The immunomodulatory action of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and its possible use as an indicator of immune responses in American white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) were studied. Juvenile shrimp were immersed in aerated beta-glucan and sulfated polysaccharide solutions for 6 h. SOD activity in haemocytes and muscle was quantified to evaluate whether beta-glucan and sulfated polysaccharide induce ...

Hemocytes represent one of the most important defense mechanisms against foreign material in Crustacea and are also involved in a variety of other physiological responses. Fluorescent lectin-binding assays and cytochemical reactions were used to identify specificity and distribution of carbohydrate moieties and presence of several hydrolytic enzymes, in hemocytes of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus ...

The occurrence and distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) are summarized in invertebrate species with special attention to annelids, mollusks, and arthropods in this review. Furthermore, the role of PACAP is highlighted in physiological and behavioral processes of oligochaete (Lumbricus), gastropods (Helix, Lymnaea), insect (Drosophila), as well as malacostra...

The total haemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase activity, respiratory burst, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency in response to pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus were measured when the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (18.4 +/- 1.2 g) were injected individually with noradrenaline at 10(-8), 10(-7) and 10(-6) mol shrimp(-1). For the shrimp that received ...

The inland farming of penaeid shrimp in low-salinity waters is now de facto in many regions of the world, yet there is little information pertaining to the suitability of waters with various ionic compositions for shrimp culture. In the present study, short-term (48 h) survival of Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae (PL), and long-term (4 weeks) growth and survival of juvenile...

It has long been viewed that invertebrates rely exclusively upon a wide variety of innate mechanisms for protection from disease and parasite invasion and lack any specific acquired immune mechanisms comparable to those of vertebrates. Recent findings, however, suggest certain invertebrates may be able to mount some form of specific immunity, termed 'specific immune priming', although the mecha...