ABSTRACT
In aquatic toxicology, fish cells have been used mainly to study the mechanisms of action of environmental toxicants. Regulation via activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor by environmental contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and haloge-nated aromatic hydrocarbons has received particular attention. The activity of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in fish is influenced by environmental variables such as temperature, and isolated cells have been used to study this phenomenon. Biotransformation pathways of BP, a representative PAH, have been studied in fish cells and compared to those observed in vivo. In fish cells, the transport of xenobiotics as well as the effects of xenobiotics on the transport of endogenous agents has been looked at. Proteins such as metallothioneins, and to a lesser extent stress proteins, which are induced in response to various stressors, have received special attention, in particular in view of the fact that they could serve as biomarkers in environmental monitoring.
