• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.860-868
• /
• 2014

The study was performed to investigate changes in hematological responses and antioxidative enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT) of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica following exposure to 0 (control), 2.33, 4.60, 6,64 and 8.78 mM nitrite-N in fresh water for 48 h. Hematological parameters such as plasma nitrite, electrolytes, cortisol, glucose, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), hemoglobin (Hb), methemoglobin (metHb) and NADH-methemoglobin reductase (NMR) were measured. Plasma nitrite, cortisol, metHb and NMR increased directly with increasing ambient nitrite concentration, while Hb content showed a progressive decline. Levels of plasma potassium, GOT and GPT of the eel exposed to 6.64 mM ambient nitrite were significantly higher than the control fish. The activity of SOD and CAT in plasma, gill and liver of the eel following exposure to nitrite were augmented by increasing ambient nitrite. Levels of plasma nitrite, metHb, NMR, cortisol, glucose and antioxidative enzyme activities of the eel exposed to 2.33 mM ambient nitrite were significantly higher than the control fish. This study suggested that the eel acutely exposed to elevated ambient nitrite causes nitrite-induced stress responses, changes in antioxidative enzyme activities and hematological parameters.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.139-145
• /
• 2007

To decrease stress in eel (Anguilla japonica) during its culture or transportation, aspirin (ASA) known as analgesic, antiinflammatory and antithrombic agent was administrated by dipping or oral routes. Concentrations of aspirin (ASA) and salicylic acid (SA) in eel plasma were simultaneously measured by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The plasma was acidified with 0.2 M HCl and 0.2 M orthophosphoric acid, and mixed with acetonitrile. ASA and SA extracted with acetonitrile were analyzed by the HPLC equipped with reversed phase Novapak C18 column (4 ㎛ silica, 150×4 mm) and UV detector(237 nm). The mobile phase consisted of 740 ㎖ water, 900 ㎕ orthophosphoric acid (85%) and 180 ㎖ acetonitrile. The retention times of ASA, SA and 2-methylbenzoic acid(MBA) were 4.8 min, 8.4 min and 11.5 min, respectively. The limit of quantification was 0.01 ㎍/㎖ for SA and 0.05 ㎍/㎖ for ASA. The mean recovery from eel plasma was 70.8～99.6% for ASA and 95.2～100.3% for SA. This HPLC method was applied to analyze ASA and SA of eel plasma after either dipping in a concentration of 20 ppm or feeding the feed supplemented with 50 ㎎/kg BW. Only SA was detected in eel plasma after the administration of ASA by dipping or oral routes because the drug was quickly decomposed into SA in eel plasma. The amount of SA in eel plasma reached the highest value at 3hr in dipping and 7 days in oral administration. When the ASA-administrated eel were kept in ASA free aquaria, 0.02-0.03 ㎍/㎖ of SA were detected 48 hr after the administration in both routes.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.466-471
• /
• 2006

We investigated the changes in body weight (BW), plasma sex steroid hormone profiles, and testicular development of cultured male eel Anguilla japonica during an artificial maturation process. Eels that received weekly intraperitoneal injections of eel's ringer solution containing human chronic gonadotropin (HCG) were examined. In the ringer-treated control, BW changes decreased slowly during the experimental period. Plasma testosterone (T), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) and $17{\alpha},\;20{\beta}$-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) levels In the control remained low and did not show significant changes. Moreover, all germ cells in the testes of the control were spermatogonia. In the HCG-treated male eels, however, BW changes increased gradually from the fifth week and then decreased slowly. The plasma T level increased rapidly (p<0.05) in the second week and then decreased slowly. The plasma 11-KT level increased dramatically (p<0.05) in the second week and was maintained until the end of the experiment. The plasma DHP level increased progressively from the second week and peaked in the eighth week (p<0.05). The testes of HCG-treated male eels were more developed than those of the control; most were at the spermatozoa and spermatid stages and showed active spermiation. Thus, spermatogenesis and spermiation in the cultured eel can be induced by repeated injections of HCG.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.142-147
• /
• 1991

