Immunotoxicity of tributyl tin to Japanese sea bass, Lateolabrax japonicus and red sea bream, Pagrus major, in relation to their body burden

Abstract

Two marine fishes, Japanese sea bass and red sea bream, were exposed to dietary tributyl tin(TBT)for two weeks to examine its immunotoxicity in relation to their body burdens. TBT body burdens of test fishes were also compared to TBT body burdens of their wild and cultured counterparts to predict their immune function inhibition. TBT concentrations of both fishes were significantly increased when dietary TBT concentrations were increased. While one of the non-specific immune responses, phagocytosis by neutrophil was not inhibited by TBT, another response, NBT reduction as a measure of oxidative burst of both fish species was inhibited even in the lowest dietary TBT concentration. Reverse sigmoid curve relationships were observed between inhibition of oxidative burst and TBT body burden in both fish species. TBT concentrations of some wild sea bass and cultured red sea bream were higher than the observed TBT concentrations of the lowest concentration exposure group of the present study. These results suggest that non-specific immune response of wild sea bass and cultured red sea bream can be inhibited by TBT contamination.