Vacuolation, proliferation and neoplasia in the liver of Boston Harbor winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)
type: CreativeWork
description: Neoplasia has been found in the livers of bottom-feeding fish taken from heavily contaminated freshwater and marine habitats. This study examined the progressive development and ultimate diversity of liver neoplasia in winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) from Deer Island Flats, Boston Harbor, MA., U.S.A., and encompassed histopathology, ultrastructural pathology, immunohistochemistry and experimental toxicology. It was found that liver neoplasia was most prevalent adjacent to a major sewage outfall, and that the predominant neoplastic cell type was cholangiocellular. Cholangiocellular neoplasms ranged from non-invasive tubular cholangiomas to invasive anaplastic cholangiocellular carcinomas. The latter were solid, tubular, cystic and scirrhous in form. Hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas were also present, but only infrequently. Abnormally vacuolated hepatic epithelia were intimately associated with neoplastic lesions of all types. These vacuolated cells were first seen in the center of the hepatic tubule, as vacuolated preductular biliary epithelial cells. Later, cells of the entire hepatic tubule were vacuolated. Foci of vacuolated cells were visible grossly, and often contained or were adjacent to neoplastic lesions. Vacuolation, biliary hyperplasia, aggregation of macrophages and necrosis were first seen in two year old fish. These lesions then appeared to progress, becoming more severe and prevalent as the fish grew. Of the fish for which age data were available, the youngest fish to contain a liver neoplasm was 5 years old. Prevalence of neoplasia did not differ between gender of fish. Liver neoplasia and vacuolation persisted in fish that were maintained in clean water on clean food for five months. However, the prevalence of vacuolation decreased with increasing distance from urban contamination, being absent in fish from Georges Bank. Ultrastructural examination of winter flounder liver from clean and contaminated sites revealed a loss of hep…
abstract: Neoplasia has been found in the livers of bottom-feeding fish taken from heavily contaminated freshwater and marine habitats. This study examined the progressive development and ultimate diversity of liver neoplasia in winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) from Deer Island Flats, Boston Harbor, MA., U.S.A., and encompassed histopathology, ultrastructural pathology, immunohistochemistry and experimental toxicology. It was found that liver neoplasia was most prevalent adjacent to a major sewage outfall, and that the predominant neoplastic cell type was cholangiocellular. Cholangiocellular neoplasms ranged from non-invasive tubular cholangiomas to invasive anaplastic cholangiocellular carcinomas. The latter were solid, tubular, cystic and scirrhous in form. Hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas were also present, but only infrequently. Abnormally vacuolated hepatic epithelia were intimately associated with neoplastic lesions of all types. These vacuolated cells were first seen in the center of the hepatic tubule, as vacuolated preductular biliary epithelial cells. Later, cells of the entire hepatic tubule were vacuolated. Foci of vacuolated cells were visible grossly, and often contained or were adjacent to neoplastic lesions. Vacuolation, biliary hyperplasia, aggregation of macrophages and necrosis were first seen in two year old fish. These lesions then appeared to progress, becoming more severe and prevalent as the fish grew. Of the fish for which age data were available, the youngest fish to contain a liver neoplasm was 5 years old. Prevalence of neoplasia did not differ between gender of fish. Liver neoplasia and vacuolation persisted in fish that were maintained in clean water on clean food for five months. However, the prevalence of vacuolation decreased with increasing distance from urban contamination, being absent in fish from Georges Bank. Ultrastructural examination of winter flounder liver from clean and contaminated sites revealed a loss of hep…
author: Moore, Michael J.
language: en_US
keywords: Winter flounder, Liver
date published: 1991-07
date modified: 2026-07-27T22:05:08Z
provider: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/1912/1816

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.1575/1912/1816