Benzo[a]pyrene-induced hypocellularity of the pronephros in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is accompanied by alterations in stromal and parenchymal cells and by enhanced immune cell apoptosis

Numerous reports indicate that carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are mammalian immunotoxicants. These environmental contaminants are widely distributed in both freshwater and costal marine ecosystems where they have been found to bioaccumulate in aquatic species, yet limited information exists regarding potential adverse effects of specific PAH on fish immune function. In the present report, Oreochromis niloticus fish (tilapia) were exposed by intraperitoneal injection to 5, 25, or 50 mg/kg of the PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Histopathologic evaluation of the primary hematopoietic compartment of fish, the pronephros, demonstrated increased vacuolation of both stromal and parenchymal cells, reduction of lymphoid elements, and immune cell apoptosis. Total pronephros cell counts were diminished in a dose-dependent manner by the chemical exposure. The oxidative metabolic burst in phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-simulated macrophages isolated from the pronephros was significantly inhibited by B[a]P, but only at the highest dose level employed. The phagocytic capacity of pronephros macrophages was not altered by the chemical treatment.