Meeting Abstract

P3.80  Jan. 6  Neurotoxic Effects of Manganese on Biogenic Amines of the Nervous System and Innervated Organs of Crassostrea virginica LECKY, Danielle*; KING, Candice; CARROLL, Margaret A.; CATAPANE, Edward J.; Medgar Evers College; Medgar Evers College; Medgar Evers College; Medgar Evers College catapane@mec.cuny.edu

Manganese (Mn), a neurotoxin inducing Parkinson Disease in individuals exposed to high airborne levels or ingesting high concentrations, causes individuals to developed mental and emotional disturbances and slow and clumsy body movements called “manganism.” Manganism occurs because too much Mn injures dopaminergic neurons. Crassostrea virginicais a sedimentary marine bivalve the EPA lists as a model animal for studying pollutants. We sought to determine if acute exposure of C. virginica to Mn would cause deficits in biogenic amine levels. Animals were exposed to 0.1 and 1 mM of Mn by removing 1 shell and maintaining them in individual containers of aerated artificial sea water at 18�C for 3 days. Controls were similarly treated without Mn. Biogenic amines were measured using HPLC with fluorescence detection. Cerebral ganglia, visceral ganglia, gill and palps were dissected, weighed, homogenized, centrifuged, filtered and injected into a Beckman HPLC system with a Phenomenex Gemini 5µ C18 column and a Jasco FP 2020 Spectrofluorometer. The mobile phase was 50 mM acetate buffer (pH 4.7) with 1 mM EDTA, 1.1 mM SOS and methanol (85%/15%, v/v). The 1mM Mn treatment caused statistically significant reductions in dopamine levels in the cerebral ganglia and visceral ganglia (77% and 74% respectively) and gill and palps (79% and 63% respectively), but no changes in the levels of norepinephrine, octopamine or serotonin. These results are consistent with reported mechanisms of action of Mn in human and mammalian systems. This study demonstrates that marine invertebrates can be damaged by high environmental levels of Mn and that C. virginica is a suitable test animal to further study neurotoxic actions of Mn and related agents.