell line (TM4). The data showed alternations in the expression of genes intimated involved in various cellular stress responses, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, endoplasmic unfolded protein stress (UPRmt), endoplasmic dynamics, Nrf2-related antioxidative response, autophagy, and metallothionein (MT) expression. Furthermore, these cellular responses interacted and were tightly related to oxidative stress. Thus, the non-lethal concentration of cadmium perturbed the homeostasis of the Sertoli cell line by inducing pleiotropic cellular stresses.

Effect of Cadmium on Germination and Seedling Growth of Cicer arietinum, Cv.G130

Heavy metals contamination in agriculture, especially near industrial areas, is very common, and they are toxic and harmful to for thegrowth of plants. Biologically, cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential element for plants and it reduces the germination and seedling growthof Cicer arietinum. In the present study effects of different cadmium chloride concentrations (1, 10 and 50 mg-1) were investigated onseedling growth of C. arietinum, L cv. G130. The seedling growth studies were carried out in dark and light conditions. Germinationpercentage was recorded after 24 hours for both dark and light conditions. During the observation, it was found that the higherconcentration of cadmium, particularly 50 mg-1, significantly reduced plant growth. The length of epicotyl and radicle shows gradualinhibition as the cadmium concentration is increased from 10 to 50 mg-1 Cd. Similarly, fresh weight and dry weight also decreased withthe increased cadmium concentrations. It was noted that the higher concentration of Cd inhibited plant growth and the lower metalconcentration showed of plant growth promotion. However, studies reveal that the growth is promoted in 1 mg-1 Cd concentration (1ppm). Results confirmed cadmium’s toxic effect on chickpea seedling growth at higher concentrations

Respiratory Response and Hemolymph Sugar Level of The Crab Barytelphusa gureini Exposed To Heavy Metals

To explore the respiratory and metabolic responses, the fresh water crabs Barytelphusa gureini, were exposed to sublethal concentrations (2.0 &amp; 2.25 µg/L) of cadmium chloride and copper sulphate respectively. Oxygen consumption and hemolymph sugar level of the animals were estimated to study the stress caused by these heavy metal toxicants. These animals after acclimatization to the laboratory conditions exposed for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs to the toxicants. Total oxygen consumption was studied by Winkler’s method and the hemolymph sugar level was estimated by Anthrone method. In the present study, total oxygen consumption showed a gradual decline trend from 0 to 96 hrs in the experimental animals exposed to cadmium chloride, while the hemolymph sugar level recorded an elevation, with maximum increase at 96 hrs. These results showed that cadmium was found to be more toxic than copper metal.

Study on the mechanism of cadmium chloride pollution accelerating skin tissue metabolism disorder, aging and inhibiting hair regeneration.

Drinking water contaminated by Cd2+ is one of the main pathways for Cd to enter the body. The skin barrier is destroyed when the skin is contaminated by environmental Cd2+, however, the detailed mechanism by which Cd2+ induces skin metabolic disorder, and senescence and affects hair regeneration is not completely understood. In this study, 18 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a Control group, a Low-dose group, and a High-dose group with 6 mice in each group, and intragastrically administered with different concentrations of cadmium chloride once a day, respectively. After 1 month of intervention, the skin tissues on the back of mice were collected for non-targeted metabolomics analysis, and the related proteins were detected by immunofluorescence assay. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis result showed that compared with the Control group, there were 29 different metabolites, mainly including lysophospholipids, fatty acids, and bile acids, in the Low-dose group, and 39 differential metabolites in the High-dose group, in addition to the above compounds, there were more amino acid compounds, and most of the metabolites had a reduced response after administration. Immunofluorescence assay result showed that the higher the concentration of cadmium chloride led to the more obvious the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis promotion effects of skin cells, and the more significant damage to hair follicle stem cells. Thus, our findings demonstrate that cadmium chloride pollution can accelerate skin metabolism disorder, and aging and impair hair regeneration.

Influence of Cd salt concentration on the photoconductivity of CdS thin films prepared by chemical bath technique

Herein, a comparative study of the photodetection properties of CdS thin films deposited via the CBD method at different cadmium chloride concentrations of Cd (0.008) M, Cd (0.02) M, and Cd (0.08) M has been reported. The increase in cadmium salt concentration dominated the cluster deposition mechanism of the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method, leading to the cubic crystal phase and the thicker CdS thin films. Also, with the increase in cadmium salt concentration, the photosensivity decreased. After all investigations, it was concluded that the value of photosensivity strongly depends on the film thickness and the quantum confinement effect, as well as the amount of sulfur vacancy of samples grown by the CBD method. The quantum confinement effect of sample Cd (0.008 M) was proved by the blue shift of the optical band gap and the grain size of this sample shown by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The structural properties, surface morphology, compositional properties, film thickness and optical properties of CdS thin films were studied by X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), TEM, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS), Cross-Section Microscopy (CSM), UV–Vis Spectroscopy, and Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (PL), respectively. Besides, the optical sensor characteristics of these samples were analyzed by the I–V curves at a bias voltage of 5V. The results showed more than 200 times the photosensivity of sample Cd (0.008 M) compared to the sample Cd (0.08 M); 265 vs.1.3.

