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Breakdown products of heme catabolism as senescence index in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758)

Sandra Barca1, 2*, Sergio Silva2, Rufino Vieira - Lanero1, María J. Servia3, Lorena Lago2, David José N. García2, María T. Couto2, Pablo Gómez - Sande2, Carlos Morquecho2, María D. Cobo2 and Fernando Cobo1, 2
  • 1 Hidrobiological Field Station "Encoro do Con". University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
  • 2 University of Santiago de Compostela, Dpt. Zoology, Spain
  • 3 University of A Coruña, Dpt. Animal Biology, Spain

Biliverdin and bilirubin are breakdown products of normal heme catabolism, caused by the body's clearance of aged red blood cells which contain hemoglobin. Bilirubin is created by the activity of biliverdin reductase on biliverdin, a green tetrapyrrolic bile pigment that is also a product of heme catabolism (bilirubin, when oxidized, reverts to become biliverdin once again). Bilirubin is then passed down the bile duct by way of the gallbladder into the intestine where further degradation and elimination occurs. Lamprey ammocoete larvae have a bile duct and a complete system for eliminate bilirubin, but the larvae undergo a phase of metamorphosis in which the larval gallbladder, the bile canaliculi of the hepatocytes, and all the intrahepatic bile ducts completely regress in a developmental process called lamprey biliary atresia, and bilirrubin accumulates in the liver. During the upstream spawning migration, liver colour of adults of Petromyzon marinus changes from orange-yellow to blue –green caused by gradual accumulation of biliverdin as the gonads develop. We analyzed the liver of 65 upstream migrants adults (32 recent migratory individuals and 33 at the end of four months stabled period) for the presence of the bile pigments, biliverdin and bilirubin, using levels of absorbance in a chloroform extract (650 nm biliverdin and 540 nm bilirubin) as indirect measure of their content. No significant differences were observed between sexes in the livers of recent migratory individuals. Nevertheless highest values of biliverdin/bilirrubin ratio were reached by females belonging to the group of older upstream migrants (mean: 2.33, sd: 0.53, Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05), but the liver weight of males was significantly higher than in females (mean males: 30.36 g, sd: 5.67; mean females: 17.38 g, sd: 5.87; Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05).

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Acknowledgements

Facilities needed for this work were provided by the Hydrobiological Field Station ‘Encoro do Con’ (University of Santiago de Compostela). The authors are also grateful to Aquarium Finisterrae – (A Coruña)

References

APPLEGATE, V. C. (1950). Natural history of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in Michigan. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Special Scientific Report: Fisheries 55. 237 pp.
KOTT, E. (1970). Differences between the livers of spawning male and female sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Canadian journal of zoology, 48: 745 - 750.
SAWYER, W. H. & ROTH, W. D. (1954). The storage of biliverdin by the liver of the migrating sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. Anatomical record, 120: 741 - 742.
STERLING, J.A., MERANZE, D.R. & WISTEN, S. (1968). Lamprey liver and its bile ducts. International surgery, 49(2): 157 - 161.

Keywords: Sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, Senescence index, Biliverdin, Bilirubin

Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Topic: Life Cycles, Migration and Connectivity

Citation: Barca S, Silva S, Vieira - Lanero R, Servia MJ, Lago L, García DN, Couto MT, Gómez - Sande P, Morquecho C, Cobo MD and Cobo F (2015). Breakdown products of heme catabolism as senescence index in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00118

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Received: 13 Nov 2015; Published Online: 22 Nov 2015.

* Correspondence: Miss. Sandra Barca, Hidrobiological Field Station "Encoro do Con". University of Santiago de Compostela, Vilagarcía de Arousa, Spain, sandra.barca@usc.es