Histopathologic Biomarkers (Chapter 3)

摘要

Histopathologic alterations in fish tissues are biomarkers of effect of exposureto environmental stressors. The category of biomarkers has the advantage of allowing one to examine specific target organs and cells as they are affected under in vivo conditions. Furthermore, for field assessment, histopathology is the most rapid method of detecting adverse acute and chronic effects of exposure in the various tissues and organs comprising an individual finfish or shellfish. Although very numerous, environmental pollutants act through a finite number of ultimately toxic mechanisms to produce a finite number of histopathologic lesions. While only broad generalizations regarding the specific etiologic agent(s) responsible for such lesions can be made, the ability to determine the magnitude of toxic impairment strengthens efforts to predict eventual impact on the survival of the affected individual and, in some instances, the population. Confounding issues for histopathologic biomarkers include distinguishing changes caused by anthropogenic toxicants from those due to infectious disease, normal physiologic variation, or natural toxins. (Copyright (c) 1992 by Lewis Publishers.)