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Studies of chemical mechanisms involved in the reactivity of natural or synthetic chimioluminescent compounds show that chimioluminescent phenomena result always from redox reactions associated with energy transfers and often with electron transfers. Therefore, analytical methods based on chimioluminescence are very well adapted to detect and evaluate the free radicals: reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and non oxygenated radicals, which are generated in biological systems.

Electron probe microanalysis is a very suitable method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of calcium, phosphorus, sulfur and magnesium occurring within integument and digestive gland; variations related to intermolt cycle can be compared.

The crustacean isopod Sphaeroma serratum, in steady state towards its medium, shows intensive sodium fluxes which have been evaluated by several different technics. In normal sea water (SW) the Na influx reaches 37.9 +/- 9.8 and the outflux represents 35.1 +/- 9.3 microEq h-1 100 mg-1. Renewable internal Na constitute three kinetic compartments whose turnover rate are 228.9; 63.2 +/- 14.6; 13.0 +/- 4.3%. h-1 respectively. The volume of the faster kinetic compartment is equal to 32.0 +/- 2.7% of the wet weight and it is likely equivalent to the extracellular space. In half diluted sea water (SW 1/2) the Na influx is 9.6 +/- 1.5 while outflux is found to be 9.3 +/- 2.2 microEq h-1 100 mg-1. The potential difference between internal and external media is equal to -2.0 +/- 0.4 mV in SW and -5.1 +/- 1.0 mV in SW 1/2. The ratio of the unidirectional fluxes in SW matches the electrochemical gradient, however in SW 1/2 the existence of an active Na influx is plausible.

37 species of aquatic mammals, fish, crustacea, annelids, molluscs belonging to cephalopods, gasteropods and lamellibranchs were collected from coastal waters of France: North Sea, English Channel, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, from Greece: Aegian Sea, from North America: Atlantic Ocean and from Japan: Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan and East China Sea. Microanalyses which were performed on organs and tissues, using secondary ion mass spectrometry, revealed high concentrations of lithium, which is commonly used in human therapy, but is also toxic in low amounts. The retention of this metal by the marine organisms appears as a general phenomenon independent of their biotope and geographical origin; the highest lithium levels were detected in the fish muscles (= edible part).

Histamine neutralization in Carcinus maenas is not ensured by oxidation, methylation, or acetylation. After injecting labelled histamine, radioactive carcinine (beta-alanylhistamine), biosynthesized in the central nervous system, rapidly accumulates in the heart. This synthesis is intense and proportional to the amount of histamine injected; on the contrary, it is very low after injecting labelled beta-alanine, whatever the amount injected. Ten days after injecting [14C]histamine, the amounts of radioactive carcinine stocked in the heart remain high. When incubated in the presence of labelled carcinine, various Carcinus tissues are unable to metabolize it. Thus it appears that carcinine would be the catabolite of histamine in Carcinus maenas and that beta-alanylation would be a novel pathway for histamine neutralization. Since carcinine synthetase activity is very high in the central nervous system, this enzyme might neutralize not only neuronal histamine, but also possibly exogenous histamine; thus it would constitute an element of the blood-brain barrier.

An anti-clotting substance active on the blood of host-fish has been isolated in the two cymothoids Anilocra physodes and Meinertia oestroides. Experiments carried out with different tissue extracts have shown that this activity occurs in the cephalon, more exactly in the laterooesophageal glands. The intestine or caecum extracts have non anti-clotting power but on the other hand, show a strong hemolytic action.

The isopod Crustacean Sphaeroma serratum is isotonic to the medium in sea water and hypertonic in diluted media. The drinking rate is 15.9 microliter in SW and 3.2 microliter 24 h-1 100 mg-1 wet weight in 50% SW. The extracellular space is 28.4% in SW and 27.0% of the wet weight in 50% SW. The rate of urine production, calculated from the half time for the loss of sodium diatriazoate is 11.8 mg in SW and 42.9 mg 24 h-1 100 mg-1 wet weight in 50% SW. 95% of the diffusion fluxes of water take place through the pleopods: their surface is about 62.6 mm2 in a 100 mg weighing animal. The activation energy of water molecules is 15.0 kcal/mol between +5 degrees C and +15 degrees C and 6.7 kcal/mol between +15 degrees C and +25 degrees C. The diffusion permeability coefficient Pd is 1.71 X 10(-4) cm/sec in SW and 0.70 X 10(-4) cm/sec in 50% SW. The osmotic permeability coefficient Pos has a mean value of 1.91 X 10(-4) cm/sec in SW and 1.24 X 10(-4) cm/sec in 50% SW. Our results are compared with those obtained in other Crustaceans and in Fishes. Their validity is discussed (influence of unstirred layers, solute-solvent interaction). They are explained according to the different theories dealing with the water transit through the membranes.

