| dc.description.abstract | Recent studies have shown that dehydroabietic acid (DHAA), a resin acid
present in pulp and paper mills, may have anti-estrogenic effects in fish. A
chronic-exposure toxicity experiment using immature rainbow trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) was conducted in order to assess the endocrine
disrupting and liver metabolic effects of the wood extractives DHAA and β-
sitosterol (BS) regularly present in pulp and paper mills and the model estrogen
17β-estradiol (E2). It was found that exposure to 5 ppm of E2 significantly
increased hepatosomatic index (HSI), vitellogenin (VTG) and plasma sorbitol
dehydrogenase (SDH). This effect was reduced by mixing E2 with DHAA,
indicating that DHAA does not cause its anti-estrogenic effects indirectly due to
liver damage. Exposure to 5 ppm of DHAA caused a significant increase in liver
citrate synthase (CS), and liver ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity
after 7 days, however, the fish recovered by 28 days. This study also determined
the effect of 14 different pulp and paper mill effluent extracts on liver enzyme
metabolism through alterations in the activity of liver lactate dehydrogenase
activity (LDH) and CS. This activity varied greatly between mills but most
showed an induction of CS after 28 days exposure through i.p. injection. The
results of the study indicate that DHAA may alter energy metabolism as well as
cause anti-estrogenic effects in female juvenile rainbow trout. | en |
