Environmental stress upon hepatopancreatic cells of freshwater prawns (Decapoda: Caridea) from the floodplain of Paraná River

In order to evaluate the influence of stressed environments on hepatopancreatic cells of freshwater prawns, Macrobachium borellii Nobili, 1896 and Palaemonetes argentinus Nobili 1901, (Crustacea, Decapoda, Palaemonidae) were collected at three different aquatic environments with different relationship to urban development in Argentina. Furthermore the effects of several cypermethryn concentration on hepatopancreatic cell of M. borellii and P. argentinus were evaluated in a laboratory assays. The “N° 1” lake (Santa Fe Argentina) which is more affected by the anthropogenic pressure and “Don Felipe” lake which is still not strongly by human activities were the studied sites from the floodplain of Paraná river. While Alejandra lake was the intermedia effects sites. Different damaged ultrastructures were found in Fand R-cells of prawns in the stressed lake. The predominant features were: disrupted the microvillous border, swelled mitochondria, reduction of endoplasmic reticulum, dyctiosomes, glycoproteins, desnaturalization of vacuole membrane and premature autolysis. Moreover the F-cell number was higher in the environment near to city than in the others sites. Similar effects were observed in the cypermethryn assays. The observations clearly indicate that the ultrastructure of midgut gland in the both palaemonids varies depending on the site from which animals are collected and the biocid presence. So, in this case it can be stated that the hepatopancreas histology of freshwater prawns is a good tool to monitor the impact of a stressed environment upon freshwater prawns.