Dietary AMP deficiency induces the morphogenesis of supernumerary gonopodes on abdominal segements. The AMP concentration threshold inducing supernumerary gonopodes depends on the lecithin and albumin concentration of the diet. The AMP concentration threshold corresponding to maximal xanthine oxidase activity depends to the maximal rate of protein biosynthesis. The results suggest the existence of a relation between the developmental physiology of Artemia and AMP and lipid metabolisms, relation which would imply the activity of xanthine oxidase.

Meinertia oestroides and Anilocra physodes (Isopoda Cymothoidae) respectively buccal and skin parasites of the teleostean Fish Boops boops are isosmotic with the surrounding medium in sea water (SW), hyperosmotic and hyperionic in diluted media. The drinking rate of meinertia is 0.73 microliter in SW and 5.30 microliter h-1 g-1 wet weight in 5/10 SW; Anilocra shows 0.31 microliter in SW and 0.21 microliter h-1 g-1 wet weight in 6/10 SW. The distribution space of [51Cr] EDTA in Meinertia reaches 32.7% in SW and 28.9% of wet weight in 5/10 SW; Anilocra indicates 29.6% in full SW and 19.2% of wet weight in 6/10 SW. The rate of primary urine production in Meineria evaluated from the biological period of [51Cr] EDTA is 130 mg in SW and 338 mg 24 h-1 g-1 wet weight in 6/10 SW. The area of pleopoda is 826 mm2 for Anilocra, 336 mm2 for Meinertia and 277 mm2/g wet weight for Emetha audouini (another buccal parasite); 92.6% for Anilocra, 84.1% for Meinertia and 81.8% for Emetha of the apparent water diffusion outflux take place through the pleopoda. The apparent permeability diffusion coefficient Pd in SW is 1.63 x 10(-4) cm/sec for Anilocra, 2.80 x 10(-4) cm/sec for Meinertia and 3.31 x 10(-4) cm/sec for Emetha. In dilute media Pd is 1.30 x 10(-4) cm/sec for Anilocra and 3.44 x 10(-4) cm/sec in Meinertia. The results are compared with those already obtained for other non parasitic Crustaceans and according to the parasitic localization of the species above mentionned. An hypothesis concerning the mechanisms of feeding (hameatophgia) is proposed. The accuracy of results is discussed.

Egg lipovitellins of Orchestia gammarella tested by electrophoresis on gels of different acrylamide concentrations, following the procedure of Hedrick and Smith (1968), display a migration pattern identical to that of proteins with molecular weights of congruent to 3.2 x 10(5) (lipovitellin I) and congruent to 5.5 x 10(5) (lipovitellin II) respectively. Since their molecular weight remains constant during embryogenesis, the changes of their relative mobility in disc gels indicates alterations in their ionic charges.

The molting hormone content is low during stages C, D0, D1' a-b; it rises up in D 1' c and attains a maximum in D 2. An important decrease of the hormone titer is observed at ecdysis. This titer is slightly lower at stage A and increases again at stage B. Only ecdysterone is detected at stages B and D 2.

In some natural populations of Armadilidium vulgare, intersex animals are genetic males which are feminized by maternally transmitted symbiotic bacteria. In these intersex males (iM) the fat body synthesizes vitellogenin, although their gonads are testes with hypertrophied--but nonfunctional--androgenic glands. Vitellogenin is present in the hemolymph of males changed experimentally into iM 90 days after inoculation of the feminizing bacteria. During the molting cycle, vitellogenin synthesis in iM varies as in ovariectomized females or in vitellogenic females, with a peak at the stage D1." In A. vulgare, vitellogenin synthesis is a neutral character since it can be observed in a genetic male or in an ovariectomized female; however, it is inhibited by the androgenic hormone. In intersex males, vitellogenin synthesis is the result of their refractoriness to androgenic hormone.

