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Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Fish Exposed to Mercury in Guanabara Bay, RJ, Brazil
Authors: Ana Paula de Castro Rodrigues, Rodrigo Guerra Carvalheira, Vanessa Gomes, Ana Rosa Linde Arias, Nádia Regina Pereira Almosny, Zuleica Carmen Castilhos, Edison Dausacker Bidone
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Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an important regulatory enzyme that controls the transmission of nerve impulses across cholinergic synapses. This study evaluated AChE activity as an effect biomarker for ecological risk assessment related to mercury contamination in fish from Guanabara bay, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. A total of 30 fishes were collected, 14 specimens of Genidens genidens and 16 specimens of Haemulon sp. at three sampling stations. AChE activity varied from 0.18 to 1.29 μmol min-1 mg-1 protein for G. genidens and a negative correlation between AChE activity in muscles and mercury concentrations in kidney was found (-0.55; p<0.05; n=14). For Haemulon sp. the enzyme activity showed a smaller range (0.06 to 0.22 μmol min-1 mg-1 protein) and a negative correlation between mercury concentrations in muscles and AChE activity was found (r = -0.570; p<0.05; n=16), suggesting a decrease on enzymatic response in specimens with higher mercury bioaccumulation.