Preliminary study of the distribution and accumulation of GSH/Cys metabolites of hepatotoxic microcystins-RR in common carp from a lake with protracted cyanobacterial bloom (Lake Taihu, China).

Tissue distributions and seasonal dynamics of glutathione and cysteine S-conjugates of microcystin-RR in feral fish from Lake Taihu were studied. High MC-RR-Cys was found in tissues, Mean MC-RR-Cys in kidney (0.253 μg g(-1) DW) was 4 times of that in liver (0.063 μg g(-1) DW). Ratios of MC-RR-Cys/MC-RR in liver/kidney reached as high as 5.3/39.8, respectively, meanwhile, kidney showed low accumulation of MC-RR and higher formation efficiency of MC-RR-Cys than liver (7.51× to liver), this suggested that MC-RR-Cys were significantly accumulated with the depletion of MC-RR, and it was selectively biotransformed to MC-RR-Cys in kidney for further excretion.