Catalase activity as a potential vital biomarker of fish intoxication by the herbicide aminotriazole

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the herbicide 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AMT) on the activities of catalase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in blood (plasma and erythrocytes) and eight solid tissues of goldfish, Carassius auratus . Injection of goldfish with AMT (0.5 mg/gww AMT in 0.9% NaCl) resulted in a significant decrease in catalase activity 24 h post-injection in most tissues investigated. In white and red muscle, kidney, heart, liver, brain and erythrocytes the activity of catalase decreased by 61%, 69%, 64%, 48%, 40%, 27% and 26%, respectively, in comparison to the values seen in animals injected with physiological saline (0.9% NaCl). However, the activity of LDH decreased only in red muscle (by 19%) after AMT injection, whereas in plasma it increased by 137%. Protein carbonyl levels, a measure of oxidative damage to proteins, did not change in plasma in goldfish injected with AMT and total hemoglobin levels in AMT-injected fish, although lower compared with uninjected controls, did not differ from values in saline-injected controls. It is proposed that catalase activity in erythrocytes and white muscle might be usefully developed as a potential marker for fish intoxication by aminotriazole and other related herbicides.