Toxic effects of diclofenac on gills, liver and kidney of Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758)

Diclofenac, the anti-inflammatory drug, is found in natural water bodies all over the world. Toxicological researches of diclofenac report harmful effects on aquatic species even at low concentrations. The aim of present study was to determine whether diclofenac affected on the gills, liver and kidney of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). In order to evaluate toxic effects of diclofenac as NASIDs (non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in fish, common carp was exposed to diclofenac concentrations of 1.25 mg L-1, 2.5 mg L-1 and 5 mg L-1. The effects of diclofenac on the fish were investigated by histopathological observations on a weekly basis over a 21 day experiment period. The histopathological examinations of diclofenac exposed fish revealed alteration of the kidney such as hyaline droplet, increasing of interstitial cells, shrinkage of glomeruli, and the presence of melanomacrophages and necrosis of epithelial cells of tubules. In the gills, the predominant findings consisted of epithelial hyperplasia, telangiectasia, clubbing, lamellar fusion and increasing of mucosal cells. Also observed histopathological alteration in liver, included, presence of melanomacrophages in hepatocyts, degeneration and vacuolation of hepatocyts and necrosis of hepatocytes. The most alteration was comparatively in the gills and liver. However the gills, livers and kidney sections of the two control groups exhibited normal structure. The results of this study showed that diclofenac could be harmful for C. carpio.