Chronic sumithion toxicity: effect on carbohydrate metabolism in crab muscle.

Chronic sumithion toxicity in experimental crabs was induced by exposing them for 15 and 30 days to 0.04 ppm sumithion solution. The enzymes concerned with glycogenolytic metabolism (phosphorylase), glycolytic metabolism (aldolase), aerobic metabolism [succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH)], anaerobic metabolism, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alanine amino transaminase (AIAT)], were assayed in the muscle of control and experimental crabs. Glycogen, pyruvic acid, lactic acid were also estimated in the muscle of both control and experimental crabs. The muscle tissue of chronic sumithion-exposed crab exhibited suppressed glycogenolysis and glycolysis with an onset of gluconeogenesis. In general, chronic sumithion exposure seems to result in an elevation of the synthetic phase of muscle carbohydrate metabolism.