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In this study, we examine markers of oxidative stress in the tetra Hyphessobrycon luetkenii collected from two locations in the copper contaminated João Dias creek (southern Brazil). Also, specimens were translocated from a clean reference section of the creek to a polluted stretch and vice-versa. Fish were held at in submerged cages for 96 h and then sacrificed. Nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes and total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation in gills, brain, liver and muscle displayed similar trends in both groups. Lipid peroxidation increased in all tissues of individuals translocated to the polluted site but only in liver and muscle of those translocated to the reference site. Increased protein carbonylation was also observed in gills of individuals translocated to the reference location. These results suggest similar oxidative stress among fish from the reference and polluted locations and that long-term metals exposure may require adaptations toward oxidative stress responses.

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We evaluated the influence of metal accumulation on the oxidative status [lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)] and carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity in host and symbionts of the coral Mussismilia harttii and the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis collected in Abrolhos Reef Banks (Northeast Brazil), potentially impacted by a major mine dam rupture. Considering metal levels measured in reefs worldwide, Abrolhos corals had higher Fe and Mn levels than expected for preserved offshore reefs. Increasing concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn) drove inhibition of CA and increased oxidative damage in the hydrocoral M. alcicornis. The impairment of enzymatic activity in the symbiotic algae of M. alcicornis may be related to the oxidative stress condition. The hydrocoral M. alcicornis was more affected by metals than the coral M. harttii, which did not show the expected CA inhibition after metal exposure. Our results suggest that CA activity can be applied as a complementary biomarker to evaluate the physiological impacts of environmental metal contamination in reefs. Also, the metal levels and biochemical biomarkers reported in the present study may provide reference data to monitor the health of reefs impacted by a relevant dam rupture.

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Fish living in the João Dias creek (southern Brazil) have to deal with trace-metal contamination in the long-term basis, as this aquatic environment has been historically impacted by copper mining activities. In order to survive in this harsh environment, the local biota had to develop adaptations related to pollution tolerance. The aim of this study was to test if biochemical mechanisms related to osmoregulation were among these adaptations, using translocation experiments. Water ionic and trace-metal compositions were measured in a nonmetal impacted site (NMIS) and in a metal impacted site (MIS) of this creek. Also, whole-body metal accumulation, ion concentration and branchial enzyme activity (Na,K-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase) were evaluated in Hyphessobrycon luetkenii. In both NMIS and MIS, fish were collected and immediately stored, kept caged or translocated from sites. The result shows that waterborne Cu was 3.4-fold higher at the MIS. Accordingly, animals that had contact with this site showed elevated whole-body Cu levels. Moreover, both translocated groups showed elevated Na,K-ATPase activity. Additionally, fish translocated from the NMIS to the MIS showed lower carbonic anhydrase activity. These findings indicate that H. luetkenii chronically or acutely exposed to naturally elevated waterborne Cu showed a rapid Cu bioaccumulation but was unable to readily excrete it. Moreover, classic Cu osmoregulatory toxicity related to Na,K-ATPase inhibition was not observed. Conversely, impacts in ammonia excretion related to carbonic anhydrase inhibition may have occurred.

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The frequency and severity of coral bleaching events have increased in recent years. Global warming and contamination are primarily responsible for triggering these responses in corals. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the isolated and combined effects of elevated temperature and exposure to copper (Cu) on responses of the antioxidant defense system of coral Mussismilia harttii. In a marine mesocosm, fragments of the coral were exposed to three temperatures (25.0, 26.6, and 27.3°C) and three concentrations of Cu (2.9, 5.4, and 8.6 µg/L) for up to 12 days. Levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activity of enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), were evaluated on the corals and symbionts. The short exposure to isolated and combined stressors caused a reduction in GSH levels and inhibition of the activity of antioxidant enzymes. After prolonged exposure, the combination of stressors continued to reduce GSH levels and SOD, CAT, and GCL activity in symbionts and GST activity in host corals. GCL activity was the parameter most affected by stressors, remaining inhibited after 12-days exposure. Interesting that long-term exposure to stressors stimulated antioxidant defense proteins in M. harttii, demonstrating a counteracting response that may beneficiate the oxidative state. These results, combined with other studies already published suggest that the antioxidant system should be further studied in order to understand the mechanisms of tolerance of South Atlantic reefs.

