| 1. |
- Smolarz, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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First record of the occurrence of ”Gill disease” in Mytilus edulis trossulus from the Gulf of Gdansk, Poland
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2011 .- 1096-0805. ; 93:3, s. 207-209
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We are presenting the first report of the occurrence of “gill disease” in Mytilus edulis trossulus from the southern Baltic Sea, Gulf of Gdańsk (Poland). The disease preliminary diagnosis was based on the presence of white and yellow “spots” causing deep indentations in the gills with degeneration, destruction and necrosis of gill filaments. Average prevalence of gill erosion in the blue mussels population was 15.8%. According to other authors, gill erosion may affect over 80% of the bivalve population resulting in mortality rates of up to 40%. The origin of the gill erosion remains unknown, but viruses are most likely involved in the etiology of these pathological conditions. The disease as such may indicate a decrease in the immunological resistance of organisms to infections and inflammations directly or indirectly caused by harmful factors in the ambient environment. Furthermore, the occurrence of numerous pathologies in bivalves is a particular problem in the Gulf of Gdańsk being a low biodiversity ecosystem. Pathologies reduce bilvalves’ reproduction ability, worsen their physiological condition and increase their mortality rate. Those factors may also pose a significant ecological danger and lead to negative alterations of the ecosystem.
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| 2. |
- Smolarz, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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Histology, cytogenetics and cytofluorymetry in diagnosis of neoplasia in the Baltic clam Macoma balthica (Bivalvia, L.) from the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea)”.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Caryologia (Firenze). - 0008-7114 .- 2165-5391. ; 58:3, s. 212-219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study presents results of histopathologic, cytogenetics and flow cytometry analyses performed on Macoma balthica collected from the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea) in 2003 in order to compare the techniques for diagnosis of neoplasia. The proportion of affected clams gave a crude prevalence of 15.7 %. The four stages of the disease defined by histology and three stages of neoplasia defined by flow cytometry were reported. Stage I defined by flow cytometry corresponded to stages I and II defined by histology. Chromosome analysis did not lead to a staging of neoplastic progression. Both cytogenetics and flow cytometry indicated a difference in the DNA content of non-neoplastic and neoplastic cells. Cytogenetics examination marked that the range of chromosome numbers scored in abnormal mitosis corresponded to pentaploid-like cells (2.37 x diploid) and was similar to the mean DNA quantity identified using flow cytometry (2.36 x diploid). These methods generally have lower diagnosis sensitivity because with both techniques only a part of an animal can be studied. Thus, histology examination appeared to be the most sensitive tool for detection of the possible foci of neoplastic cells, metastasis and rare tumour cells freely circulating in the hemolymph in the early stages of the disease. Cytogenetic analysis has been considered as an important tool for the evaluation of aquatic environment quality as well as for the ecological risk assessment. Flow cytometry provided a rapid and easy method for discrimination of the aneuploid cells within thousands of cells per individual. Thus, in diagnosis of early stages of the cancer as well as early metastasis histology analyses should be performed. Chromosomes analysis and flow cytometry examination are important techniques for detection abnormalities in cell division, cell viability and DNA quantity. They appear to be very important in diagnosis of tumors based on high aneuploidy level
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| 3. |
- Smolarz, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term toxicity of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) to the benthic clam Macoma balthica from the Baltic Sea
- 2009
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Ingår i: Aquatic Toxicology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0166-445X .- 1879-1514. ; 95:3, s. 239-247
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The world's largest brackish water sea area, the Baltic Sea, is considered to be one of the most polluted seas of the world. Many new pollutants are constantly entering the environment, such as brominated flame-retardants (BFRs). BFRs represent a group of compounds that structurally resemble hydrophobic organic contaminants, but only scarce data about their toxicity to marine organism exist. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze long-term in vivo cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of hexabromocyclodododecane (HBCDD) to exposed marine invertebrates using a suite of cytogenetic biomarkers. This included a set of nuclear and nucleolar characteristics and the micronucleus test. The use of those parameters reflects different mechanisms of nuclear activity regulation in cells (as a parameter of cytotoxicity) and measures subcellular processes. The induction of nuclear abnormalities (like the formation of micronuclei) was also employed here as a parameter of genotoxicity. In order to reflect the proliferative and metabolic activity of the cells the number of argylophillic nucleolar organiser regions (NORs) in interphase cells was scored. Over a period of 50 days an in vivo exposure experiment with a clam Macoma balthica and different concentrations of HBCDD (nominal concentrations of 0, 100 and 250 μg/l) with three replicates each was performed. Gill cells were used as “sentinel systems” considering specificity in metabolism, repair mechanisms, adaptative response and cell proliferation. A significant increase in nuclear and nucleolar abnormalities and in the frequency of dead cells was observed during the duration of the experiment with the highest peak occurring 10 days after exposure for nuclear abnormalities and 20–30 days after exposure for malfunction of ribosomal genes (NORs) (GLM analyses and Spearman correlation, p < 0.05). Thus, the induction of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities reflected the toxic potential of HBCDD to marine invertebrates while an increase in the number of NOR may also reflect adaptive responses of the system as enhanced induction of proliferative regeneration of the gill tissue
