EFFECT OF AQUATIC POLLUTION ON PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS AND REPRODUCTION OF FISH
(REVIEW)
Adel Mohamed Essa Shalaby
Hatchery And Fish Physiology Department, Central Laboratory For Aquaculture Research, Agriculture Research Center.
Received 7/ 7/ 2013 Accepted 12/ 8/ 2013
Abstrac
Many industrial and agricultural chemicals including heavy metals and pesticides are presented in the environment and have adverse effects on metabolism and the reproductive function in fish. Many studies were conducted to assess the toxicity of these chemicals against fish physiology and reproduction. The present article aimed to provide a bibliography of publication that describes the effects of aquatic pollution (organic and inorganic chemicals) on serum haematology, biochemistry and reproduction status of teleost fish. Also, this article explored the relation between exposure of pollutant (water concentration and fish tissue burdens of pollutants) with special references to
1-The ecological measure (growth and movement)
2- The cell function
3- The physiological and endocrine status of fish (plasma hormones levels, intermediary metabolism, histopathology and reproductive status
4- The toxicity of these chemicals against fish reproduction.
The goal of this article is also to develop and increase our knowledge of the impact of endocrine disruption compounds (EDCs) in the aquatic environment on fish reproduction. Specifically, we propose to 1) investigate novel mechanisms of endocrine disruption in fish including impacts on retinoid status and thyroid hormone homeostasis 2) to detect and characterize ligands in complex effluents that interact with fish hormone receptors (estrogen, androgen) and 3) to investigate the mechanisms underlying the reproductive abnormalities observed in fish exposed to complex effluents, including alterations in gonadal steroid production, incidences of masculinization/ feminization and altered ovarian follicular development. The use of these methods along with tools developed previously with CNTC funding will increase our ability to screen complex effluents for endocrine-active compounds and enhance understanding of biochemical mechanisms by which endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) may alter the growth and reproduction of fish.
Key words: Fish, chemical contamination (heavy metals, estrogenic pesticides), blood biochemistry, haematology and reproduction
