Presence In the Intestinal Lumen of Marine Fish of Corpuscles with a High Cadmium-, Zinc- and Copper-Binding Capacity: A Possible Mechanism of Heavy Metal Tolerance

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Abstract
In various species of unfed fish (Anguilla anguilla, Myoxocephalus scorpius, Serranus cabrilla, Moena chryselis, Scorpaena sp.), white mucous corpuscles were observed in the intestinal lumen. This material was regularly evacuated. Corpuscles contained high concentrations of Ca and Mg; these elements were probably present in the form of carbonates precipitated from sea water in the intestine. In fish intoxicated with CdCl2, ZnCl2 or CuCl2 added to sea water, the corpuscles contained enormous concentrations of these metals. Although the weight of the corpuscles was small (about 0.1% total wet wt of A. anguilla), they may contain most of the Cd body burden. Corpuscles from non-intoxicated fish bound heavy metals in vitro. Exposed to Cd, Zn or Cu enriched solutions they retained these metals to the same extent as in vivo. Metals were accumulated in the corpuscles directly from ingested sea water with a reduction in respective metal concentrations of the intestinal liquid. Intestinal corpuscles seemed to limit the entry of metals through the intestinal wall and to protect the fish against potentially hazardous concentrations of heavy metals.

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