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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Human Health Effects Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Creatine Kinase Activity as an Indicator of Energetic Impairment and Tissue Damage in Fish: A Review

Fishes 2023 27 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Matheus D. Baldissera, Bernardo Baldisserotto

Summary

This review summarizes how creatine kinase enzyme activity can serve as an indicator of energy disruption and tissue damage in fish under stressful conditions, including exposure to contaminants like metals, pesticides, and microplastics. Researchers found that tissue creatine kinase activity reflects impaired energy balance, while elevated blood levels signal possible tissue damage. The study suggests this enzyme could be a useful biomarker for assessing the health impacts of environmental pollutants on fish.

Creatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme that produces and uses phosphocreatine to transfer energy to maintain tissue and cellular energy homeostasis, being considered the main controller of cellular energy homeostasis. Its activity in plasma/serum has been commonly used to evaluate tissue damage, since CK is released into the bloodstream during damage. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the use of CK activity in fish, focusing on its potential as an indicator of the impairment of energetic homeostasis and tissue damage during stressful situations, such as exposure to contaminants (metals, pesticides, microplastic), hypoxia, thermal stress, and diseases (fungal, parasitic, and bacterial). Based on the data, we can conclude that tissue CK activity can be used as a suitable indicator of the impairment of energetic homeostasis in fish exposed to different aquaculture challenge conditions, while serum/plasma CK activity can be used as the first evidence of possible tissue damage, due to its release into the bloodstream.

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