Development of hepatic CYP1A and blood vitellogenin in eel (Anguilla anguilla) for use as biomarkers in the Thames Estuary, UK

The potential of eel (Anguilla anguilla) as a monitoring species for the Th ames Estuary, UK, was examined. Hepatic cytochrome P4501A [7-ethoxyresorufi n O-deethylase (EROD) activity] and blood vitellogenin (Western analysis) w ere investigated as biomarkers of exposure to, respectively, organic contam inants and to contaminants showing estrogenic activity. Hepatic microsomal EROD activities in A. anguilla from seven sites in the Thames Estuary in Ma y 1998 varied threefold (111+/-24 to 355+/-42 pmol min(-1) mg protein(-1)) (mean+/-S.E.M.) and showed correlation with salinity; however, the latter r elationship was not maintained at other times of the year. The range of ERO D activities was two- to eight-fold higher than the 37+/-8 pmol min(-1) mg( -1) for A. anguilla from the relatively clean Tamar Estuary. beta -Naphthof lavone treatment (5 mg kg(-1) wet wt.; 2 days) of Thames A. anguilla produc ed a two-fold increase in hepatic microsomal EROD activity. Comparing the T hames EROD data with those for A. anguilla from well-characterised contamin ated sites in the Netherlands (Van der Oost, R., Goksoyr, A., Celander, M., Heida, H., & Vermeulen, N. P. E. 1996. Aquatic Toxicology, 36, 189-222), t he Thames is suggested to be moderately impacted by polycyclic aromatic hyd rocarbons and related contaminants. 17-beta -Estradiol treatment produced t he appearance of a plasma protein of 211 Kd app. mel. wt. (recognised by an tibodies to vitellogenin of Morone saxatilis), but putative vitellogenin co uld not be detected in A. anguilla from selected sites in the Thames Estuar y. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.