Induction of brown cells in Venerupis philippinarum exposed to benzo(a)pyrene

Microbiological and Histological Analysis for the Evaluation of Farmed Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Health Status, in Coastal Areas of Italy

“…Their presence in the tissues, and above all their increase, indicates possible environmental pollution [31,32]. Indeed, they have been reported in the tissues of mollusks living in more polluted environments and their lipofuscins accumulation can be considered an indicator of exposure [1]. Moreover, the brown cells have also been referred by some authors as a defense mechanism against parasites [33].…”

“…Mussel farms are usually located in highly anthropized areas, although these guarantee a good supply of nutrients for mussels breeding, could represent a problem for the introduction of polluting agents that can weaken the immune system of the mussels. Several environmental contaminants can cause oxidative stress, being strongly pro-oxidant [1]. The presence of abiotic environmental stressors (variations of environmental parameters and presence of pollutants) and biological variables (variations of the physiological state in particular phases of the reproductive cycle, presence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms) can lead to particular criticalities depending on the seasonality or the performance of human activities in particular sites.…”

“…Moreover, to identify early risk factors that could interfere with the vitality of the bivalve mollusks the so-called "brown cells" were sought in the tissues of the mussels. These cells in mollusk tissues have been associated with environmental pollution [1]. They seem to intervene in the detoxification of pollutants, as they have brownish lysosomes in their cytoplasm associated with degrading and detoxifying processes.…”

Reproductive cycle of venus clam Chione undatellain the coasts of the Santa Rosalía mining region, Baja California Sur, Mexico

“…En C. undatella se encontraron células eosinófilas infiltradas en el tejido gonadal similares a las células hemocíticas relacionadas con la excreción de material extraño en Cerastoderma edule (Linnaeus, 1758) (Russell-Pinto et al, 1994). En moluscos, los hemocitos (células inmunoefectoras) y células cafés son de los principales mecanismos de defensa involucrados en el proceso de inflamación y en la acumulación y desintoxicación de contaminantes (Ottaviani et al, 2010;Ottaviani, 2011;Boscolo-Papo et al, 2014).…”

“…Distintos autores mencionan que después del transporte de hemocitos y células cafés, algunos tejidos se identifican como blancos de acumulación o desintoxicación de contaminantes en moluscos (Boscolo-Papo et al, 2014). Estas infiltraciones se presentan acompañadas de alteraciones morfológicas a nivel celular, como un decremento en el volumen de una célula o un órgano, así como una pérdida de grosor del epitelio o atrofia (Bouallegui et al, 2017).…”