Endrin Toxicosis in Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri)

In mature rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) receiving sublethal doses of endrin (4.3–145 × μg/kg body wt/day in 0.215–7.25 mg/kg of food) for 163 days and then forced to swim for 1 hr, the insecticide affected serum electrolytes, osmolality, total protein, cholesterol, cortisol, lactate, glucose, liver glycogen, and growth. Forced swimming alone altered 9 of 16 serum parameters examined. Apparent increases in serum Na and Cl and significant increases in osmolality and liver glycogen were directly related to dosage. A biphasic distribution of phosphate, total protein, and cholesterol with dosage was apparent. Glucose was increased about 50% by 145 μg/kg but was unaffected by lower doses. Variance analysis of zone electrophoretic patterns disclosed an in teraction between serum protein distribution and dose. Mobilization of liver glycogen was apparently inhibited by low doses and almost totally blocked by high doses. Correspondingly, trout given 14.5 μg/kg or more had lowered serum cortisol levels whereas the lowest dose elevated cortisol. Growth was inhibited appreciably by 145 μg/kg but not by lower doses. Visceral fat accumulated 4.8–8.7 μg endrin/g tissue in the 43 and 145 μg/kg exposures. We conclude that endrin caused dysfunction of physiologic processes critical to survival.