NONSPECIFIC CELLULAR AND HUMORAL DEFENCE MECHANISMS IN PIKEPERCH (SANDER LUCIOPERCA) GROWN IN AN INTENSIVE SYSTEM OF CULTURE

ABSTRACT. Monitoring the condition of fish and protecting them from diseases are two of the most important aspects of prevention in intensive fish culture. Nonspecific cellular and humoral defense mechanisms were studied for the first time in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) grown in an intensive system of culture using two sizes of fish weighing approximately 50 g and 500 g. The respiratory burst activity and potential killing activity of blood phagocytes and pronephric macrophages were measured in each group. The proliferative response of lymphocytes stimulated by mitogen ConA and LPS was also examined in the two groups of fish. The lysozyme and ceruloplasmine activities in the plasma and the total protein with Ig levels in the serum were also determined. These results will be used in controlling the influence of diets and xenobiotics on nonspecific cellular and humoral defense mechanisms and for infectious disease prevention in pikeperch raised in different systems of culture