Influence of feeding procedure on biomarkers in caged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) used in environmental monitoring

Effect of different river flow rates on biomarker responses in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The present study investigated effects of different river flow rates on basal activities of selected biomarkers and the occurrence of oxidative stress in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Juvenile carp were exposed to different river flow rates (5-120 cm/s) by caging for 3 weeks. After this period, one half of the fish were sacrificed and used for analysis. The other half received a single intraperitoneal injection of 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) and after 6 days were sacrificed and used for analysis. In order to investigate whether the physical activity of carp in the environment will influence the condition status of carp, following biomarkers were measured - activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and concentration of protein carbonyls (PC). The results showed that different flow rates significantly influenced biochemical biomarkers. The basal activity of GST did not change significantly after exposure to different river flow rates, whereas the activity of CAT increased with increasing river flow rates. The application of 3-MC caused significant increases in GST and CAT activities, but there were no difference between 3-MC control and 3-MC different flow rates. The occurrence of oxidative stress as a result of exposure to increased physical activity, i.e. increased river flow rates, was confirmed by measurement of PC levels - the level of PC increased with increasing river flow rates. Measurement of EROD basal activity showed that at lower river flow rates the EROD activity increased and at higher river flow rates decreased towards control levels demonstrating a close relationship between oxidative stress, PC levels and EROD activity. Obviously, biomarker responses in carp of different condition status can differ substantially. It can be concluded that flow rate may be an important factor in biomonitoring of rivers using biomarkers and since at different locations river water flow rate can vary significantly, the site selection is extremely important for proper design of river biomonitoring studies involving caging.

In situ biomonitoring of caged, juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Lower Duwamish Waterway

Contaminated sediments may have wide-ranging impacts on human and ecological health. A series of in situ caged exposure studies using juvenile Chinook salmon was conducted in the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW). Chemical analysis of sediment, water, and fish tissue were completed. Additionally, in 2004, DNA adducts in hepatic and gill tissues were measured. Gills contained significantly higher DNA adducts at stations B2 and B4, prompting further analysis of gills in 2006 and 2007. Fluorescent aromatic compounds (FACs) in bile, and CYP1A1 in hepatic tissue were also measured during 2006 and 2007, respectively. FACs in field-caged fish were comparable or significantly higher than wild-caught fish LDW fish and significantly higher than lab fish after only 8-10 days, demonstrating the equivalency of exposure to that of migrating salmon. Furthermore, selected biomarkers appear to be capable of detecting spikes in contamination between sampling years, emphasizing the need for multiple year data collection.

Biomarker analyses in caged and wild fish suggest exposure to pollutants in an urban area with a landfill

An unexpectedly high frequency of skeletal deformations in brown trout has previously been observed in the brook Vallkärrabäcken in southern Sweden. Environmental pollutants from storm water and leachate from an old landfill have been suggested as responsible for the observed deformations. Biomarkers in farmed rainbow trout, placed in tanks with water supplied from the brook, were used to investigate if exposure to pollutants may induce toxic responses in fish. Furthermore, biomarkers were also measured in wild brown trout that were caught in the brook. The most important finding was that the hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was five to seven times higher for rainbow trout and brown trout in exposed areas compared to reference sites (P<0.001). Analyses of bile in rainbow trout showed that the concentration of PAH-metabolites was two to three times higher (P<0.001) in the exposed areas. However, due to their smaller size and the feeding status, only insufficient amounts of bile could be retrieved from the wild brown trout. The study provides evidence for pollution in parts of Vallkärrabäcken. It is therefore possible that the previously observed high frequency of skeletal damage have been caused by pollutants. The methodology with farmed rainbow trout in flow through tanks worked well and provided more information about the occurrence of pollutants in Vallkärrabäcken than the data from brown trout. The main reasons for this were that the size and the feeding status of the fish could be controlled. This allowed a total of 21 biomarkers to be analyzed in farmed rainbow trout compared to only five in wild brown trout. Furthermore, the use of farmed fish eliminates the risk of migration, which may otherwise bias the data when wild fish are used.

Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase enzyme activities and accumulation of secondary/tertiary lysosomes in rabbitfish Siganus oramin as biomarkers for xenobiotic exposures

The sensitivities of using hepatic and intestinal ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activities and hepatic accumulation of secondary/tertiary (2 degrees/3 degrees) lysosomes to detect xenobiotic exposures were assessed in the rabbitfish Siganus oramin in a metropolitan harbour, subtropical Hong Kong, over a complete seasonal cycle of one year. Additional information on the body-burden pollutants and physiological indices in S. oramin, and seasonal variables in seawater quality, were extracted from published data and re-analyzed. Under the influences of pollutant cocktail and seasonal factors, neither the hepatic nor intestinal EROD activity was indicative of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Sigma PAH), total polychlorinated biphenyls, condition factor and hepatosomatic index (HSI) in S. oramin. However, the relative ratio of hepatic to intestinal EROD activities provided an indication to differentiate the xenobiotic intake route in the fish through diffusion via gills/skin or consumption of contaminated food. In addition, the elevated hepatic accumulation of 2 degrees/3 degrees lysosomes was closely associated with the dominant temporal trends of zinc and Sigma PAH, as well as reduced HSI, in S. oramin. Being minimally influenced by any investigated seasonal factors, the hepatic 2 degrees/3 degrees lysosomes in S. oramin was recommended as an effective biomarker of xenobiotic exposures and toxic effects for use in coastal pollution monitoring programmes.