Meeting Abstract

P2.28  Monday, Jan. 5  Effects of hypoxia and sedimentary naphthalene on the activity of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase in the epidermis of the brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus ZOU, Enmin; Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA em.zou@nicholls.edu

The brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, is subject to dual stresses of environmental hypoxia and contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The effects of hypoxia and sedimentary naphthalene, administered alone and in combination, on epidermal activity of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) were investigated. It was found that hypoxia and sedimentary naphthalene, when given together, significantly inhibited epidermal NAG activity. Since NAG activity is a biomarker for ecdysteroid signaling in the epidermis, the inhibitory effects of simultaneous exposure to hypoxia and sedimentary naphthalene suggest that these two environmental stressors together can have adverse effects on molting of the brown shrimp. The results of this study also show that sedimentary naphthalene potentiates hypoxia effects on epidermal NAG activity.