Hepatic and gill biomarker responses in Solea spp. from the NW Mediterranean fishing grounds

Abstract

The common sole,Solea solea and the Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis are two important commercial species that coexist in the NW Mediterranean Sea. Several common biomarkers of chemical exposure were measured in two organs involved in biotransformation, although to a different extent: liver and gills. These common biomarkers were: phase I CYP1A-dependent EROD activity and carboxylesterase, as phase II reactions GST and the antioxidant defences: catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase. Histological examination of the liver was assessed as percentage of (1) piknotic nuclei and (2) lipid vacuoles as a sign of cell damage. Site differences were more evident in S. senegalensis as individuals differed from two more distant sites. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) considering all chemical and biomarker variables discriminated individuals collected at the different fishing grounds. Histological damage was not observed in relation to sites but, instead, it was affected by the fish size