Oxidative stress response and histopathological changes due to atrazine and chlorpyrifos exposure in common carp

Atrazine (ATR) and chlorpyrifos (CPF) are the most common pesticides found in freshwater ecosystems throughout the world. Herein, we investigated the oxidative stress responses and histopathological changes in the liver and gill of common carp after a 40-d exposure to CPF and ATR, alone or in combination, and a 20-d recovery treatment. We found that exposure to ATR, CPF or their mixture for 40 d could induce decrease in antioxidant enzyme (SOD, CAT and GSH-Px) activities and increase in MDA content in a dose-dependent manner in the liver and gill of common carp. Especially with regard to the pathological changes, the tissue damage increased in severity in a dose-dependent manner. The liver tissue of common carp revealed different degree of hydropic degeneration, vacuolisation, pyknotic nuclei, and fatty infiltration. The gills of common carp displayed varied degrees of epithelial hypertrophy, telangiectasis, oedema with epithelial separation from basement membranes, general necrosis, and epithelial desquamation. After a 20-d recovery treatment, the antioxidant enzyme activities and MDA content were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in the corresponding exposure groups in all of the highest doses, but not in the lower doses. To our knowledge, this is the first report of subchronic oxidative stress and histopathological effects caused by ATR, CPF and their mixture in the common carp. Thus, the information presented in this study is helpful to understand the mechanism of ATR-, CPF- and ATR/CPF-mixture-induced oxidative stress in fish.

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► Oxidative stress and histopathology were investigated by ATR, CPF and their mixture.
► Our aim was to evaluate the sub-chronic effects of ATR, CPF and their mixture on carp.
► This is first report from oxidative stress and histopathology of ATR and CPF on carp.
► In our study the histological and morphological parameters were significantly altered.
► The presence of the two pesticides (ATR and CPF) has a synergistic effect.