Comparison of Histopathological Alterations Due to Sublethal CCl₄ on Rosy Barb (Puntius conchonius) and Amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri) with Implications of Liver Ontogeny

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to examine the histopathological effects of CCl₄ on rosy barbs and amphioxus with an aim to compare the homology between rosy barb liver and amphioxus digestive caecum. It was found that the 96 h LC₅₀ values were 23.9 ± 4 mg/L and 18.9 ± 2 mg/L for rosy barbs and amphioxus, respectively. Histological examinations showed that exposure to sublethal CCl₄ caused damage to the liver, kidney, and gill in rosy barb, and to the digestive caecum and gill in amphioxus. It is clear that both rosy barb liver and amphioxus digestive caecum were the prominent target organs of CCl₄, suggesting that the digestive caecum in amphioxus is homologous to the liver in rosy barb at least in respect to toxic damages of CCl₄.

KEYWORDS:

• Amphioxus
• Carbon tetrachloride
• Hepatic diverticulum
• Liver
• Rosy barb
• Toxicity

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Corrigendum

We thank Dr Yuyan Xu for her valuable suggestions and Dr Sheng Juan Jiang for her technical assistance. We are grateful to the Chinese Government Scholarship Programme for providing financial support to Dr H. Bhattacharya.