Endosulfan effects on muscle malate dehydrogenase of the freshwater catfish Clarias batrachus

The effects of a sublethal concentration of an organochlorine pesticide endosulfan were investigated on crude and purified forms of cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase (cMDH) and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH) in the muscle of the freshwater catfish Clarias batrachus. Endosulfan treatment reduced significantly the activity and the specific activity of cMDH and mMDH but had no effect on total cytoplasmic and mitochondrial protein contents. This indicates a decline in the efficiency of aerobic energy metabolism in endosulfan-treated fish. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed two distinct isoforms (C1 and C2) of cMDH and only one form of mMDH. The inhibition produced by endosulfan in vivo was of mixed noncompetitive/uncompetitive type for crude as well as purified cMDH and mMDH. However, in vitro inhibition was of simple noncompetitive and mixed competitive/noncompetitive type for purified cMDH and mMDH, respectively. Citrate was found to be an uncompetitive inhibitor of cMDH and mixed noncompetitive/uncompetitve inhibitor of mMDH. The inhibitory patterns were modulated by endosulfan. These results demonstrate inhibitory effects of endosulfan on skeletal muscle MDH of the freshwater catfish Clarias batrachus and inhibition effects are mediated through enzyme/substrate/endosulfan complexing.