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(63-06) Assesment of endocrine disruption in birds measuring vitellogenin and VLDL. Wada, Masaru*,1, 1 College of Arts and Scciences, Ichikawa, Chiba JAPAN ABSTRACT- Reliable and easier test methods are desirable to assess an effect of endocrine disruptors in test animals. In fish, measurement of circulating vitellogenin (Vtg), a precursor of yolk proteins synthesized in the liver by the stimulatory effects of estrogen, has been established as a test method. Since Vtg is not circulated in male fishes, detection of the protein in males indicates exposure with estrogenic substances. As another oviparous verebrate member, female birds has also vitellogenin in circulation but so far an appropriate assay system was not available. We have raised an antibody to yolk lipovitelline and established an ELISA system to measure circulating vitellogenin. With this method we obtained positive results that the assay system detected increased Vtg in response with estradiol and diethylstilbstrol administered in Japanese quail. We also measured circulating very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), a carrier protein of triglycerids used as a fule for development from the liver to the ovary. Circuating VLDL in male Japanese quail also increased in response to estrogens, which was parallel to those of Vtg. We believe that these methods are useful for screenig of estrogenic endocrine disruptors in male Japanese quail. (This study is aided by financial supports from the Ministry of Environment, Japan). Key words: vitellogenin assay, VLDL estimation, Japanese quail, estrogenic endocrine disruptors |