In Sphaeroma serratum, the amino-acidemia is high (about 120 mg/100 ml) during the intermolt stages. The relative proportions of the different free amino acids show only slight differences in young males and senescent ones. At the time of the puberty molt, the total amino-acids concentration (including taurine) of the hemolymph increases sharply during premolt (up to 267 mg/100 ml), falls after ecdysis (down to 97 mg/100 ml and then rises up to the level of the intermolt stage. These variations are due not only to concentration or dilution of the whole hemolymph constituents, but also to specific modifications of the concentration of some of the free amino-acids with respect to the others. These variations of the amino-acidemia, mainly those of serine, proline, glycine, alanine and of the amine taurine, could play a definite role in increasing the osmotic pressure of the hemolymph during premolt, as a preparation to ecdysis.

The free amino-acid composition of the sera of 4 species of Isopods Cymothoidae (Meinertia oestroides, Meinertia parallela, Emetha audouini, Anilocra physodes) are very similar, and present the same characteristics, both quantitatively and qualitatively, as those of free marine Isopods of the family Sphaeromatidae and Idoteidae. Five amino acids are preponderant (serin, prolin, glycin, alanin and taurin). The total concentration is relatively high (154.6-356.4 mg/100 ml) with respect to Decapods. In the parasites studied so far, the free amino-acid pattern (except prolin) is rather like that of the Teleost Fishes, whether they are potential hosts of Cymothoidae or not. The free amino-acid concentration of the blood of the Fishes does not seem to be impaired by the Cymothoidae parasitism.

The haemolymph of oostegite males of Ligia oceanica and of iM intersexes of Armadillidium vulgare gives a hyperproteinemy owing to stocking of fractions representing vitellogenic proteins of extraovarian source. The only intersexes with ovary or ovariotestis present a vitellin proteic fraction.

The main proteins of the haemolymph of Crustacea Decapoda have been identified and analysed: haemocyanin, plasma coagulogen, heteroagglutinins, vitellogenins, and molt-related proteins. All these complex components exhibit a high molecular weight and as oligomeric fractions are able to aggregate or dissociate in subunits according to the composition of medium and experimental procedures. Besides their important rôle in the defense mechanism, some proteins are involved in the edification of diverse tissues. They are detected within different compartments: soft integument, calcified carapace and hepatopancreas. They are either in transit or sequestered or synthetized within these tissues. In the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus, some components have been identified in different compartments: --in aqueous extracts from soft integument: the haemocyanin, coagulogen and both fraction F1 (lipoprotein with an approximate molecular weight of 45 kdal) and fraction F2 related to the molt. Both coagulogen and fraction F2 appear sometimes as melanized. These two latter fractions exhibit some glucose-mannose residues and they occur with a higher relative amount than in the blood. --in soluble extracts from calcified cuticle: among the numerous fractions showing a high molecular weight, the haemocyanin and coagulogen are detected. --in aqueous extracts from hepatopancreas: both haemocyanin and coagulogen appear with a little relative amount. Components termed as Fa and Fb are found with a high concentration. One minor fraction is also detected. --in aqueous extracts from eggs: the haemocyanin and fraction Fb are present. Other proteins showing only some antigenic identities with those of the haemolymph are also detected in all these tissues. The haemolymph proteins are not present within these compartments following a passive diffusion. Indeed, their relative amount varies according to the tissue investigated and is different from that found in the blood. Except the haemocyanin detected in all tissues with different aggregation states, the haemolymph proteins identified vary in the organs studied. A qualitative and quantitative selection occurs when the blood proteins enter the other compartments. Perhaps some other proteins are not detected following alterations underwent either in the epithelial barriers or during the tannage process or the chitino-proteic complex formation or due to experimental procedures. On the other hand, each tissue has its own proteins. The integument contains crustacyanins alpha, beta, gamma; the eggs are mainly constituted of lipovitellins and the hepatopancreas is rich in small molecular weight proteins and digestive enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

An ecophysiological study on certain parasitisms by Cymothoids allows the elucidation of the following points: --occurrence of oesophagien-side glands producing an anticoagulant effect on the blood of host, the absorption and metabolism of haemoglobin derivatives (hematin and iron) are performed by the hepatopancreas; --existence of immunological reactions between host and Cymothoids; --existence of biochemical, histological, haemotological and biometrical variations among fishes infected by these parasites.