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Abstract
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The present study aimed to evaluate changes in liver tissue and vitamin E, plasma levels of alanine transferase (ALT) and aspartate transferase (AST) in Acanthopagrus latus and Euryglossa orientalis. The fish were collected from six different Iranian fish landing stations and concentrations of Zn, Pb, Hg, Cu, and Cd were determined in the water and sediment samples taken from each station. Pronounced liver histological alterations, highest plasma levels of ALT and AST, and the lowest levels of vitamin E and total proteins were observed in both fish species caught at the most polluted petrochemical site. These results were in agreement with the increased levels of the metals in water and sediment from this station. There was a high correlation (average R 2 = 0.8) between Hg concentration in water from these stations and biochemical and histological alterations in A. latus. In conclusion, the alterations of the tissue structure and function of the liver could potentially be used as suitable biomarkers for marine environmental monitoring.
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