Serum Sorbitol Dehydrogenase Activity as an Indicator of Chemically Induced Liver Damage in Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri)

The value of serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (s-SDH) activity to diagnose chemically induced liver damage in the fish, black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri), was assessed by intraperitoneal injection with pentachlorophenol sodium salt. Day 3 post-injection s-SDH activity levels were elevated in fish injected at the highest dosage (30 mg Kg−1) compared to control and other treatment groups. Control fish had s-SDH activity levels within the range of 15 to 88 mU mL−1 serum, while at the highest Na-PCP treatment s-SDH activity was 2.5 to 3.5 times higher on day 3 relative to control fish with levels returning to control levels by the 6th day following injection. An increase in the liver somatic index was not identified until day 6 post-injection and histological damage (hyperplasia) was not detected until the 9th day following injection in the high dosage treatment group. This study confirms that changes in s-SDH activity in black bream due to exposure to hepatotoxicants can be detected before physiological or hi...