“Immunodetection of vitellogenin in the hepatopancreas of the cichlid fish Cichlasoma dimerus (Heckel, 1840), under estrogenic treatment”.

N. MONCAUT; F. LO NOSTRO; L. ASSEO DE CHOCH; M. C. MAGGESE

Tafi del Valle, Tucuman

Jornada; XIX Jornadas Científicas de la Asociación de Biología de Tucumán.; 2002

Due to the consequences of the exposition to environmental estrogens on reproduction in wild fish species, the use of a biomarker of such exposures could result in a useful tool. Vitellogenin (Vtg), a precursor of yolk proteins, is synthesized by the liver and regulated by estrogens. The aim of this work was to assess the presence of Vtg in the hepatopancreas of males of C. dimerus (Perciformes, Cichlidae), a typical South American freshwater fish, after the acute hormonal treatment with estradiol-17b. Plasma samples from treated males, analyzed by Western blot, revealed that different heterologous antisera against Vtg bind to putative protein of 180 and 120 kDa. Using immunocytochemistry and histological techniques in paraffin sections, immunoreactive Vtg (ir-Vtg) producing cells in the liver of treated males were detected. This report supports the possibility of using Vtg as a potential biomarker for estrogenic compounds, thus enhancing the assessment of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the aquatic environment.