www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale Downloaded From IP - 14.139.43.12 on dated 12-Jan-2015 J. Vet. Parasitol. 200-0064-480/$2.50 © IAAVP, India Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 27(2) 2013 : 113-116 Pathobiochemical changes in Trichogaster fasciatus fish infected with progenetic metacercariae of Clinostomum complanatum S. Khan, M.K. Saifullah and S.M.A. Abidi Section of Parasitology, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002 UP (India) Abstract Clinostomum complanatum infection in Trichogaster fasciatus fish is very common in Northern India and the prevalence in Aligarh has been found to be 100% in April, June, September and October months. Pathobiochemical changes in fishes were assayed using GOT, GPT, acid and alkaline phosphatase (AcPase and ALPase) enzymes according to the standard protocols. The results showed elevated levels of all the pathological marker enzymes in the liver of infected fish as compared to the liver of normal fish. EDTA and iodoacetamide showed differential effects on the pathological marker enzymes. GPT and ALPase activities of infected liver were inhibited by 93% and 75% respectively with iodoacetamide while EDTA showed mild inhibitory effect on GOT and GPT activities. Polypeptide profile of infected and normal liver tissues revealed a total of 28 and 30 polypeptides respectively, with an apparent molecular weight in the range of 16-180 kDa. Further, on comparing the polypeptide profile it was observed that 100 kDa, 96 kDa and 48 kDa bands which were present in the normal liver were absent from infected T. fasciatus liver. It is concluded that enzyme levels and polypeptide profile of infected liver tissue is altered as a result of C. complanatum progenetic metacercaria infection in T. fasciatus. Keywords: Clinostomum complanatum, Trichogaster fasciatus, Pathological marker enzymes, Enzyme modulators, SDS-PAGE. *Corresponding author Email- mkhalidsaif@yahoo.com Introduction Clinostomum complanatum (Rudolphi, 1814) is a common digenetic trematode that naturally parasitizes the pharyngeal region of piscivorous birds (Lo et al., 1981). The excysted progenetic metacercariae, infect several species of fish including Trichogaster fasciatus. The encysted metacercariae are responsible for causing yellow grub disease in fish (Silva-Souza and Ludwig, 2005). The Trichogaster fasciatus fish is commonly infected with C. complanatum in Northern India and the percent prevalence of infection in Aligarh region (India) has been reported as high as 98-100% (Siddiqui and Nizami, 1982). These metacercariae degrade the quality of forage fish and are also responsible for parasitic zoonoses (Cameron, 1945). Considerable literature is available on epidemiological and morphological aspects of Clinostomum species (Dhar and Kharoo, 1986; Abidi and Nizami, 1987; Abidi et al. , 1988; Dias et al. , 2003; Silva-Souza and Ludwig, 2005; Adeyemo and Agbede, 2008; Shareef and Abidi, 2013). The infection of fish by C. complanatum metacercariae can hand, and economic losses on the other (Eiras, 1994; Vianna, 2001). The progenetic metacercariae also possess zoonotic potential infecting oral cavity of humans while eating raw parasitized fish (Chung et al., 1995a&b; Kitagawa et al., 2003). Laryngopharyngitis and death by asphyxia in humans has also been reported (Eiras, 1994). According to Rizvi et al. (2010) in vitro release of cysteine proteases by progenetic metacercariae of C. complanatum can actively bring about extracorporeal digestion, degradation of host proteins and the successful establishment of the parasite within its host. Further, progenetic metacercariae of C. complanatum appeared to have excess free radical scavenging molecules which could be useful during their in vivo transformation (avian buccal cavity) and establishment in the definitive host and also to neutralize free radicals produced by the definitive avian host. Informations on the pathological aspects of C. complanatum infection in T. fasciatus are not available, therefore, in the present study attempts have been made to investigate some common pathological marker enzymes like transaminases (GOT and GPT) and phosphatases (acid and unleash behavioural changes, and cause pathology on one 113