Induction of Cyp1A in Japanese medaka exposed to carbonaceous pitches via water

The objective of these studies was to characterize hepatic Cyp1A induction by complex carbonaceous pitches both in Japanese medaka exposed via aquarium water and in cultured fish liver cells. Carbonaceous pitches were extracted with DMSO and added to aquaria water of medaka or to cultured medaka or trout liver cells, and CyplA induction was assessed by EROD assay. When medaka were exposed to different carbonaceous pitches, EROD activity was induced to different extents, and increased EROD induction was associated with increasing temperature of hydrogenation. EROD induction in cultured fish liver cells was somewhat less sensitive than that observed in vivo. These studies indicate CyplA induction in medaka can be used to detect compounds, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, in complex samples and could be used as a biomarker for the presence of these compounds in the environment.