Evaluation of recovery in certain hematological and biochemical parameters of the economically important catfish C. batrachus (L.) following withdrawal of arsenic exposure

Abstract

To evaluate the extent of recovery of arsenic stress in specimens of Clarias batrachus pre-exposed to 1.0 mg L-1 sodium arsenite for 60 days were returned to clean tap water for another period of 90 days. The quantity of arsenic accumulation in the blood became almost half and recovery in hematological parameters was slow but extensive. Activities of four different biomarker enzymes alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lipid peroxidase (LPO) were substantially above the untreated control levels perhaps due to partial recovery and significant regeneration of the vital organs systems due to withdrawal of the arsenic stress. Eventhough the amounts of different serum biomolecules also showed significant restoration they could not reach the levels of untreated control fish. Incomplete revival was also indicated by three other marker enzymes (glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase) which although showed increased activities but were substantially below the untreated control levels. © 2012 Korean Society of Environmental Risk Assessment and Health Science and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.