Influence of Morphophysiological Changes in Immune System Organs on Lysozyme in Males of Pike Esox lucius.

The concentration of lysozyme in the liver, kidneys, spleen, and serum, as well as the size of immune system organs in males of pike Esox lucius L., vary in different seasons of the year. Enzyme concentrations in organs and serum are weakly related to each other. Considering the absolute organ weight, the organs demonstrate a strong relationship with each other, but the correlation between their somatic indices is very weak. The size of organs affects the concentration of lysozyme in the organs themselves and in the serum. The liver plays a major role in intra-annual fluctuations in the concentration of lysozyme in all organs and serum. The kidney has the opposite effect on the liver, balancing the effect on the concentration of the enzyme in the liver and serum. The most profound morphophysiological changes in organs and lysozyme (as an indicator of nonspecific immunity) coincide with the breeding season of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]