Environmental estrogenic compounds and the induction of hepatic vitellogenin synthesis using cultured goldfish hepatocytes

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:244865

Yao, Z; Kraak, G.J. Van Der; Squires, E J ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Guelph, Ontario (Canada)

A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the estrogenic activity of some environmental contaminants including the {beta}-sitosterol, nonylphenol (major components of pulp mill effluent) and 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM, a lampricide widely used in the Great Lakes), using the goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) as a model species. The in vivo exposure studies have demonstrated that all three compounds tested possess various degrees of estrogenic activity as measured by increased plasma vitellogenin (VTG) production in both the male and female fish. To understand how these compounds induce hepatic VTG synthesis and determine their potency of VTG induction, an in vitro hepatocyte culture system of goldfish was established and the induction of VTG synthesis by these compounds in the cultured hepatocytes was studied. The concentration of VTG in the plasma and in the cell culture medium was determined with a enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Both in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that {beta}-sitosterol has the highest estrogenic activity of VTG induction.

• OSTI ID: 244865
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY
ESTROGENS
GOLDFISH
LIVER CELLS
PHENOLS
PROTEINS
WATER POLLUTION