University in Skopje Macedonia

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University in Skopje Macedonia

• Institute of Biology
• Faculty of Natural Sciences Mathematics

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Gill lesions in Prespa barbell (Barbus
prespensis) inhabiting a polluted area of Lake
Prespa

• Danica Roganovic-Zafirova Adriana Spasova

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Scope and Objectives

• Prespa barbel is near bottom dwelling fish
• Gills are important respiratory and ion balance
  organs highly exposed to environment
• Histopathological analysis of these organs was
  expected to provide some insight into level and
  character of pollution pressure experienced by
  this endemic Lake Prespa habitant

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Material and Methods

• Sampling site

Sirhan - Asamati
Golema Reka entrance
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Material and Methods

• Animals examined Barbus prespensis - 35 adult
  individuals, both males and females
• Sampling time spring - summer (1999-2000)
• Light microscopy methods standard HE sections
  and plastic embedded semi-thin sections
• Data analysis histopathological quantification
  according to Bernet et al. (1999) mucous and
  chloride cell stereometry semi-quantitative
  scoring of infection level
• Statistics Pearsons test

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Results

• The most prominent lesions observed

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Results

• Circulatory disturbances aneurysms

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Results

• Regresive changes respiratory epithelium
  necroses

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Results

• Progressive changes interlamellar epithelium
  proliferation and lamellae fusion

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Results

• Frequent parasitic and fungal infections

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Results

• Histopathological quantification revealed..

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Results
100.0
75.0
50.0
25.0
0.0
rIGC
rIGR
rIGP
rIGI
rYI
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Results

• Chloride and mucous cell counting

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Results
Chloride cells 3.31 (2.18/4.34)/ interlamellar
space
Moucous cells 0.25 (0.17/0.58) / interlamellar
space
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Conclusions
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Prespa barbels collected from a polluted area of
Lake Prespa exhibited various histopathological
and cellular changes which may signify impaired
respiration and ionic or acid-base balances.
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Histopathological quantification data and
stereological analysis outcome suggest that
effects of environmental toxicants could be the
main reason of the observed condition.
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The presence of a fungal opportunistic infection
in the fish respiratory system indicates that the
analyzed fishes may suffer some kind of
immunosupression.
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This study provided the first evidence of
environmentally induced lesions in the Prespa
barbel gills, which warns further work on health
status estimation of this endangered endemic
species.
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