Biochemical alterations induced by sublethal cyanide exposure in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Abstract

The present study was designed to study the effects of sublethal cyanide exposure on some blood biochemical parameters in common carp. Three groups of fish (25 in each group) were treated with different concentrations of 0 (control), 0.1 or 0.2 mg/L potassium cyanide (KCN) for 2 weeks. At the end of each exposure, blood samples were collected and serum biochemical parameters were measured using validated methods. Cyanide exposure at both concentrations caused significant (P<0.05) elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities and creatinine concentration as compared to control group. Indeed, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and glucose levels in the carp treated with 0.2 mg/L KCN were significantly higher than those levels from controls. On the other hand, other measured biochemical parameters including gamma-glutamyl transferase, triglyceride, cholesterol, total protein, and albumin did not change significantly following cyanide exposure. The observed alterations in some measured serum biochemical parameters would reflect tissue damages, especially in liver and kidney, due to chronic cyanide intoxication in common carp and may be used for better understanding the pathophysiology of this toxicity and as an aid in the diagnosis of cyanide poisoning in fish species.