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Histopathology of Aquatic Animals

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2021) | Viewed by 40819

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Dr. Panagiotis Berillis

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Guest Editor

Department of Ichthyology & Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Thessaly, Greece
Interests: light and electron microscopy; aquatic animal histology; aquatic animal histopathology; bone mechanical properties; collagen; aquaculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Božidar Rašković

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Co-Guest Editor

1. Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, University of Porto – Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Porto, Portugal
2. Institute of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture,University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: fish histology and histopathology; fish ecotoxicology and toxicology; light and electron microscopy; aquaculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Histopathological studies of aquatic animals refer to the microscopic examination of tissues and organs in order to detect deviations from the expected microscopic or macroscopic structure. Information obtained from the study of histomorphological lesions in aquatic animals can be a useful addition when determining the general state of health of aquatic animals, especially if chronic stressors and/or pathogens are present. Compared to mammals, postmortem autolysis progresses very rapidly in most aquatic organisms. This fact makes the histopathological examination quite complex and demanding, not only in a histotechnical sense. A prerequisite for a successful study is the baseline knowledge of physiological processes and histological architecture of the studied species. Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to contribute to the current state of knowledge on the histopathology of aquatic animals and to provide a professional and encyclopedic tool for biologists and veterinarians.

Dr. Panagiotis Berillis
Dr. Božidar Rašković
Guest Editors

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Keywords

fish
histology
histopathology
aquatic animals
histomorphological lesions
aquaculture
fisheries
ecotoxicology
malformations

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 205 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on the Histopathology of Aquatic Animals

by Božidar Rašković and Panagiotis Berillis

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 971; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12030971 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1827

Abstract

Histopathology is the study of changes in any tissue associated with a disease or disorder [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

Research

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17 pages, 4277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Atrazine-Induced Hepato-Renal Toxicity in Adult Male Xenopus laevis Frogs

by Lynette Sena, Jaclyn Asouzu Johnson, Pilani Nkomozepi and Ejikeme Felix Mbajiorgu

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11776; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411776 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2970

Abstract

Atrazine (ATZ) is an herbicide commonly detected in groundwater. Several studies have focused on its immunological and endocrine effects on adult Xenopus laevis species. However, we investigated the impact of atrazine on the renal and hepatic biochemistry and histomorphology in adult male frogs. Forty adult male frogs were allocated to four treatment groups (control, one ATZ (0.01 µg/L), two ATZ (200 µg/L) and three ATZ (500 µg/L), 10 animals per group, for 90 days. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatinine levels increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the 200 and 500 μg/L groups but malondialdehyde only in the 500 μg/L group (p < 0.05). Histopathological observations of derangement, hypertrophy, vascular congestion and dilation, infiltration of inflammatory cells incursion, apoptosis and hepatocytes cell death were observed with atrazine exposure, mostly in the 500 μg/L group. Additionally, histochemical labelling of caspase-3 in the sinusoidal endothelium was observed in all the treated groups, indicating vascular compromise. Evaluation of renal histopathology revealed degradation and atrophy of the glomerulus, vacuolization, thick loop of Henle tubule epithelial cells devolution and dilation of the tubular lumen. Furthermore, expression of caspase-3 indicates glomerular and tubular apoptosis in atrazine-exposed animals. These findings infer that environmentally relevant atrazine doses (low or high) could induce hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in adult male Xenopus laevis frogs and potentially related aquatic organisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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16 pages, 4253 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Cellular Stress Responses of the Endemic Freshwater Fish Species Alburnus vistonicus Freyhof & Kottelat, 2007 in a Constantly Changing Environment

by Emmanouil Tsakoumis, Thomais Tsoulia, Konstantinos Feidantsis, Foivos Alexandros Mouchlianitis, Panagiotis Berillis, Dimitra Bobori and Efthimia Antonopoulou

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 11021; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112211021 - 21 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2671