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity has been characterized in the rice eel, Monopterus albus. Peak activity of ACE in plasma from the rice eel was shown at around pH 10, which was more alkaline compared to that of mammals. Chloride requirements for the optimal ACE activity were different from species to spedes. ACE inhibitors, EDTA, teprotide (SQ 20, 881), and captopril (SQ 14, 225) showed dose-dependent inhibitions of ACE activity in plasma from the rice eel as well as mammals. ACE activity in the rice eel was increased by CoCI2, and the enzyme activity was more unstable at high temperature as compared to mammals The highest activity of ACE among the various tissues in the rice eel was found in the brain.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.117-124
• /
• 2007

The present study demonstrates the changes in body weight (BW) and plasma sex steroid hormone profiles during artificial maturation induced by human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) or salmon pituitary extract (SPE) injections in cultured eel, Anguilla japonica, kept in seawater for 3 months. In the weekly SPE-injected female group, BW was relatively stable during vitellogenesis. Following induction of vitellogenesis, females exhibited a rapid increase of BW, and the oocytes were observed to be in the migratory nucleus stage at the end of the experiment. Plasma testosterone (T) and $estradiol-17{\beta}$ ($E_2$) levels increased slightly during vitellogenesis and peaked at an average of 5.82 ng/mL and 4.76 ng/mL, respectively, at the end of the experiment. In the weekly control and HCG-injected female groups, BW slowly decreased during the experimental period, and the oocytes of the two groups were observed to be at the primary yolk globule stage. In the weekly HCG-injected female group, plasma T and $E_2$ levels increased slightly during vitellogenesis and decreased afterward. In the control female group, however, plasma T and $E_2$ levels were not altered during the experimental period. Furthermore, plasma $17{\alpha},20{\beta}-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one$ (DHP) was not detected in all experimental groups. Fertility and hatching rates of SPE-injected females were significantly higher in those that ovulated 15 h after DHP injection than 18 h. These results indicate that long rearing in seawater increases responsiveness to SPE in ovarian maturation of the Japanese eel, resulting in shortened period from completion of vitellogenesis by sex steroid hormone production.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.119-127
• /
• 2008

Oxytetracycline (OTC) has been widely used in eel culture as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent because of its broad-spectrum activity against gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The oral treatment dosage of OTC approved for the treatment of edwardsiellosis, furunculosis and vibriosis in eel is 50 mg/kg/day for 3-7 days in Korea. To determine new optimum dose of OTC in eel, the pharmacokinetics of OTC after single oral administration (100 mg/kg B.W., 200 mg/kg B.W.) in cultured eel, Anguilla japonica was examined. In oral dosage of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, the highest plasma concentrations of OTC were 1.19±0.42 ㎍/㎖ and 2.69±0.57 ㎍/㎖, respectively. Plasma concentrations of OTC were not detected after 720 h post-dose in all experiments. The kinetic profile of absorption, distribution and elimination of OTC in plasma wwas calculated fitting to a 1- and 2-compartment model by WinNonlin program. The following parameters were obtained for a single dosage of 100 and 200 mg/kg respectively: 1-compartment model, AUC= 82.48 and 432.68 ㎍*h/㎖, Tmax= 3.93 and 14.24 hr, Cmax= 0.94 and 2.34 ㎕/㎖; 2-compartment model, AUC= 448.73 and 530.65 ㎍*h/㎖, Tmax= 6.37 and 8.96 hr, Cmax= 0.90 and 3.21 ㎕/㎖.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.12-19
• /
• 2022

In the present study, we investigated the effects of recombinant eel gonadotropins (rec-GTHs) on maturation induction in immature ovarian culture in vitro and sex steroid hormones in vivo in the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica. To study the in vitro effects of rec-GTHs on estradiol-17β (E2) production in immature ovarian tissues, ovarian tissues were incubated with different doses of rec-follicle-stimulating hormone (rec-FSH) or rec-luteinizing hormone (rec-LH). The results revealed that the E2 levels in the rec-FSH (0.1, 0.5, or 1 ㎍/mL)- and rec-LH (0.1 or 0.5 ㎍/mL)-treated groups were significantly higher than those in the female eels from the control group. Furthermore, to investigate the in vivo effects of rec-GTHs on the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and plasma sex steroid hormone levels, the eels were injected intraperitoneally with eel's ringer (control), salmon pituitary extract (SPE; for female eels), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; for male eels), rec-FSH, rec-LH, and rec-FSH + rec-LH once a week. The results revealed that except for the SPE and the hCG groups, none of the groups exhibited a significant difference in GSI values. However, in vivo plasma E2 levels increased at the end of 4 weeks after rec-FSH treatment in female eels. Based on these results, it is suggested that rec-GTHs may have a positive effect on sexual maturation in female eels; however, further studies on complementary rec-protein production systems and additional glycosylation of rec-hormones are needed to elucidate hormone bioactivity in vivo and in vitro.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.401-410
• /
• 2023