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Global warming and local disturbances such as pollution cause several impacts on coral reefs. Among them is the breakdown of the symbiosis between host corals and photosynthetic symbionts, which is often a consequence of oxidative stress. Therefore, we investigated if the combined effects of thermal stress and copper (Cu) exposure change the trophic behavior and oxidative status of the reef-building coral Mussismilia harttii. Coral fragments were exposed in a mesocosm system to three temperatures (25.0, 26.6 and 27.3 °C) and three Cu concentrations (2.9, 5.4 and 8.6 µg L-1). Samples were collected after 4 and 12 days of exposure. We then (i) performed fatty acid analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify changes in stearidonic acid and docosapentaenoic acid (autotrophy markers) and cis-gondoic acid (heterotrophy marker), and (ii) assessed the oxidative status of both host and symbiont through analyses of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Our findings show that trophic behavior was predominantly autotrophic and remained unchanged under individual and combined stressors for both 4- and 12-day experiments; for the latter, however, there was an increase in the heterotrophy marker. Results also show that 4 days was not enough to trigger changes in LPO or TAC for both coral and symbiont. However, the 12-day experiment showed a reduction in symbiont LPO associated with thermal stress alone, and the combination of stressors increased their TAC. For the coral, the isolated effects of increase in Cu and temperature led to an increase in LPO. The effects of combined stressors on trophic behavior and oxidative status were not much different than those from the isolated effects of each stressor. These findings highlight that host and symbionts respond differently to stress and are relevant as they show the physiological response of individual holobiont compartments to both global and local stressors.

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It is widely known that metals can alter enzyme functioning, however, little is known about the mechanisms of metal toxicity in energy metabolism enzymes of corals. Thus, the present study had two objectives: firstly, we evaluated the activity of eight metabolic enzymes of the coral Mussismilia harttii to clarify metabolic functioning under field conditions. After that, we investigated the in vitro effect of copper (Cu) exposure in the activity of an enzyme representative of each metabolism stage. We evaluated enzymes involved in glycolysis (hexokinase, HK; phosphofructokinase, PFK; pyruvate kinase, PK and lactate dehydrogenase, LDH), Krebs cycle (citrate synthase, CS and isocitrate dehydrogenase, IDH), electron transport chain (electron transport system activity, ETS) and pentose phosphate pathway (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PDH). The in vitro tests were performed through contamination of the reaction medium using Cu concentrations of 0, 1.4, 3.7 and 14.2 µg L-1. The results showed that M. harttii has elevated activity of HK, PK and CS in field conditions compared to the activity of other energy metabolism enzymes evaluated. Moreover, lower activities of LDH and ETS in exposed samples were observed. In conclusion, in field conditions this species has elevated aerobic metabolism and glucose may be an important energetic fuel. Also, exposure to Cu in vitro caused inhibition of LDH and ETS by direct binding.

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We have previously demonstrated in a companion work that acclimation to 28 °C potentiated waterborne copper (Cu) toxic effects in Poecilia vivipara through oxidative stress-related processes. In the present study, we hypothesized that these results were related to kinetic metabolic adjustments in enzymes from aerobic and anaerobic pathways. To test this, P. vivipara was acclimated to two temperatures (22 °C or 28 °C) for three weeks and then exposed to Cu (control, 9 or 20 µg/L) for 96 h. The activity of enzymes from glycolysis (pyruvate kinase [PK] and lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]), Krebs cycle (citrate synthase [CS]) and the electron transport chain system (ETS) were assessed in gills, liver and muscle. Interactive effects were only seen for hepatic LDH activity, as both metal exposure and heat stress, combined or not, inhibited this enzyme, showing a suppression in anaerobic pathways. Conversely, a Cu main effect was present in the liver, expressed as an elevation in ETS activity, showing an enhancement in hepatic aerobic metabolism likely related with the very energy-demanding process of metal detoxification. Moreover, this study shows that P. vivipara has a remarkable ability to compensate heat stress in terms of energy metabolism, as we could not observe acclimation temperature effects for most of the cases. Nonetheless, a tissue-dependent effect of elevated temperature was observed, as we could observe an inhibition in muscular CS activity. Finally, it is concluded that kinetic adjustments in terms of the energy metabolism are not related with the temperature-dependent elevation of Cu toxicity in P. vivipara as we previously hypothesized.

