The comparison of the effects of heavy metal ions on the antioxidant enzyme activities in human and fish Dicentrarchus labrax erythrocytes.

1. The effect of the increasing concentrations of CuSO4 and HgCl2 (0.01-0.3 mmol/l) on erythrocyte haemolysis and the activities of peroxide metabolism enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase was investigated in human erythrocytes and the nucleated red blood cells of marine fish (Dicentrarchus labrax). 2. The results show that both heavy metal ions had only little effect on haemolysis and antioxidant enzyme activities in human erythrocytes; in contrast the effect of heavy metals on fish erythrocytes was statistically significant when compared to control values. 3. Copper was found to have more pronounced effect than mercury on the erythrocytes of Dicentrarchus labrax; otherwise there were no significant differences between the toxic effects of both ions on human erythrocytes. 4. We suggest that the mechanism of copper-induced haemolysis may be different from that of mercuric ion in the erythrocytes of Dicentrarchus labrax.