This study examined the characteristics of eel Anguilla japonica sperm using the CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis) system and attempted to provide the composition for artificial seminal plasma by regulating of inorganic elements. Sperm samples were first divided into four groups based on motility and progressive motility: (A) 0-10%, (B) 10-40%, (C) 40-70%, and (D) 70-100%. For observing sperm velocity variations, VCL, which is curve motion velocity, showed the highest values in all groups. The directional factor, beat cross frequency, was lower in higher activity groups, showing an opposite correlation with sperm activity. The head sizes of spermatozoa in higher activity groups were significantly larger than those in lower activity groups. The Na⁺ and K⁺ ions were important in the inorganic composition of seminal plasma in this species. Furthermore, regulating the composition in artificial seminal plasma improved the formula compared to the existing element, exhibiting 120 mM Na and 30 mM K when the sperm was conserved for a long time and 120 mM NA and 40 mM K when the sperm was conserved for a short time.

• Journal of Aquaculture
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.267-274
• /
• 2006

To understand the changes in plasma levels of sex steroids in the wild Japanese eel Anguilla japonica during artificially maturing process, eels received weekly intraperitoneal injections of a water-in-oil (W/O) type emulsion with Freund`s incomplete adjuvant containing salmon pituitary extract (SPE; 20 mg pituitary powder/fish) were examined. In the weekly Eel's Ringer-treated control wild eels, the body weight (BW) changes of fish decreased slowly during the experiment period. Plasma testosterone (T), $estradiol-17{\beta}\;(E_2)$ and $17a,20{\beta}-dihydroxyprogesterone$ (DHP) levels did not change significantly at the end of the experiment. In the weekly SPE-treated silver eels, however, rapid increase in BW changes occurred after 6 to 10 weeks, and the oocytes of all fish were observed to be in the migratory nucleus stage. Furthermore, significant increase in sex steroid hormones (T and $E_2$) levels occurred from 6 weeks. In the weekly SPE-treated yellow eels, the BW changes of fish increased slowly at 6 weeks and then increased. In these fish, the oocytes were at the tertiary yolk globule stage even at the end of the experiment. Plasma sex steroid hormones profiles revealed individual variability in SPE-treated yellow eels. Plasma T and $E_2$ levels significantly increased at 8 weeks and after 6 weeks, respectively, in SPE-treated yellow eels. In the weekly SPE-treated wild eels (silver and yellow eels), however, plasma DHP levels did not change significantly during the experiment period. In silver eel, final maturation could be induced by weekly administration of SPE using W/O type emulsion.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.12
• /
• pp.1851-1854
• /
• 2009

This study correlated changes in the plasma levels of estradiol-$17{\beta}$ (E2) with changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and ovarian development during the annual reproductive cycle of the pike eel Muraenesox cinereus, collected at the Tongyung coast region. Ovarian maturity was classified based on histological observations; the perinucleolus stage (November to February), the oil droplet stage (March to April), the early vitellogenic stage (April to May) and the late vitellogenic stage (June to October). Seasonal changes in the GSI were correlated with water temperature and reflected the degree of ovarian maturity. Plasma E2 levels were correlated with changes in the GSI, which increased from April to a peak in July, and the levels remained comparatively high until October. These data indicated that changes in the GSI and plasma E2 levels are correlated with the annual ovarian activity of the pike eel. In this study, however, female pike eels were not collected during the spawning stage. Therefore, spawning of this species seemed to be closely related to its migration toward the deep sea of offshore.