Phagocytic efficiency and cytotoxic responses of Indian freshwater sponge (Eunapius carteri) cells isolated by density gradient centrifugation and flow cytometry: a morphofunctional analysis.

Zoology (Jena)

Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700019, West Bengal, India. Electronic address:

Published: February 2015

The freshwater sponge Eunapius carteri (Porifera: Demospongiae: Spongillidae), a resident of Indian freshwater ecosystems, has pharmaceutical and ecological potential, but there is inadequate information on its cellular spectrum and cell-mediated immune responses. Microscopical analysis revealed the existence of eight distinct cellular variants, i.e. blast-like cells, choanocytes, small amoebocytes, granular cells, pinacocytes, large amoebocytes, archaeocytes and sclerocytes. The cells were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and flow cytometry and used for a morphofunctional analysis. We investigated the phagocytic efficiency of E. carteri cells under the challenge of yeast particles in vitro and spectrophotometrically quantified the generation of cytotoxic molecules (superoxide anions and nitric oxide) in different isolated cellular fractions. The two cell separating technologies did not yield any significant differences in the major findings on morphology, phagocytic response and generation of superoxide anions and nitric oxide. Archaeocytes, granular cells and large amoebocytes were identified as chief phagocytes with a high phagocytic potential as recorded by light microscopy. Archaeocytes were the principal generators of superoxide anions, whereas nitric oxide was recorded in the fractions rich in archaeocytes and large amoebocytes. The present investigation thus provides useful information regarding cellular variation, cytotoxic status and innate phagocytic response of the cells of E. carteri, a common but less studied sponge of India.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2014.07.002DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

large amoebocytes
12
superoxide anions
12
anions nitric
12
nitric oxide
12
phagocytic efficiency
8
indian freshwater
8
freshwater sponge
8
sponge eunapius
8
eunapius carteri
8
carteri cells
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!