Cytochrome P450 1A and related measurements in juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from the Fraser River

Abstract

Juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were captured at six sites on the upper Fraser, Nechako, and Thompson rivers, British Columbia, Canada. Biological responses were measured in the liver to assess the effects of contaminants on the fish before they began migration downstream. Both ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and CYP 1A concentrations were significantly enhanced, being two- to three-fold higher in Fraser River samples compared with those fish from reference sites on the Nechako River. DNA adduct concentrations were two- to four-fold higher in Fraser River fish, although liver histopathology appeared unaffected. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the carcasses contributed to total contaminant burdens of less than 1 pg·g-1. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites were undetectable in nearly all samples of bile. There were strong correlations between EROD activity, CYP 1A induction, and DNA adduct concentrations but no clear correlation between these responses and PCDD, PCDF, or PCB concentrations.