Effects of water-borne copper on metallothionein and lipid peroxidation in the marine amphipod gammarus locusta

The aim of the current work was to determine over 10 days the effects of water-borne exposure of the marine amphipod Gammarus locusta to 4 μgCu l−1 on the metallothionein (MT; measured by differential pulse polarography) protection system and lipid peroxidation (LP; thiobarbituric acid-reactive malondialdehyde equivalents) as a measure of oxidative damage. MT levels in exposed animals increased significantly at day 2 (36% > control; P<0.001) and remained high at days 6 and 10 (55 and 38%, respectively, P<0.001). The maximum level of MT at day 6 coincided with the highest Cu body-burden. LP increased within 1 day of exposure, indicative of Cu as an oxidative stressor. However, in contrast to MT, the highest LP level was seen at day 4 (68% > control, P<0.001) before returning to control values by day 6, indicating a protective role of MT against the pro-oxidant effects of Cu.