Induction of cytochrome P450 1A1 and monooxygenase activity in tilapia by sediment extract.

Abstract

Cytochrome P450 (P450)-dependent monooxygenases of fishes are inducible by a variety of environmental pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Induction of fish monoxygenases may serve as a biological monitor for PAH- and PCB-types of environmental chemicals. Many studies have demonstrated environmental induction of fish monooxygenases using various experimental approaches. However, relatively few studies have been conducted using fish treated with contaminated river sediment extracts. Damsui River is the largest river in the north of Taiwan. The lower section of the river in the Taipei Metropolitan area is heavily polluted by industrial and municipal wastes. Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) is one of the few species of fish that occur in the polluted river. Previous field studies showed that the levels of P450 1A1, benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase and 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities in tilapia collected at Fu-Ho Bridge, a polluted section of Damsui River, were higher than respective levels in fish collected from an unpolluted section. These results suggested that tilapia caught at the polluted site were exposed to substances similar in action to PAHs and PCBs, because these chemical pollutants are potent inducers of P450 1A1. PAHs and PCBs are persistent compounds that can accumulate in sediment. Tilapia are occasionallymore » associated with the bottom and could ingest chemically contaminated sediment. In the present study, we determined the induction properties of monooxygenases using tilapia treated with extract of sediment collected from a polluted section of Damsui River. The present study demonstrates that Damsui River sediment extract has the ability to induce hepatic P450 1A1 and dependent monooxygenase activities in tilapia. 17 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.« less