Abstract

Herein we investigated the cellular responses of the endemic fish species Alburnus vistonicus Freyhof & Kottelat, 2007, under the variation of several physico-chemical parameters including temperature (°C), salinity (psu), dissolved oxygen (mg/L), pH and conductivity (μS/cm), which were measured in situ. Monthly fish samplings (October 2014–September 2015) were conducted in Vistonis Lake in northern Greece, a peculiar ecosystem with brackish waters in its southern part and high salinity fluctuations in its northern part. Fish gills and liver responses to the changes of the physico-chemical parameters were tested biochemically and histologically. Heat shock protein levels appeared to be correlated with salinity fluctuations, indicating the adaptation of A. vistonicus to the particular environment. The latter is also enhanced by increased Na⁺-K⁺ ATPase levels, in response to salinity increase during summer. The highest mitogen activated protein kinases phosphorylation levels were observed along with the maximum mean salinity values. A variety of histological lesions were also detected in the majority of the gill samples, without however securing salinity as the sole stress factor. A. vistonicus cellular stress responses are versatile and shifting according to the examined tissue, biomarker and season, in order for this species to adapt to its shifting habitat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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16 pages, 4704 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cardiac and Cerebellar Histomorphology and Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate (IP₃R) Perturbations in Adult Xenopus laevis Following Atrazine Exposure

by Jaclyn Asouzu Johnson, Pilani Nkomozepi, Prosper Opute and Ejikeme Felix Mbajiorgu

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 10006; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112110006 - 26 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1737

Abstract

Despite several reports on the endocrine-disrupting ability of atrazine in amphibian models, few studies have investigated atrazine toxicity in the heart and cerebellum. This study investigated the effect of atrazine on the unique Ca²⁺ channel-dependent receptor (Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; IP₃R) in the heart and the cerebellum of adult male Xenopus laevis and documented the associated histomorphology changes implicated in cardiac and cerebellar function. Sixty adult male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were exposed to atrazine (0 µg/L (control), 0.01 µg/L, 200 µg/L, and 500 µg/L) for 90 days. Thereafter, heart and cerebellar sections were processed with routine histological stains (heart) or Cresyl violet (brain), and IP₃R histochemical localization was carried out on both organs. The histomorphology measurements revealed a significant decrease in the mean percentage area fraction of atrial (0.01 µg/L and 200 µg/L) and ventricular myocytes (200 µg/L) with an increased area fraction of interstitial space, while a significant decrease in Purkinje cells was observed in all atrazine groups (p < 0.008, 0.001, and 0.0001). Cardiac IP₃R was successfully localized, and its mean expression was significantly increased (atrium) or decreased (cerebellum) in all atrazine-exposed groups, suggesting that atrazine may adversely impair cerebellar plasticity and optimal functioning of the heart due to possible disturbances of calcium release, and may also induce several associated cardiac and neural pathophysiologies in all atrazine concentrations, especially at 500 µg/L. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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9 pages, 2047 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gill Histopathology as a Biomarker for Discriminating Seasonal Variations in Water Quality

by Zoran Marinović, Branko Miljanović, Béla Urbányi and Jelena Lujić

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9504; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209504 - 13 Oct 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3333

Abstract

Histopathological alterations in various fish organs have a pronounced value in aquatic toxicology and are widely used in environmental monitoring. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether histopathological alterations in fish gills can discriminate seasonal variations in environmental conditions within the same aquatic ecosystem, and if so, which alterations contributed the most to seasonal differentiation. Microscopic examination of common bream Abramis brama gills displayed various alterations in gill structure, including epithelial hypertrophy, hyperplasia, mucous and chloride cell alterations, epithelial lifting, necrosis, hyperemia and aneurism. These alterations were subsequently quantified by a semi-quantitative analysis in order to detect differences in the intensity of the mentioned alterations. Epithelial hypertrophy, hyperplasia, epithelial lifting and necrosis varied significantly between seasons with only necrosis being significantly higher in the first season. Discriminant canonical analysis displayed that epithelial hyperplasia, mucous cell alterations, epithelial lifting and necrosis contributed the most to discrimination between seasons. Overall, this study demonstrates that histopathological biomarkers in fish gills can be used in discriminating seasonal variations in water quality within the same aquatic ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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14 pages, 934 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lipoxygenase Enzymes, Oligosaccharides (Raffinose and Stachyose) and 11sA4 and A5 Globulins of Glycinin Present in Soybean Meal Are Not Drivers of Enteritis in Juvenile Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

by Artur N. Rombenso, David Blyth, Andrew T. James, Teisha Nikolaou and Cedric J. Simon

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 9327; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199327 - 8 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1847

