Biochemical response and tissue-specific accumulation of scallop Aequipecten tehuelchus from Patagonia, Argentina after exposure to inorganic arsenic

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of different inorganic arsenic (As III) concentrations (0, 125, 500 and 1000 μg As/L) following two exposure times (7 and 14 days) on gills, digestive gland and muscle of scallop Aequipecten tehuelchus from Patagonia, Argentina. A biochemical approach was used to investigate oxidative stress-related parameters after different As concentrations and exposure times. Although the accumulation of As was of the same order of magnitude in all tissues, the results showed distinct tissue-specific oxidative responses to this metalloid. Furthermore, the variation in exposure time had no significant effect on As accumulation in any of the three tissues. In gills, despite no reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) were detected, there was an increase in catalase (CAT) activity and metallothionein (MT) levels. Conversely, digestive gland showed RONS production without a rise in CAT and glutathione S-transferases (GST) activities, but with an increase in MT levels. In muscle, RONS production and CAT activity kept constant or decreased, while MT levels remained unchanged. In addition, exposure time demonstrated its critical role in gills by influencing the response of CAT, GST and MT, particularly at high As concentrations, while exposure time did not affect the biochemical stress parameters in the digestive gland and muscle. Interestingly, neither concentration of As produced lipid damage, showing the effectiveness of the antioxidant mechanisms to avoid it. These results emphasize that A. tehuelchus exhibited no time-dependent effects in response to As exposure, while showing tissue-specific responses characterized by significant concentration-dependent effects of As. This study provides a comprehensive insight by considering the combined effects of time and concentration of a contaminant and distinguishing its effects on specific tissues, a dimension often overlooked in the existing literature. Subsequent studies should prioritize the analysis of additional contaminants in species with increased sensitivity.