Histological responses of the Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica to a short-term sublethal-level Cd exposure

Abstract

To develop fast and sensitive biomarkers for metal exposures in Antarctic marine organisms, we examined histological alterations of an Antarctic sentinel bivalve species Laternula elliptica following a short-term exposure to a sublethal-level of Cd. Distinct histological alterations of tissues and cells of the gills, kidneys, and digestive glands were observed after 8- to 16- hours of exposure to Cd, while an increase of Cd concentrations in tissues was not detectable. Most alterations were highly localized in the epithelium of the three tissues: epithelia were found to be detached from the remaining tissue parts. In addition, ultrastructural changes such as cytosolic vacuolization, dilation of nucleus and rER membranes were detected in all three tissues, which suggested that the clams are subject to sublethal stresses. Thus, histological and ultrastructural changes on localized tissue parts were rapid and sensitive, suggesting that they may serve biomarkers for Cd exposures. Linkages between the shown ultrastructural changes and higher biological organization level responses are to be established by longer-term exposure experiments.