Abstract

Soybean meal has been largely investigated and commercially used in fish nutrition. However, its inclusion levels have been carefully considered due to the presence of antinutritional factors, which depending on a series of factors might induce gut inflammation damaging the mucosal integrity and causing enteritis. Several strategies including genetic engineering have been applied attempting to reduce or eliminate some of the antinutritional factors. Accordingly, we assessed the intestinal health of juvenile Atlantic salmon fed high levels of speciality soybean genotypes with reduced-to-no content amounts of lipoxygenases, altered glycinin profile and reduced levels of oligosaccharides. No major signs of enteritis, only indication of enteritis progression, was noticed in the soybean meal-based diets illustrated by mild changes in distal intestine morphology. Whereas fish, fed fishmeal control feeds, displayed normal distal intestine integrity. Speciality soybean types did not improve intestinal health of juvenile Atlantic salmon suggesting these antinutrients are not drivers of the intestinal inflammatory process in this species. No additional benefits in terms of production performance or blood biochemistry were noticed in the speciality soybean types compared to the traditional soybean. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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14 pages, 11949 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Nasal Epithelium as a Route of Infection and Clinical Signs Changes, in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fingerlings Infected with Aeromonas spp

by Fabián Ricardo Gómez de Anda, Vicente Vega-Sánchez, Nydia Edith Reyes-Rodríguez, Víctor Manuel Martínez-Juárez, Juan Carlos Ángeles-Hernández, Ismael Acosta-Rodríguez, Rafael German Campos-Montiel and Andrea Paloma Zepeda-Velázquez

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 9159; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199159 - 1 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2084

Abstract

The genus Aeromonas is a group of bacteria that is widely distributed in water bodies and belongs to the normal intestinal microbiota of aquatic and terrestrial animals. In the present work, rainbow trout fingerlings were experimentally infected by an immersion bath with different Aeromonas species. Subsequently, the behavior of the infected groups was observed and recorded. Infected fingerlings were evaluated by histopathology. The highest percentages of hyperpigmentation (18.88%) and inappetence (47.7%) were observed in fish infected with A. salmonicida, while abnormal swimming (83.33%) was recorded in fish infected with A. bestiarum. In histopathological findings, the highest percentages were observed in the olfactory epithelium (50.0%) for A. lusitana and A. salmonicida (41.1%)-infected fish. While, in the nervous system, the cerebral hemispheres (31.1%) in A. media-infected fish and the oblongata medulla (40.0%) in the A. bestiarum-infected fish presented the highest percentages. Meanwhile, A. salmonicida and A. bestiarum have the highest pathogenicity and virulence based on the histopathological findings in the olfactory epithelium and nervous system. Due to the proximity of the olfactory epithelium with the nervous tissue, it is possible that the infection generated by the Aeromonas species and the histopathological findings in the nervous tissue are reflected in different behavioral changes that suggest differences in the pathogenicity and virulence of the bacteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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15 pages, 5251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Fishmeal Replacement by Poultry By-Product Meal and Hydrolyzed Feather Meal on Liver and Intestinal Histomorphology and on Intestinal Microbiota of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)

by Pier Psofakis, Alexandra Meziti, Panagiotis Berillis, Eleni Mente, Konstantinos A. Kormas and Ioannis T. Karapanagiotidis

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 8806; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11198806 - 22 Sep 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3598

Abstract

The effects on liver and intestinal histomorphology and on intestinal microbiota in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed diets that contained poultry by-product meal (PBM) and hydrolyzed feather meal (HFM) as fishmeal replacements were studied. Fish fed on a series of isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets, where fishmeal protein of the control diet (FM diet) was replaced by either PBM or by HFM at 25%, 50% and 100% without amino acid supplementation (PBM25, PBM50, PBM100, HFM25, HFM50 and HFM100 diets) or supplemented with lysine and methionine (PBM25+, PBM50+, HFM25+ and HFM50+ diets). The use of PBM and HFM at 25% fishmeal replacement generated a similar hepatic histomorphology to FM-fed fish, indicating that both land animal proteins are highly digestible at low FM replacement levels. However, 50% and 100% FM replacement levels by either PBM or HFM resulted in pronounced hepatic alterations in fish with the latter causing more severe degradation of the liver. Dietary amino acid supplementation delivered an improved tissue histology signifying their importance at high FM replacement levels. Intestinal microbiota was dominated by Proteobacteria (58.8%) and Actinobacteria (32.4%) in all dietary groups, but no specific pattern was observed among them at any taxonomic level. This finding was probably driven by the high inter-individual variability observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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9 pages, 1848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Report and 3D Reconstruction of a Presumptive Microscopic Liver Lipoma in a Black Barbel (Barbus balcanicus) from the River Bregalnica in the Republic of North Macedonia

by Katerina Rebok, Maja Jordanova, Júlia Azevedo and Eduardo Rocha

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(18), 8392; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188392 - 10 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2334

