Arsenic Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis in Liver, Head-Kidney and Skin of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)

Arsenic is a metal with strong impact on the aquatic environment but its effects on marine fish immunity is little known. In this study, we have evaluated the regulation in the expression of genes encoding important acute-phase proteins (ceruloplasmin, transferrin and vitellogenin), antimicrobial peptides (b-defensin, hepcidin and histone 2B) and apoptosis (caspases 3, 8 and 9) in the skin, liver and head-kidney (HK) of the marine gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) after waterborne As acute exposure for 2 or 10 days. Ceruloplasmin and vitellogenin transcription was significantly increased at 2 days on skin whilst the transferrin gene was down-regulated in HK and skin after 2 and 10 days, respectively. Concerning the antimicrobial peptides, b-defensin and hepcidin were firstly up-regulated in the HK and later they were up-regulated in the skin as well as the histone 2B gene. Finally, apoptosis was induced in all the tissues after As-exposure as indicated by the up-regulation of caspase genes. The data obtained provide an approach for elucidating the different molecular mechanisms induced by arsenic toxicity in marine fish.