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The combined effects of exposure to increasing temperature and copper (Cu) concentrations were evaluated in the zooxanthellate scleractinian coral Mussismilia harttii. Endpoints analyzed included activity of enzymes involved in glycolysis (pyruvate kinase, PK; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH), Krebs cycle (citrate synthase, CS; isocitrate dehydrogenase; IDH), electron transport chain (electron transport system, ETS) and pentose phosphate pathway (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PDH). Coral polyps were kept under control conditions (25.0 ±â€¯0.1 °C; 2.9 ±â€¯0.7 µg/L Cu) or exposed to combined treatments of increasing temperature (26.6 ±â€¯0.1 °C and 27.3 ±â€¯0.1 °C) and concentrations of dissolved Cu (5.4 ±â€¯0.9 and 8.6 ±â€¯0.3 µg/L) for 4 and 12 days using a mesocosm system. PK activity was not affected by stressors. LDH, CS, IDH, ETS and G6PDH activities were temporally inhibited by stressors alone. CS, ETS and G6PDH activities remained inhibited by the combination of stressors after 12 days. Furthermore, all combinations between increasing temperature and exposure Cu were synergistic after prolonged exposure. Taken together, stressors applied alone led to temporary inhibitory effects on energy metabolism enzymes of the coral M. harttii, however, prolonged exposure reveals strong deleterious effects over the metabolism of corals due to the combination of stressors. The present study is the first one to give insights into the combined effects of increasing temperature and Cu exposure in the energy metabolism enzymes of a scleractinian coral. Findings suggest that moderate Cu contamination in future increasing temperature scenarios can be worrying for aerobic and oxidative metabolism of M. harttii.

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The emission of greenhouse gases has grown in unprecedented levels since the beginning of the industrial era. As a result, global climate changes, such as heightened global temperature and ocean acidification, are expected to negatively impact populations. Similarly, industrial and urban unsustainable development are also expected to impose local impacts of their own, such as environmental pollution with organic and inorganic chemicals. As an answer, biomarkers can be used in environmental programs to assess these impacts. These tools are based in the quantification of biochemical and cellular responses of target species that are known to respond in a sensitive and specific way to such stresses. In this context, carbonic anhydrase has shown to be a promising biomarker candidate for the assessment of global and local impacts in biomonitoring programs, especially in marine zones, such as coral reefs, considering the pivotal role of this enzyme in the calcification process. Therefore, the aim of this review is to show the recent advances in the carbonic anhydrase research and the reasons why it can be considered as a promising biomarker to be used for calcifying organisms.

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In this study, we measured the interactive effect of temperature (22 °C and 28 °C) and waterborne copper (Cu) contamination (9 µg/L and 20 µg/L) on the killifish Poecilia vivipara. Endpoints analyzed included parameters involved in Cu-accumulation, antioxidant capacity (antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals [ACAP] and total antioxidant capacity [TAC]), oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation [LPO]) and upper thermal tolerance (critical thermal maximum [CTMax]). Results show that Cu hepatic accumulation was elevated in 28 °C in comparison to 22 °C in both exposure groups. For gills, this was true only in 20 µg/L. Moreover, hepatic and brachial accumulation were concentration-dependent in both acclimation temperatures. Additionally, Hepatic ACAP and TAC were elevated in animals acclimated to 28 °C and only the animals kept at this temperature had reduced ACAP and TAC levels facing metal exposure (9 and 20 µg/L). Similarly, the combination of elevated temperature and Cu exposure raised hepatic LPO levels. Finally, animals acclimated to 28 °C had higher CTMax levels in comparison to fish acclimated to 22 °C both in control and exposed animals, however, CTMax of contaminated fish were only reduced in comparison to control in animals kept at 28 °C. Concluding, we show that the physiological mechanism besides the potentiating effect of elevated temperature in Cu toxicity is related to higher hepatic and branchial metal accumulation and elevated oxidative stress in the liver, outlined by reduced antioxidant capacity and elevated oxidative damage. We also show that these outcomes lead to compromised organismal performance, characterized by reduced CTMax. Finally, it is concluded that Cu exposure in warmer periods of the year or within global warming predictions may be more hazardous to fish populations.

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Heat stress has a relevant effect on animal health and productivity. Stress and environmental changes can contribute to disease development, such as avian necrotic enteritis (NE). The goal of this study was to analyze the effects of heat stress applied to broiler chickens in an experimental model of co-infection with Clostridium perfringens and Eimeria spp. Therefore, the current study was designed to analyze the effect of heat stress to broiler chickens in an experimental model of infection or co-infection with Clostridium perfringens and Eimeria spp. C. perfringens was given in the poultry feed and the Eimeria infection was induced by gavage with a live oocysts vaccine dose 30 times higher than the manufacturer recommendation. We observed a reduction in the secretory IgA concentration in the jejunum and ileum in heat-stressed chickens compared to non-stressed chickens. Decreased maximum scores of intestinal necrosis, crypt abscesses and transmural lesions were observed in the heat-stressed chickens co-infected and infected with Eimeria compared to the respective unstressed groups. Heat stress caused an increase the intestinal lesion scores in chickens infected with C. perfringens only. The crypt depth was greater in chickens from the heat-stressed groups compared to the non-stressed groups. We also demonstrated that HS decreased infection and/or Eimeria development in the intestinal epithelium, reducing the harmful potential of C. perfringens.

