Melano‐macrophage centres and their role in fish pathology

Abstract

Melano-macrophage centres, also known as macrophage aggregates, are distinctive groupings of pigment-containing cells within the tissues of heterothermic vertebrates. In fish they are normally located in the stroma of the haemopoietic tissue of the spleen and the kidney, although in amphibians and reptiles, and some fish, they are also found in the liver. They may also develop in association with chronic inflammatory lesions elsewhere in the body and during ovarian atresia. In higher teleosts, they often exist as complex discrete centres, containing lymphocytes and macrophages, and may be primitive analogues of the germinal centres of lymph nodes. Melano-macrophage centres usually contain a variety of pigments, including melanins, and these increase in range and volume in older fish or in the presence of cachectic disease. Melano-macrophage centres act as focal depositories for resistant intracellular bacteria, from which chronic infections may develop. Iron capture and storage in haemolytic diseases appears to be a primary function, but antigen trapping and presentation to lymphocytes, sequestration of products of cellular degradation and potentially toxic tissue materials, such as melanins, free radicals and catabolic breakdown products are among other functions that have been ascribed. Recent work suggests that they are a site of primary melanogenesis rather than mere storage. Melano-macrophage centres increase in size or frequency in conditions of environmental stress and have been suggested as reliable biomarkers for water quality in terms of both deoxygenation and iatragenic chemical pollution.

Intestinal histomorphology in Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum fed bovine colostrum as source of protein and bioactive peptides

“…Rombout and van den Berg (1989) administered antigens via anal to carp, and registered increased number of macrophages in the distal intestine; the authors also considered the observed, enlarged intraepithelial macrophages morphologically similar to melanomacrophages, thus able to drive local immune response. Melanomacrophages are pigmented macrophages aggregates, ordinarily found in the kidney, liver and spleen of bony fish (Agius and Roberts, 2003;Haugarvoll et al, 2006;Wolke, 1992), or adventitiously to inflamed regions (Koppang et al, 2005;Rodríguez et al, 2005); functions of melanomacrophages are multiple, complex…”

Embryology and early ontogeny of an anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris

“…Melanin synthesis is carried out by the tyrosinase family protein and is auto-regulated and activated by its own substrate and cofactor tyrosine (Stearns & Wang, 1987). The process of melanin synthesis usually occurs inside melanophores or melanosomes in the dermis, or in melano-macrophage cells situated in the spleen, kidney and liver (Agius & Roberts, 2003). Therefore, the appearance of melanin inside the eggs of anemonefish is unusual.…”

Morphology and Histochemistry of the Liver of Carnivorous Fish Hemisorubim platyrhynchos

“…Melano-macrophage centers increase in size or frequency in conditions of environmental stress and have been suggested as reliable biomarkers for water quality in terms of both deoxygenation and iatrogenic chemical pollution (Agius & Roberts, 2003).…”