Mitogen induced proliferative responses of lymphocytes from spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated environments.

The marine fish spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, was collected from five sites in the lower Chesapeake Bay system representing a gradient of sediment polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations. The proliferative responses to mitogens by anterior kidney lymphocytes were assessed using [3H]-thymidine uptake by replicating DNA. The data shows two different mitogen-dependent lymphocytic responses as the sediment PAH levels increase at the sampling sites; a suppression of the response to the T cell mitogens, concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin, and a sharp augmentation of the response to B cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as well as to poke weed mitogen and peanut agglutinin. The magnitude of the lymphoproliferative responses correlated strongly with the total sediment PAH concentrations (r2 greater than 0.8). A similar correlation was also observed with 15 selected individual PAH compounds regardless of their molecular weights. By maintaining the fish in clean York River water for up to 24 weeks, it was possible to reverse the augmented proliferative responses to LPS of fish from all sampling sites and to increase the reduced responses to Con A, in fish from three sites, and partially in two sites where sediments were highly contaminated with PAH. These results suggest that the proliferative responses of fish lymphocytes to mitogens may be a potentially sensitive biomarker of exposure to, and effects of xenobiotics.