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The gut-brain axis is known to modulate behavioral and immune responses in animals; evidence supporting this modulation in chickens, however, is elusive. Here, we analyzed the effects of heat stress and/orClostridium perfringens (CP) infection on behavior, intestinal morphology, brain activity, and corticosterone serum levels in chickens. Broilers were randomly divided into 5 equal groups: a naïve group (N), a thioglycolate group (T), a thioglycolate heat-stressed group (T/HS35), an infected group (I), and an infected/stressed (I/HS35) group. Broilers in the I and I/HS35 groups were experimentally infected withClostridium perfringensfrom the 15th to the 19th day of life. Heat stress (35±1°C) was constantly applied to the broilers in the stressed groups from the 14th to the 19th day of life. Our data showed that heat stress andC. perfringensinfection produced significant differential responses in the chickens' behavior and in c-fosexpression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), nucleus taenia of the amygdala (Tn), medial preoptic area (POM), andglobus pallidus (GP) of the chickens. Heat stress ameliorated some of the intestinal lesions and the neuroendocrine changes induced byC. perfringensin the birds. Our results suggest the existence of clear relationships between the degree of intestinal lesions, the chickens' behavioral outcomes, brain activity, and serum levels of corticosterone. Together, they reinforce the importance of neuroimmunomodulation and especially of brain-gut axis interactions.

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Avian necrotic enteritis (NE) induced by Clostridium perfringens is a disease that affects mainly the first weeks of poultry's life. The pathogenesis of NE is complex and involves the combination of several factors, such as co-infection with different species of coccidia, immunosuppression and stress. Stress is one of the main limiting factors in poultry production. Although several studies emphasized the effects of stress on immunity, few works analyzed these effects on immunoglobulins and on germinal centres (GCs), which are specialized microenvironments, responsible for generating immune cells with high affinity antibodies and memory B-lymphocytes. Thus, the effects of heat stress associated or not with thioglycolate broth culture medium intake and/or C. perfringens infection on corticosterone serum levels, spleen GCs development and immunoglobulin production in broilers were evaluated. Results showed that heat stress, thioglycolate and C. perfringens per se increased corticosterone serum levels, although this was not observed in heat stressed and thioglycolate and C. perfringens-treated chickens. The serum levels of IgA, IgM and IgY were differently affected by heat stress and/or infection/thioglycolate. Heat stress decreased the duodenal concentrations of sIgA, which was accompanied by a reduction in GCs number in the duodenal lamina propria; a trend to similar findings of sIgA concentrations was observed in the chickens' jejunum. Changes in spleen and Bursa of Fabricius relative weights as well as in spleen morphometry were also noted in heat stressed animals, infected or not. Together, these data suggest that heat stress change GCs formation in chickens infected or not, which that may lead to failures in vaccination protocols as well as in the poultries' host resistance to infectious diseases during periods of exposure to heat stress.

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Multiple factors, such as environment, nutritional status, and disease, induce stress in animals during livestock production. It has been shown that poultry exposed to stressors for prolonged periods had decreases in their performance parameters, mortality and decreased host resistance to pathogenic agents. It seems that early age stress may have long-lasting impact and could possibly modify the expression of their genetic potential on growth performance and immunity. This study aimed to discuss the effects of early-age heat stress on the blood lymphocyte phenotypes (B and T lymphocytes) and plasma immunoglobulin levels (IgM and IgG) in chickens vaccinated against paramixovirus of the Newcastle (NC) disease (LaSota strain). For this purpose, 96 male chickens (Cobb) were divided into 4 groups: 1) control (C), 2) heat-stressed (HS), 3) control vaccinated (C/V), and 4) heat-stressed and Vaccinated (HS/V). The NC vaccine was administered twice on experimental day (ED) 7 and ED14, and the heat stress (38 ± 1°C) was applied from ED2 to ED6. The data showed that HS increased the corticosterone serum levels in the HS group compared with the control groups (C and C/V groups). At ED7, increased concentrations of IgM were observed in birds in the HS and HS/V groups compared with C and C/V animals; chickens from the HS/V group presented increased IgG levels compared with those in the birds of the C group. The heat stress shifted the immune cell profile from B-lymphocyte to a T-cytotoxic and T-helper lymphocyte profile, and this immune cell pattern persisted until the end of the study period. It was concluded that heat stress immunomodulated the immune function response of the chickens to the NC disease vaccine challenge.

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