Neurotoxicity in rats induced by the poisonous dreamfish (Sarpa salpa)

Figures & data

Table 1. Concentration of toxicity expressed in mouse units per 100 g tissue and microgrammes per kg tissue, estimated in fish organs of S. salpa collected from the Island of Kerkennah (Gulf of Gabes; South East Tunisia) during autumn (2008–2010).

	Concentration of toxicity (MU/100 g tissue)	Concentration of toxicity (μg/kg tissue)	DL50% g/kg of mouse
Viscera extract	48.25 ± 0.85	7920 ± 1478	1.217
Liver extract	24 ± 0.40	4817.5 ± 944.6	2.195
Brain extract	2.87 ± 0.025	657.5 ± 74	14.395
Flesh extract	0.75 ± 0.004	136.2 ± 11.3	18.645

Values are average ± SE; n = 8.

Table 2. Effects of tissue extracts of flesh, liver, brain, and viscera of S. salpa (0.3 mL/100 g, v/w) on body and cerebral cortex weights of control and treated rats after 7 d of treatment.

Parameters	Control	FT group	BT group	LT group	VT group
Body weights (g)	170.20 ± 3.00	162.97 ± 3.06*	162.83 ± 1.88*	142.40 ± 6.95*/#	137.26 ± 6.39*/#
Brain weights (g)	0.67 ± 0.06	0.54 ± 0.03	0.51 ± 0.05	0.45 ± 0.06*/#	0.38 ± 0.03*/#

FT, flesh-treated group; BT, brain-treated group; LT, liver-treated group; VT, viscera-treated group.

Values are mean ± SE; n = 6; *p ≤ 0.05 significant from control; #p ≤ 0.05: FT and BT groups versus. LT and VT.

Figure 1. Effects of tissue extracts of flesh, brain, liver, and viscera of S. salpa (0.3 mL/100 g, v/w) on the cerebral cortex TBARS level of treated rats versus control rats. FT, flesh-treated group; BT, brain-treated group; LT, liver-treated group; VT, viscera-treated group. FT-, BT-, LT-, and VT-treated groups compared with the control group: *p < 0.05. FT and BT groups compared with LT and VT: #p < 0.05.

Table 3. Effects of tissue extracts of flesh, brain, liver, and viscera of S. salpa (0.3 mL/100g, v/w) on the cerebral cortex SOD, CAT, and GPx activities of treated rats versus control group.

Groups	SOD^a	CAT^b	GPx^c
Control	1.79 ± 0.02	6.74 ± 0.34	1.51 ± 0.13
FT	2.27 ± 0.18*	8.32 ± 0.26*	2.17 ± 0.07*
BT	2.30 ± 0.11*	8.41 ± 0.47*	2.22 ± 0.04*
LT	1.55 ± 0.03*/#	5.04 ± 0.23*/#	1.11 ± 0.07*/#
VT	1.48 ± 0.05*/#	4.97 ± 0.17*/#	1.09 ± 0.08*/#

FT, flesh-treated group; BT, brain-treated group; LT, liver-treated group; VT, viscera-treated group. Values are expressed as mean ± SD for six animals in each group. *p < 0.05, significant from the control group. #p < 0.05, FT and BT groups versus VT and LT groups.

^aSuperoxide dismutase: units/mg protein.

^bCatalase: μmoles H₂O₂ degraded/min/mg protein.

^cGlutathione peroxidase: nmoles of GSH/min/mg protein.

Figure 2. Effects of tissue extracts of flesh, brain, liver, and viscera of S. salpa (0.3 mL/100 g, v/w) on the cerebral cortex AchE activity of treated rats versus control rats. FT, flesh-treated group; BT, brain-treated group; LT, liver-treated group; VT, viscera-treated group. FT-, BT-, LT- and VT-treated groups compared with the control group: *p < 0.05. FT and BT groups compared with LT and VT: #p < 0.05.

Figure 3. Effects of tissue extracts of flesh, brain, liver, and viscera of S. salpa (0.3 mL/100 g, v/w) on the plasma AchE activity of treated rats versus control rats. FT, flesh-treated group; BT, brain-treated group; LT, liver-treated group; VT, viscera-treated group. FT-, BT-, LT-, and VT-treated groups compared with the control group: *p < 0.05. FT and BT groups compared with LT and VT: #p < 0.05.

Figure 4. Photomicrographs showing histological changes in cerebral cortex in different groups; control group (A); flesh- and brain-treated groups (B); (C) and liver- and viscera-treated groups (D); (E) several abnormalities (indicated by arrows). (A) Histological picture showing normal cerebral cortex tissue. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, ×400.

: Glial cells.

: Neurones. ↓: Vacuolated cytoplasm.

: Hemorrhage.

Figure 5. Photomicrographs of section of cerebral cortex in different groups; control group (A); flesh- and brain-treated groups (B) and (C) and liver- and viscera-treated groups (D) and (E) stained by TUNEL technique (magnification ×400). Cerebral cortex was fixed by direct immersion in a 4% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer. Serial sections (5 μm) were mounted on gelatin-coated glass slides cut and stained using the TUNEL technique (see section Materials and methods). →Apoptotic cells (arrows).