Sublethal toxicity of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) on the growth parameters of Xenopus laevis tadpoles (Daudin, 1802)

Intensive agricultural operations and industrial activities release enormous amount of heavy metals, such as cadmium into aquatic ecosystem. The degree of its toxicity indeed pose an environmental problem. The objective of the present work is to study the impact of sub lethal toxicity of waterborne Cadmium chloride for 8 weeks on the growth parameters of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. The research was carried out in the Fisheries Laboratory, Department of Biology, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Nigeria. The tadpoles stage of development was gotten through artificial reproduction of adult Xenopus laevis collected from Ahmadu Bello University Reservoir. Some water chemistry such as temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and dissolved oxygen were monitored during the study. The tadpoles (Gosner stage 51) were exposed to Cadmium Chloride concentrations of 0.50, 1.00 and 1.50 mg/L derived from already established 96 h LC50, (8.86 mg/L CdCl2) in triplicates. The tadpoles were measured for growth parameters and the number that have completed metamorphosis were counted after an interval of two weeks for a period of eight weeks. Physicochemical parameters of water were within the normal range. The results of growth parameters of Xenopus laevis tadpoles showed that, the values of stages of development, Snout Vent Length (SVL), Hind Limb Length (HLL), Tail Length (TaL), Total Length (ToL), Live Weight Gain (LWG) and the percentage of tadpoles that completed metamorphosis of the exposed group of tadpoles decreased significantly (p

The Interaction of Osmotic and Heavy Metal Stress in C. elegans

Cellular stress is an ever-present aspect of aging and a primary driver of many common age-associated diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or neurodegenerative diseases. As we age, stress-induced damage accumulates over time, along with reduced efficacy of stress response pathways at combatting such damage. Molecular stress response pathways are well studied in the context of individual stressors, but there is a lack of understanding of how these responses change when multiple stressors are encountered at the same time. The goal of our work is to explore the impact of multiple simultaneous stressors on health and survival, and to investigate the underlying molecular pathways involved. To accomplish this, we utilize the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to monitor lifespan changes in response to various stressors. We simultaneously exposed C. elegans to high concentrations of sodium chloride and cadmium chloride, known to induce osmotic and heavy metal stress, respectively. We found that lifespan is drastically decreased by the combined stress, significantly more so than the reduction in lifespan caused by either individual stress. Our results show that glycerol levels, which are normally increased in response to osmotic stress, are significantly lowered when the two stresses are combined compared to levels detected for osmotic stress alone. This suggests that the presence of cadmium may sensitize worms to sodium and other osmotic stressors by blunting cells’ ability to mount an appropriate molecular response. In ongoing work, we will continue to dissect the mechanisms through which cadmium influences glycerol production and other aspects of osmotic stress response.

IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTANTS ON CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM IN CHANNA PUNCTATUS (BLOCH)

The freshwater air-breathing fish Channa punctatus was exposed to sub-lethal concentration of mercuric chloride, cadmium chloride, phenol, ammonia and mixture of these four for 48 hours to determine the short-term effects of these industrial pollutants on carbohydrate metabolism. Fishes were found to be hyperglycemic with a concomitant depletion in the hepatic glycogen content and increase in glucose-6-phosphatase activity on 1st and 2nd day of exposure to single and mixture of pollutants. The results clearly indicate that hepatic glycogen is a major source of hyperglycemia in C. punctatus. Both gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis result in the formation of glucose-6-phosphate, which is hydrolyzed by glucose-6-phosphatase, found in liver and kidney, before being liberated as glucose into the circulation. Histopthological changes in the hepatopancreas of C. punctatus induced by the pollutants include degeneration of hepatocytes accompanied by karyolysis, apoptosis and necrosis, clumping of cytoplasmic materials, derangement of the pancreatic acini and coagulation of blood in the sinusoids. Renal kidney exhibited tubular degeneration and changes in the corpuscles such as shrinkage of capillaries in the glomeruli and increase in Bowman’s space. It is inferred that industrial pollutants effects the normal hepatic and renal functions of C. punctatus. Key words: Channa punctatus, industrial-pollutants, hepatic glycogen, glucose-6-phosphatase, glomeruli, Bowman’s space