Inter-relation of cytochrome P450 and contaminants burdens in sibling heron embryos and nestlings
- National Biological Service, Laurel, MD (United States). Patuxent Environmental Science Center
Hepatic cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase activities were measured in 11-day-old nestling black-crowned night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) collected from a reference site (next to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia) and three polluted sites (Cat Island, Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin; Bair Island, San Francisco Bay, California; West Marin Island, San Francisco Bay, California). Activities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and benzyl-oxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (BROD) were modestly elevated ({<=} three-fold) in nestlings from polluted sites. Concentrations of p,p{prime}DDE, other organochlorine pesticides and total PCBs in nestlings were greatest at contaminated sites, although much lower than found in concurrently collected eggs and pipping embryos, At these low pollutant concentrations there was little correlation between monooxygenase activity and contaminant levels in nestlings. These observations markedly contrast the pronounced monooxygenase induction (up to 85-fold) and its significant correlation with total PCBS, aryl hydrocarbon receptor-active PCB congeners and toxic equivalents in concurrently collected night-heron embryos that were often siblings of the nestlings. The present findings suggest that cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase activity of heron nestlings may have only limited value as a biomarker of exposure at this rapid-growth life stage.
- OSTI ID:
- 218479
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9619%%200
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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