Biochemical indices of stress in the sandworm neanthes virens (Sars). I. responses to pentachlorophenol

Neanthes virens (Sars) were exposed to acute lethal and chronic sublethal concentrations of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the laboratory. Coelomic fluid glucose and osmolality and tissue ascorbic acid and glycogen were monitored in order to assess the time-course response of this polychaete to pollutant stress. Glycemic responses and alterations in tissue ascorbic acid and glycogen levels were observed to be dose and time-dependent.During the acute lethal exposure (720 μg/I initially), a hypoglycemic response was evident during the first 8 h of exposure. At a less severe but still lethal exposure concentration (365 μg/I initially), a significant hyperglycemic response was observed after 21 h. The coelomic fluid glucose levels decreased gradually during the 4-day exposure as glycogen reserves were depleted. During the chronic (ca. 2-mth) exposure to 100 μg PCP/1. no unusual glycemic responses were observed. Glycogen reserves remained constant during the first month of exposure but were significantly depleted after 2 mth. Ascorbic acid levels became elevated in PCP-exposed worms after I wk in both parapodial tissue and posterior segments. This tendency continued throughout the exposure period and the difference between the exposed and control values was statistically significant at the termination of the experiment.An uptake and depuration experiment with¹⁴C-PCP was also conducted. Polychaetes exposed to 100 μg/l¹⁴C-PCP for 2 wk accumulated ca. 280 times the ambient exposure concentration on a wet weight basis. After 2 wk of depuration the mean PCP body burden of depurated animals had decreased by 29%.