Fish acclimation and the development of tolerance to zinc as a modifying factor in toxicity

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5971156

Anadu, D I

Acclimation of juvenile steelhead (S. gairdneri) and rainbow (Salmo gairdneri) trout to sublethal concentrations of zinc resulted in significant increases in tolerance to zinc. Zinc exposure of rainbow trout at 100 ..mu..gl/sup -1/ (0.42 of the 96 hr LC50 and 0.86 96 hr LC10) for 17 days developed cross tolerance to cadmium and copper in addition to zinc. Cadmium and copper tolerances increased by factors of approximately 4 and 5, respectively. Development of tolerance to zinc was dependent on the time and concentrations of metal used during acclimation. The greatest increase in the steelhead acclimation occurred by the 7th day and no further increases occurred as a result of the extension of duration of acclimation. Acclimation of rainbow trout for periods less than 3 days indicated that acclimation had not occurred in the first 3 days, while by the 7th day, increases above 2-fold had occurred. Rainbow trout acclimated to 100 ..mu..gl/sup -1/ of zinc for 10 days had increased tolerance to zinc of approximately equal magnitude to those acclimated sequentially to 300 and 500 ..mu..gl/sup -1/ of zinc. Zinc tolerance in rainbow trout was lost soon following cessation of zinc exposure. Deacclimation of the sequentially acclimated rainbow trout resulted in a nearly total loss of acclimation by the 7th day. The low molecular weight metal binding soluble hepatoprotein (metallothionein: MT) is known to be involved in metal detoxification. Estimation of MT induction during acclimation of rainbow trout showed a 22% increase over the unacclimated fish. At cessation of acclimation, MT levels gradually decreased and by the 7th day were the same as the controls.

• OSTI ID: 5971156
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
CADMIUM
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
COPPER
ELEMENTS
FISHES
METALLOPROTEINS
METALLOTHIONEIN
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
TOLERANCE
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TROUT
VERTEBRATES
ZINC