Abstract

A lipoma is a benign tumour of mature adipocytes which may appear in various species, including marine and freshwater fish. It usually occurs in isolated locations, such as a superficial or deep mass, mainly in the skin and seldom in other organs. In non-mammalian vertebrates, there is no agreed minimal size for the mass to be considered a lipoma. This study histologically describes a case proposed to be a microlipoma in the liver of Barbus balcanicus. The structure was an oval-shaped mass of well-differentiated adipocytes, surrounded by hepatic parenchyma. The adipocyte cluster did not contact with major vascular or biliary tracts, the liver capsule, or the hilum. The cell mass reached a maximal linear length and width of ~0.5 mm and ~0.4 mm. A three-dimensional and software-assisted reconstruction of the adipocytic mass showed that it had the shape of a flattened prolate spheroid (~0.01 mm³). Given the histological criteria currently used in the literature, we consider the mass as a lipoma, or, better, a microlipoma because it was tiny. We interpret this structure as an early growing lipoma. This work is the second description of a liver lipoma in a fish to the best of our knowledge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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Review

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15 pages, 651 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effects of Glyphosate and Its Metabolite AMPA on Aquatic Organisms

by Nikola Tresnakova, Alzbeta Stara and Josef Velisek

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 9004; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11199004 - 27 Sep 2021

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 6676

Abstract

Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) was developed in the early 1970s and at present is used as a herbicide to kill broadleaf weeds and grass. The widely occurring degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is a result of glyphosate and amino-polyphosphonate degradation. The massive use of the parent compound leads to the ubiquity of AMPA in the environment, and particularly in water. Considering this, it can be assumed that glyphosate and its major metabolites could pose a potential risk to aquatic organisms. This review summarizes current knowledge about residual glyphosate and its major metabolite AMPA in the aquatic environment, including its status and toxic effects in aquatic organisms, mainly fish. Based on the above, we identify major gaps in the current knowledge and some directions for future research knowledge about the effects of worldwide use of herbicide glyphosate and its major metabolite AMPA. The toxic effect of glyphosate and its major metabolite AMPA has mainly influenced growth, early development, oxidative stress biomarkers, antioxidant enzymes, haematological, and biochemical plasma indices and also caused histopathological changes in aquatic organisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Histopathology of Aquatic Animals)

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24 pages, 502 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Micro and Nano Plastics Distribution in Fish as Model Organisms: Histopathology, Blood Response and Bioaccumulation in Different Organs

by Maria Cristina Guerrera, Marialuisa Aragona, Caterina Porcino, Francesco Fazio, Rosaria Laurà, Maria Levanti, Giuseppe Montalbano, Germana Germanà, Francesco Abbate and Antonino Germanà

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(13), 5768; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135768 - 22 Jun 2021

Cited by 84 | Viewed by 9645

Abstract

Micro- and nano-plastic (MP/NP) pollution represents a threat not only to marine organisms and ecosystems, but also a danger for humans. The effects of these small particles resulting from the fragmentation of waste of various types have been well documented in mammals, although the consequences of acute and chronic exposure are not fully known yet. In this review, we summarize the recent results related to effects of MPs/NPs in different species of fish, both saltwater and freshwater, including zebrafish, used as model organisms for the evaluation of human health risk posed by MNPs. The expectation is that discoveries made in the model will provide insight regarding the risks of plastic particle toxicity to human health, with a focus on the effect of long-term exposure at different levels of biological complexity in various tissues and organs, including the brain. The current scientific evidence shows that plastic particle toxicity depends not only on factors such as particle size, concentration, exposure time, shape, and polymer type, but also on co-factors, which make the issue extremely complex. We describe and discuss the possible entry pathways of these particles into the fish body, as well as their uptake mechanisms and bioaccumulation in different organs and the role of blood response (hematochemical and hematological parameters) as biomarkers of micro- and nano-plastic water pollution. Full article

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