Aromatase activity in the ovary and brain of the eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) exposed to paper mill effluent

Abstract

Studies have shown that female mosquitofish living downstream of a paper mill located on the Fenholloway River, Florida, have masculinized secondary sex characteristics, including altered anal fin development and reproductive behavior. Masculinization can be caused by exposure to androgens in the water or from an alteration in aromatase activity in the fish. We hypothesized that aromatase activity would be inhibited by a component(s) of the paper mill effluent. Aromatase inhibition could masculinize the hormonal profile and, subsequently, secondary sex characteristics of the exposed females. Therefore, we predicted that ovarian and brain aromatase activity would be lower in the female mosquitofish from the Fenholloway River compared with the reference site, the Econfina River. Adult females were collected and standard length, body mass, anal fin length, and segment number were measured. Ovarian and brain aromatase activity were determined using a tritiated water assay. Fenholloway females had masculinized anal fin development as indicated by an increase in the number of segments in the longest anal fin ray (p < 0.0001), yet the length of the ray did not differ between sites (p = 0.95). Fenholloway females exhibited higher ovarian (p = 0.0039) and brain (p = 0.0003) aromatase activity compared with reference site fish. These data do not support aromatase inhibition as the mechanism for masculinization, suggesting that the masculinization of the Fenholloway female mosquitofish is due to androgenic contaminants. Future studies should examine the relationship between aromatase enzyme activity and exposure to environmental androgens.