• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2002

Swim up fry of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, were fed 0 or 60 mg l7-methyltestos­terone (MT) per kg feed for 30 days. Fish that had been fed 0 or 60 ppm MT for the first 30 days were subsequently fed a commercial diet for 56 weeks to evaluate growth, survival, sex ratio, body composition, gonadosomatic index and the total edible portion. Mean body weight of MT treated group and untreated group were 1.7 g and 1.1 g, respectively at the end of the treatment for 30 days $(P<0.05)$. The experiment was terminated after a total of 60 weeks, the mean body weight of the MT treated population was 1,016 g and that of the untreated population was 762g $(P<0.05)$. However, the final mean body weight of untreated males (l, 086g) was not significantly different from treated males (l,016 g), but the mean body weight of the female group was 512 g. Therefore, the reason for the lower mean body weight of the untreated group was entirely due to stunted females. The percentage fillet yield of MT treated fish$(34.6\%)$ was not significantly different from that of the untreated males $(34.4\%)$, but the untreated females were lower than those of both treated and untreated male groups $(32.4\%)$ (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the percentage of the all edible portion (AP) between MT treated and untreated males, but females were lower than males. Females are smaller fish in size and the gonads are larger in proportion which were discarded along with the intestine this explains the observed difference. Total biomass of the two groups were 134.8kg and 104.5kg per $m^3$, respectively. The proportion of fish reaching a marketable size of over 800 g in body weight within 14 months were $78\%$ in the MT treated group and $41\%$ in the untreated group.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-66
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• 1988

Histological study was conducted to determine the initial treatment time and treatment period of hormone for sex reversal in accordance with gonadal development and sexual differentiation in Oreochromis niloticus. The effects of various concentrations and various treatment periods of 17$\alpha$-methyltestosterone (MT) on sex reversal, growth, and condition factor were also evaluated. Paired primodial gonads were formed 9 days after hatching, when germ cells began their gradual multiplication and development into gonial ones. Sex differentiation of gonads either into ovaries or testes became histologically discernible about 20 days after hatching with formation of ovarian cavity and efferent duct. All feed treated with MT at 15 ppm for 10 days or more produced populations of males $95\%$ or above. All male populations were produced at 15 ppm MT for 40 days, and 30 ppm for 30 and 40 days. Growth of hormone-treated-fish was faster than that of untreated ones and the condition factor of hormone-treated-fish was greater than that of untreated ones 77 days after hatching.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.279-285
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• 1996

The effects of various concentrations of $17{\beta}-methyltestosterone$ (MT) or $17{\beta}-estradiol\;(E_2)$ on sex reversal, survival and growth rates of olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus were investigated. MT and $E_2$ were treated to juvenile flounder for 60 days from 30 (total length : 14.5 mm) to 90 (TL : $10.41\~11.17$ mm) days after hatching. Fish were treated with 0, 1, 10 and 100 ppb of MT or $E_2$ in the rearing water for 2 hours per day. At the time of 200 days after hatching, fish were sampled to examine sex ratio. One hundred pub of MT produced $100\%$ male, however 1 and 10 ppm MT produced 72.5 and $87.2\%$ males. One, 10 and 100 ppb of $E_2$ produced 75.5, 91.9 and $97.2\%$ females, respectively. Survival and growth rates of each experimental group at the end treatment were not significantly different from those of the control (P>0.05).

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 1989

Guppy fry were treated for the first 40 days of life with 0, 20, 40, 60 & 100$\mu\textrm{g}$ of estradiol per gram of food in order to change the sex of normal males to functional females(genetic male). The present investigation deals with the effects of steroid hormones, such as $\beta$-estradiol and testosterone, on the sex differentiation in guppy and tilapia. The results obtained were summarized as follows. 1. In B (20$\mu\textrm{g}$/g diet) group 17$\beta$-estradiol-treated, 67.8% of male offsprings were produced. 2. In D (60$\mu\textrm{g}$/g diet) group 17$\beta$-treated, 67% of female offsprings were produced. 3. B, D groups of genetic male brooders had significantly different effects (P<0.01) upon sex ratios of their progeny. 4. This strongly indicates that sex direction has been achieved and that the male is the heterogametic sex. 5. The group that produced the highest percentage of male offspring(male percentage of observed number to expected number was 91%) contained only full-sibling male brooders to the sex-reversed female brooders. 6. After 7 months following treatment, the sex-reversed males had ovarian portion in the anterior region and a testicular portion in the posterior region of the same intersexual gonad, respectively. 7. At 7 months after treatment, the ovareis revealed a complete arrest of the ovarian formation, and appearances of spermatogenetic cell cysts among surviving auxocytes. 8. In most of sex-reversed fish, anterior portion of test is was devoid of sperm ducts including the seminal vesicle and vas deferens. 9. The male transferrin showed two strong bands, while the female transferrin showed a single weak band. 10. One of the two bands of male transferrin showed the same mobility with band of female transferrin.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2000

