Acidification of water and extrahepatic biotransformation in fish

Abstract

The effects of decreased aquatic pH on the extrahepatic biotransformation reactions in fish were studied. Fishes were exposed to water of pH 3 for 8 h and extrahepatic biotransformation was monitored by measuring renal and duodenal activities of ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase, epoxide hydrase, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase. The activities were analysed at 18°C and 25°C. In the kidney the activities of ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and epoxide hydrase were increased with acidic water while the opposite was true with aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase. In acidic water ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase also showed a tendency to increase in duodenal mucosa. © 1984.