Effect of heavy metal pollution of water on response of fish lymphocytes to mitogenic stimulation

Two groups of six fish each were exposed to a combination of various compounds of eight heavy metals in water for two months. The concentration of the metals in the water was the same as found in the polluted water of Buddha Nallah, a drain of Ludhiana which flows through the heart of the city and joins the river Satluj. Levels of lymphocyte proliferation and lymphokine secretion by mitogen activated lymphocytes were analyzed. The difference in mean values of proteins in culture supernatants of activated lymphocytes between the Con-A stimulated normal and pollutant--exposed stimulated lymphocytes was not significant but the decrease in values in case of exposed fish was very significant (p=0.001)on PHA stimulation. No significant difference in cell proliferation on stimulation with the mitogens PHA or Con-A was found between normal and pollutant--exposed fish.
Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion Introduction The aquatic habitat of fish is intimately associated with their body functions, including immune reactivity. These normal functions are [...]