The Effect of Polychlorinated Biphenyl on Steroidogenesis and Reproduction in the Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

Abstract

Livers from brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) held in water containing 3.8 p.p.m. (mg/l) Corexit and in water containing 3.8 p.p.m. Corexit + 0.2 p.p.m. polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) were firmer in texture than livers taken from control trout held in fresh water. The testes from the PCB-treated trout were darker in color, smaller in size, contained less spermatic fluid, and appeared to be regressed when compared with testes from the control fish. Only 72% of the eggs from PCB-treated trout hatched compared to 92% for control eggs when eggs were incubated in fresh water. Fertilized eggs incubated in water containing 0.2 p.p.m. PCB + 3.8 p.p.m. Corexit resulted in less than 1% of the eggs from the untreated fish and none of the eggs from PCB-treated fish being hatched. The young fish from the control group lived only a few days in the water containing PCB. PCB greatly stimulated the in vitro 11beta-hydroxylation of testosterone by trout testicular tissue. There was no significant change in 11-ketotestosterone blood levels in maturing brook trout after treatment with 3.8 p.p.m. Corexit or 3.8 p.p.m. Corexit + 0.2 p.p.m. PCB for 21 days during the final stages of maturation. It is thought that sublethal levels of PCB can interfere with the reproduction process in this species.

Non lethal concentrations of pesticide impair ovarian function in the freshwater perch,Anabas testudineus

“…Previous workers have suggested an impairment of steroidogenic activity in the gonad of pesticide treated fish (Freeman & Idler 1975, Saxena et al 1986, Kapur et al 1978. In the present study a declining trend in the steroid hormone level of both plasma and the ovary was noted in the later periods of exposure, providing evidence for a delayed reproductive activity.…”

“…Literature abounds with reports on the impact of pesticides on various fish tissues but studies on reproductive toxicity in fish are not as many. Studies on pesticidal effects on female reproduction are abortion in Gambusia affinis (Boyd 1964), reduction in reproductive efficiency in brown trout, Salmo trutta, and brook charr, Salvelinus fontinalis (Burdick et al 1972), prevention of reproduction by Carbaryl (Carlson 1972), reduced hatching of embryos by PCB in brook charr (Freeman & Idler 1975), retardation of ovarian development by Fenitrothion and Carbaryl (Saxena & Garg 1978) and Phenthoate (Dey & Bhattacharya 1989) in Channa. punctatus and by Malathion and Endrin in Heteropneustes fossilis (Singh & Singh 1980).…”

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in North Sea whiting (Merlangius merlangus L.), and effects on reproduction. I. Tissue burden and hatching success

“…In brook trout, Salvelinus [ontinalis, 78 000 ~tg kg -I Aroclor 13.54 were needed in the eggs to reduce hatching from 92 % to 72 % in treated eggs (Freeman & Idler, 1975). However, the data presented in this paper indicate that chlorinated hydrocarbons accumulated in ovaries of North Sea whiting exert significant negative effects on embryonic development and production of normal larvae at relatively low tissue concentrations.…”

Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (Bmap) Plan

“…To again use PCBs as an example, this class of environmental contarninant has been reported to depress steroid metabolism in rats (Miranda et al 1990), stimulate the metabolism of testosterone by trout testicular tissue (Freeman and Idler 1975), and cause a significant reduction in the plasma levels of both androgens and estrogens in trout and carp (Sivarajah et al 1978). Female English sole from environmental sites heavily contaminated by PCBs were observed to have significantly lower plasma estradiol levels than fish from less contaminated sites (Johnson et al 1988).…”