SHIFT IN CYTOARCHITECTURE OF IMMUNOCYTES OF MUDCRAB EXPOSED TO ARSENIC

摘要

Estuarine mudcrab, Scylla serratais an economically important species and inhabitantof Sundarban ecosystem. This intertidal species is under constant exposure of diverse xenobioticsincluding toxic metalloid arsenic. Arsenic, being a major environmental contaminant of selecteddistricts of the state of West Bengal poses a serious toxicological threat to this edible species. Toxicityof arsenic was investigated in the cytoarchitecture of hemocyte of S. serrataby exposing the animalsto the sublethal concentrations of 1, 2 and 3 ppm sodium arsenite for a maximum period of 30 days incontrolled laboratory conditions. Arsenic induced hemocytic disruption in relation to shape, size of celland nuclear morphology is indicative to possible dysfunction of blood cell. Blood cells or hemocytesare reported as chief immunoeffector cells of invertebrates and are capable of performing multipleimmunological functions including nonself adhesion, aggregation, phagocytosis and generation ofcytotoxic agents. The toxic exposure may impaired or altered the innate immune response of hemocyteof the animal that may lead to decline of this economically important species in Sundarbans BiosphereReserve. This study would help to be selected S. serrata as bioindicator species and also formulatesustainable strategy of conservation of this important species inhabiting the biologically unsafe habitatof Sundarbans.