In Vitro Detection and Quantification of Testosterone Metabolites in Aquatic Organisms

Abstract

High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate testosterone metabolism in aquatic animals generally used as sentinel species (i.e., fish and molluscs). The profiles of testosterone metabolites resulting from incubation of liver microsomes from trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, digestive gland S9 from clams, Corbicula fluminea and mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis were compared. Main metabolites 6β‐hydroxytestosterone, 16α‐hydroxytestosterone, 11β‐hydroxytestosterone, 2α‐hydroxytestosterone, 2β‐hydroxytestosterone and androstenedione were detected and quantified in rat, fish, and clam, whereas only 16α‐hydroxytestosterone and androstenedione metabolites were detected in mussels. Testosterone metabolite profiles detected in cellular fractions were further analyzed. The protocol presented in this study may be considered as a useful tool for biomarker based pollution surveys.

Supported by the European project Biological Effects of Environmental Pollution in marine coastal ecosystems: BEEP (Contract EVK3‐CT2000‐00025) is part of the EC IMPACTS cluster. We thank Dr Kramer, IECB, Pessac, for critically reading the manuscript and correcting the English language.

Keywords:

• HPLC
• testosterone metabolites
• fish
• molluscs

Notes

Supported by the European project Biological Effects of Environmental Pollution in marine coastal ecosystems: BEEP (Contract EVK3‐CT2000‐00025) is part of the EC IMPACTS cluster. We thank Dr Kramer, IECB, Pessac, for critically reading the manuscript and correcting the English language.