The effects of estrogen and androgens on Vg gene expression were examined in primary hepatocyte culture and livers of the immature male trout. Specific primers of Vg cDNA were designed with already reported Vg gene nucleotide sequences. PCR product was sequenced and verified with Vg cDNA of rainbow trout. Total RNA was extracted from the cultured hepatocytes and livers of steroid-treated rainbow trout and then it was analyzed by reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. The Vg mRNA and Vg protein synthesis were increased in rainbow trout in vivo and in vitro with E$_2$ and methyltestosterone (MT) There were dose and time-related effects of E$_2$ and MT on vitellogesis. Androgens such as progesterone androsterone and testosterone also stimulated Vg mRNA expression in vitro. The results show that androgens as well as E$_2$ can induce expression of Vg mRNA in trout in vivo and in vitro.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2023

One of the ways to increase the production for aquaculture is through the cultivation of monosexuals by ensuring genital reversal from which energy for reproduction is diverted towards growth. Masculinization has been identified as one of the most prominent techniques, where sex development was directed from female to male. This approach only altered the phenotype and not the genotype. The red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) was a relatively new commercial commodity, and the males were known to grow faster than females. Hence, it was proposed to use monocultures comprising an all-male population to increase yield using steroid hormone, synthetic 17α-methyltestosterone. However, this technique generated residues that detrimentally affect human health, the environment, and cultivated organisms. Therefore, finding new safe natural steroid sources was essential, and one of which is exploring of natural hormones extracted from the viscera of sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra Jaeger). This study focused on the determination of male formation and testosterone levels among juvenile crayfish, after immersing in sea cucumber steroid extract (SCSE). A completely random design with factorial was used with two variables, encompassing the varied doses (0, 2, 4 mg/L, 2 mg/L 17α-methyl testosterone as control group) and immersion times of 18 and 30 h. The result showed the dose-dependent ability of SCSE increase the male genital formation and promote the testosterone level of juvenile crayfish. In addition, the testosterone was influenced by dose and immersion duration time, with the highest level of testosterone observed in treatments of 4 mg/L SCSE with 30 h immersion was 0.248 ng/mL, while the male percentage was 77%. In conclusion, the combination of dose and immersion time significantly affected growth and testosterone levels.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2006

Vitellogenin(Vg) is a sex specific serum protein present in sexually maturing female blood of oviparous vertebrates. Estrogen($E_2$) is a main inducer of hepatic Vg synthesis. We investigated the effects of androgen and growth hormone(GH) on regulation of Vg and estrogen receptor(ER) genes in Japanese eel. Immature eels($200{\sim}250\;g$) were given a single injection of $E_2(5{\sim}5,000\;{\mu}g/kg\;bw)$ alone, or in combination with eel recombinant GH(eGH, $1{\sim}10\;{\mu}g/kg$) or methyltestosterone(MT, $1{\sim}5\;mg/kg$) and sacrificed 10 days after the hormone treatments. Expression levels of ER and Vg genes from the liver were determined by means of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). Administration of $E_2$ stimulated Vg gene expression in a dose dependent manner. Levels of Vg mRNA after the injection of $E_2(500\;{\mu}g/kg)$ with MT(5mg/kg) or eGH($10\;{\mu}g/kg$) were much higher than in that of $E_2$ alone($500\;{\mu}g/kg$). Whereas, injection of either vehicle, eGH ($10\;{\mu}g/kg$) or MT(5mg/kg) alone did not induce the expression of Vg gene in the liver. ER mRNA was detected from the fish treated with vehicle alone. $E_2$ injection($5{\sim}500\;{\mu}g/kg\;bw$) increased this ER expression but dose dependent response was not clear. Addition of MT(5mg/kg) or eGH($10\;{\mu}g/kg$) did not affect $E_2-stimulated$ ER mRNA expression. This study confirms the necessity of $E_2$ as the primary factor for Vg gene expression and requirement of additional hormones such as MT or GH for the full expression of Vg mRNA, and suggests that the additive effect of MT or GH on Vg gene expression would be mediated by some unknown factors other than ER.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2012

We investigated the effects of fadrozol, an aromatase inhibitor (AI), and $17{\alpha}$-methyltestosterone (MT) on the induction of sex change in juvenile longtooth grouper $Epinephelus$ $bruneus$, via histological observation of gonads. Changes in the mRNA expression of GtH subunits (FSH-${\beta}$ and LH-${\beta}$) in the pituitary, and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels in the blood were also surveyed after AI and MT treatment. Juvenile longtooth groupers ($113{\pm}17g\;body\;weight$; $16.2{\pm}1.2cm\;body\;length$) received intramuscular injections of AI at 3 (3-AI) and 5 (5-AI) mg/kg BWdoses and MT at a 5 mg/kg BW (5-MT) dose. At week 7 post-injection, 3-AI and 5-MT oocytes were degenerated, and gonads of the 5-AI group initiated spermatogenesis. At week 21 post-injection, 3-AI- and 5-MT-treated gonads contained spermatogonia and spermatocytes, while 5-AI treatment induced advanced stages of spermatogenesis. The serum E2 level showed no significant differences throughout the experimental period, whereas that of 11-KT was significantly elevated in the 5-AI group at weeks 7 and 21 post-injection. A significant increase in the expression of FSH-${\beta}$ mRNA was evident in the 5-AI group at week 21 post-injection. In contrast, LH-${\beta}$ mRNA expression did not significantly differ among groups during the experimental period. These results imply that sex change has two stages in the longtooth grouper. In the first stage, oocytes are degenerated by the stimulation by 11-KT, and in the second stage spermatogenesis occurs, owing to the co-effects of 11-KT and FSH-${\beta}$.