Gill tissue recovery after copper exposure in Carassius gibelio (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

Abstract We investigated the influence of copper in a long-time treatment with concentrations of 0.05 mg L−1 and 0.1 mg L−1 to track the histopathological changes in gills of Carassius gibelio, and to find at what extent they will recover after the effect of the copper concentrations stops. Treatment with copper lasted 21 days and the recovery time was of the same duration. The results of histological examination showed degenerative changes (resulting in thinner secondary lamellae and filamentary epithelium), and hyperplastic and hypertrophic changes (proliferation, vasodilatation, aneurysms, epithelial interstitial edema, and fusion) in gills under the influence of two concentrations. The degenerative changes have higher prevalence at low concentrations, while hyperplastic and hypertrophic ones — at high concentrations. After the period of recovery they remained the same, but the extent of expression on the surface of gill filaments changed. The long-time copper intoxication in low concentrations of copper affects gill structure, causing severe changes whose recovery is a slow process that requires a longer period of time.