Toxic mineral elements in Mytilus galloprovincialis from Sicilian coasts (Southern Italy) |
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Authors: | Gaetano Cammilleri Andrea Pulvirenti Innocenzo Ezio Giangrosso Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico Giovanna Montana |
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Institution: | 1. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Palermo, Italy;2. Dipartimento Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy;3. Dipartimento Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy;4. Istituto di Biomedicina ed Immunologia Molecolare “Alberto Monroy”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Palermo, Italy |
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Abstract: | AbstractWe assessed the relationship between V, Cr, Mn, Hg, As, Cd, Sn, Sb and Pb concentrations in Mytilus galloprovincialis samples from the coasts of Sicily and the expression of metallothioneins. Toxic mineral elements assessment was carried out by A.A. Spectrometry and ICP-MS. The metallothioneins expression was performed by q-PCR method. Low metals’ levels were found in the mussel samples examined, in comparison with what was reported in literature. The highest mean values of toxic mineral elements were found in Gela (Cr 0.178?±?0.03?mg/Kg, Mn 4.325?±?0.012?mg/Kg, As 3.706?±?0.009?mg/Kg, Sn 0.148?±?0.014?mg/Kg, Sb 0.009?±?0.004?mg/Kg e Pb 0.364?±?0.01?mg/Kg). Significant levels of Hg were found in samples from Catania (0.014?±?0.005?mg/Kg). Only vanadium and lead concentrations showed significant differences between sampling areas (p?<?0.05). Molecular analysis verified a basal expression of Mt1 and the absence of over-expression of Mt2, confirming the low mineral’s concentrations found in the samples examined. |
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Keywords: | Mussels biomarkers toxic mineral elements metallothioneins |
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