Six month EROD response pattern of dioxin-fed brook trout

Brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, were fed tritiated-labeled 2,3,7,8-TCDD in two phases, a 5-week loading phase beginning in early July, followed by a maintenance phase lasting until middle October. The loading phase brought the trout to the desired whole-body TCDD concentration. The maintenance phase held the whole-body TCDD level constant during growth and deputation through mid-October. Six treatment groups were defined by the following whole-body TCDD concentrations: 0.0, 75, 150, 300, 600, and 120 pg/g. Hepatic EROD activity was measured fluorometrically at two to three week intervals from July, 1993 through October 1993 and once in January, 1994. In the two highest treatment groups, both males and females had significantly elevated levels of EROD activity and responded in a dose-response fashion. The EROD values for males were significantly higher than for females and their seasonal response patterns were different. For males, the maximum EROD response was maintained from July through January. For females, EROD was elevated from July through September, declined and then increased to the highest levels in January. Results were confirmed by immunoassay of selected microsomes samples for CY1A1 with the specific antipeptide antibody, anti-trout CYP1A1{sup 277-294/KLH} using Western Blots and densitometry to detect any losses in catalytic activity.more » these data demonstrate the complexity of the EROD response of brook trout to dioxin and suggest that physiological conditions associated with reproduction might affect the EROD response.« less