Biochemical and respiratory parameters in a gastropod Radix balthica exposed to diclofenac.

Diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, is often detected in natural waters in the ng/L to μg/L range, posing a threat to aquatic organisms. The study focused on the effects of diclofenac in a gastropod mollusk Radix balthica. A 72-h exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of diclofenac caused deviations from the baseline activities of the studied enzymes in the digestive gland of snails.

Investigation of chloramine-T impact on crayfish Astacus leptodactylus (Esch., 1823) cardiac activity.

The crayfish play an essential role in the biomonitoring and may reflect ambient water quality through the biochemical, behavioural and physiological reactions. To assess whether narrow-clawed crayfish Astacus leptodactylus can respond by heart rate changes to presence in water of such biocide as chloramine-T, adult males were exposed to its low (2 and 5 mg L(-1)), moderate (10 mg L(-1), commonly used in industry and aquaculture) and exceeded (20 and 50 mg L(-1)) concentrations. In addition, a physical stress test evaluated energy expenditure following the chemical trials.

[Total protein in crawfish hemolymph as a parameter of functional state of animals and biomarker of quality of habitat].

Analysis of total protein in hemolymph was performed by Lowry method on sexually mature crawfish Pontastacus leptodactylus. The total protein content in the crawfish hemolymph was studied for one year. The protein concentration varied widely, amounted to from 12 to 95 mg/ml, and depended on season and the moulting cycle phase.

[Study of circadian activity in the crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus during their multimonth stay in the river water flow].

By the method of non-invasive on-line recording and processing of photoplethysmograms of testaceous invertebrates, the circadian rhythm of cardiac activity was studied in the crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus by recording for several months the heart rate (HR) and stress-index (characteristics of variational pulsometry). The crayfish were kept in the natural running water in the regime of natural illumination alteration (the first group) or at constant artificial illumination of low intensity (the second group). The circadian rhythm was more frequent and more distinct in crayfish of the first group.