Hepatic metabolism of contaminants in the terapontid fish, yellowtail trumpeter (<i>Amniataba caudavittata</i> Richardson): Fid-Bau Portal

Hepatic metabolism of contaminants in the terapontid fish, yellowtail trumpeter (Amniataba caudavittata Richardson)

Webb, Diane / Gagnon, Marthe Monique / Rose, Tom

The yellowtail trumpeter (Amniataba caudavittata) is an estuarine‐dependent omnivorous fish found in the Swan‐Canning Estuary, Western Australia. Thirty five fish were injected with either the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), the synthetic flavenoid β‐naphthoflavone (BNF), or used as controls. The fish were then sampled at 3 and 7 days postinjection. Induction of the enzyme ethoxyresorufin O‐deethylase (EROD) activity was nonsignificant while ethoxycoumarin O‐deethylase (ECOD) activity induction differed amongst treatments. A high interindividual variability in the EROD activity was observed. The measurement of sorbitol dehydrogenase in the serum (s‐SDH) was elevated (BNF 2.2 times and B[a]P 3.2 times the control fish) demonstrating that liver cell damage had occurred. Increases in biliary metabolites of both B[a]P‐type and pyrene‐type (19 times and 3.4 times the controls respectively) indicated that detoxification of pyrene‐type compounds had taken place. Fish of the Terapontidae family, such as the yellowtail trumpeter, were found to be suitable for biomonitoring the health of the Swan‐Canning Estuary. A combination of ECOD activity, s‐SDH, and the measurement of biliary metabolites represents a suitable suite of biomarkers for environmental monitoring of the sublethal effects of PAH pollution in these fish. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008.