Meeting Abstract

P2-33   -   Examining mitotic activity in the cells of the hepatopancreas of crayfish (Faxonius virilis) post-atrazine exposure Castiglione, CL*; Saleem, S; Chammout, DH; Hadeed, MN; Crile, KG; Belanger, RM; University of Detroit Mercy; University of Detroit Mercy; University of Detroit Mercy; University of Detroit Mercy; University of Detroit Mercy; University of Detroit Mercy castigcl@udmercy.edu

Environmentally relevant atrazine exposures lead to DNA damage and morphological changes in the lobules of the hepatopancreas of crayfish and fish. Therefore, we wanted to determine if cells of the hepatopancreas could regenerate following an acute exposure to atrazine. To determine if mitotic activity occurs in the hepatopancreas post-atrazine exposure, crayfish were injected with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) prior to a 10-day, 80 ppb atrazine exposure. Control crayfish were treated with a vehicle control (0.004% ethanol). Following the 10-day exposure, crayfish were transferred to atrazine-free water and the hepatopancreas of crayfish was examined for BrdU localization at regular intervals for 20 days. Examining the regenerative ability of hepatopancreas cells is important for determining if crayfish can recover from acute seasonal exposures to atrazine.