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| 4. |
- Smolarz, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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Recent trends in prevalence of neoplasia in the Baltic clam Macoma balthica (L.) from the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea)
- 2005
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Ingår i: Oceanologia. - 0078-3234. ; 47:1, s. 61-74
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study discusses the occurrence of neoplasia in the Baltic clam Macoma balthica from the Gulf of Gdańsk in recent years and investigates potential relationships between toxic compounds in the environment and the presence of the cancer. The disease was identified at four sampling stations during 1999-2002. Comparison with previous results highlighted the substantial prevalence of the tumour between 1998 and 2002. The prevalence of the cancer was strongly dependent on the sampling location (p > 0.001): it was highest at sampling point H45 (the deepest part of the gulf) and lowest at station PB30 (central part of the gulf). Monthly studies showed a trend towards an increasing prevalence of neoplasia during the warm months. However, over several sampling months no strong statistical correlation between the prevalence of the disease and the sampling time was found. The results of the study suggest that several environmental factors may promote the progress of the cancer in M. balthica from the Gulf of Gdańsk: it is most probably an indirect effect of pollution, although causality cannot be proven at this stage. Seriously polluted and exhibiting a considerable asymmetry of contamination, the ecosystem of the gulf provides an ideal environment for testing potential cause-effect relationships between pollutants and their biological effects
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| 5. |
- Smolarz, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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Ultrastructural study of neoplastic cells in Macoma balthica (Bivalvia) from the Gulf of Gdansk (Poland)
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2011 .- 1096-0805. ; 92:2, s. 79-84
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the Baltic clam Macoma balthica from the Gulf of Gdansk, neoplasia is considered as a serious epizootic linked to bad environmental conditions and high levels of pollutants. Previous research was focused on the diagnosis, prevalence, seasonality and histopathological characteristic of the cancer. This study is focused on electron microscopy analyses describing cell ultrastructure abnormalities related to neoplasia. Examinations using the electron microscopy highlighted changes confined to anatomic ultrastructures, shapes and functions of neoplastic cells. The lobulated appearance of the nucleus, changes in cellular matrix and the occurrence of large granular cells with hyperchromatic nuclei, atypical Golgi structures and deterioration of rough endoplasmic reticulum manifested the disease. The presence of atypical mitochondria, free ribosomes and hypertrophic nuclei suggests the adaptation of neoplastic cells to increased mitotic activity, while the observed modification of cellular membranes may reflect functional changes connected to increased pinocytotic activity or intercellular transport. The cancer cells were found to appear in two types, abnormal round-shaped cells and spindle-shaped cells, both with increased frequencies of cell division. Round-shaped cells typical for disseminated neoplasia were observed in all affected bivalves, in a few cases co-occurring with abnormal spherical cells. Spindle-shaped cells containing some intracytoplasmic filaments, and with a tendency of the nuclei to be orientated as in a palisade were interpreted as myofibroblasts-like cells and were observed in five out of eleven clams diagnosed as neoplastic. This finding represents the first demonstration of phenotypic differences in the cell types co-occurring in animals diagnosed as neoplastic and by that suggests coexistence of two types of bivalve cancer, disseminated neoplasia and probable fibrosarcoma.
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| 6. |
- Wolowicz, Maciej, et al.
(författare)
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Neoplasia in estuarine bivalves. Effect of feeding behaviour and pollution in the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea, Poland)
- 2005
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Ingår i: The Comparative Roles of Suspension-Feeders in Ecosystems. - Dordrecht : Springer. - 9781402030307 ; , s. 165-182
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The incidence of tumors in bivalve molluscs is receiving increased attention due to possible detrimental effects on harvested stocks. Although the etiology or causes of neoplasias remains unclear, pollution by carcinogenic agents is implicated in the heavily exploited littoral zones of coastal waters. In the Gulf of Gdańsk, southern Baltic Sea, a higher prevalence of the disorder was observed in infaunal facultative (deposit/suspension) feeders compared to epifaunal obligate suspension-feeders, providing a new behavioural aspect of the tumor. Recent studies also reveal a potential cause-and-effect relationship between sediment factors and the incidence of neoplasia across a range of environmental properties
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