Use of hepatic CYP1A1 activity in Japanese flounder to monitor oil dispersed from the Nakhodka spill

Abstract

Cytochrome P4501A activities (measured as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD)) in the liver of flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, were measured as a biomarker of the response to dispersed oil exposure. EROD activities in flounder administered crude oil (0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/kg body weight/day) in their diets increased to more than 20-fold of those in control fish. The increased activities persisted for 6 days after cessation of exposure to heavy oil. These results demonstrated that EROD in the liver of Japanese flounder is a good biomarker of oil pollution. However, no significant increase in EROD activity was observed in flounder collected from Nakhodka oil spill areas compared with those collected from control sites.