title: The sub-lethal effects and tissue concentration of the human pharmaceutical atenolol in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
abstract: Atenolol is a highly prescribed anti-hypertensive pharmaceutical and a member of the group of β-blockers. It has been detected at concentrations ranging from ng L(-1) to low μg L(-1) in waste and surface waters. The present study aimed to assess the sub-lethal effects of atenolol on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and to determine its tissue-specific bioconcentration. Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed for 21 and 42 days to three concentration levels of atenolol (1 μg L(-1) - environmentally relevant concentration, 10 μg L(-1), and 1000 μg L(-1)). The fish exposed to 1 μg L(-1) atenolol exhibited a higher lactate content in the blood plasma and a reduced haemoglobin content compared with the control. The results show that exposure to atenolol at concentrations greater than or equal to 10 μg L(-1) significantly reduces both the haematocrit value and the glucose concentration in the blood plasma. The activities of the studied antioxidant enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase) were not significantly affected by atenolol exposure, and only the highest tested concentration of atenolol significantly reduced the activity of glutathione reductase. The activities of selected CYP450 enzymes were not affected by atenolol exposure. The histological changes indicate that atenolol has an effect on the vascular system, as evidenced by the observed liver congestion and changes in the pericardium and myocardium. Atenolol was found to have a very low bioconcentration factor (the highest value found was 0.27). The bioconcentration levels followed the order liver>kidney>muscle. The concentration of atenolol in the blood plasma was below the limit of quantification (2.0 ng g(-1)). The bioconcentration factors and the activities of selected CYP450 enzymes suggest that atenolol is not metabolised in the liver and may be excreted unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic. Electronic address: steinbach@frov.jcu.cz.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steinbach
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Viktoriia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Burkina
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ganna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fedorova
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grabicova
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Alzbeta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stara
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velisek
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zlabek
authors.affiliation: Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, University of Bern, Laenggass-Strasse 122, 3001 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Posthaus
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grabic
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Centre of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, CZ-38925 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kocour Kroupova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D001262:Atenolol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001262:Atenolol; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase
keywords: Antioxidant enzymes; Biochemical markers; Bioconcentration; Haematological parameters; Histopathological changes; β-Blockers