Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Dotteschini, S.; Brocca, G.; Radaelli, G.; Marion, A.; Irato, P.; Bertotto, D.; Santovito, G. Antioxidant Responses Induced by PFAS Exposure in Freshwater Fish in the Veneto Region. Antioxidants2022, 11, 1115.
Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Dotteschini, S.; Brocca, G.; Radaelli, G.; Marion, A.; Irato, P.; Bertotto, D.; Santovito, G. Antioxidant Responses Induced by PFAS Exposure in Freshwater Fish in the Veneto Region. Antioxidants 2022, 11, 1115.
Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Dotteschini, S.; Brocca, G.; Radaelli, G.; Marion, A.; Irato, P.; Bertotto, D.; Santovito, G. Antioxidant Responses Induced by PFAS Exposure in Freshwater Fish in the Veneto Region. Antioxidants2022, 11, 1115.
Piva, E.; Schumann, S.; Dotteschini, S.; Brocca, G.; Radaelli, G.; Marion, A.; Irato, P.; Bertotto, D.; Santovito, G. Antioxidant Responses Induced by PFAS Exposure in Freshwater Fish in the Veneto Region. Antioxidants 2022, 11, 1115.
Abstract
In recent decades, the interest in PFAS has grown exponentially around the world, due to the toxic effects induced by these chemical compounds in humans, as well as in other animals and in plants. However, current knowledge related to the antistress responses that organisms can express when exposed to these substances is still insufficient and therefore it requires further investigation. The present study focuses on antioxidant responses in Squalius cephalus and Padogobius bonelli, exposed to significant levels of PFAS in an area of the Veneto region subjected to a recent relevant pollution case. These two ubiquitous freshwater species were sampled in three rivers characterized by different concentrations of PFAS. Several biomarkers of oxidative stress have been evaluated and the results suggest that PFAS chronic exposure induces some physiological responses in the target species, at both cellular and tissue scales. The risk of oxidative stress seems to be kept under control by the antioxidant system by means of gene activation at the mitochondrial level. Moreover, the histological analysis suggests an interesting protective mechanism against damage to the protein component based on lipid vacuolization.
Keywords
antioxidant enzymes; freshwater fish; oxidative stress; PFAS; Veneto region
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Anatomy and Physiology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.