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Effects of 3,5,3′-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) and 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) on growth of GH-transgenic coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kitsutch

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry volume 29, pages 77–85 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

GH-transgeniccoho salmon (Oncorhynchus kitsutch) juveniles were fed diets containing 3,5,3′-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3; 30 ng/g fish) or 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU; 20 ug/g fish), to assess the effect of these drugs on the physiology, growthand survival in comparison with untreated transgenicand non-transgenic salmon. After 84 days, food intake, feed efficiency, survival, growth, hepato-somatic index (HSI), viscera-somatic index (VSI), plasma L-thyroxine (T4), T3and growth hormone (GH) levels,and cranial morphological abnormalities were determined. Growth of transgenic salmon was significantly faster than the nontransgenic salmon,and was increased by exogenous T3and reduced by PTU. Food intake of transgenic salmon was higher than that of the nontransgenic group, but was reduced by exogenous PTU administration. Food conversion efficiency of transgenic salmon was lower than that of nontransgenic salmon,and also was increased by T3 but reduced by PTU in the transgenic fish. The survival rate in all transgenic groups was significantly higher than that of nontransgenic,and transgenic T3and PTU treatment groups showed higher survivals than the transgenic-control group. The HSIand VSI of the transgenic fish were higher than the nontransgenic fish;and both parameters in the transgenic salmon were increased by PTU, but reduced by T3. The plasma T4 level in transgenic salmon was approximately 1.5-fold higher relative to the nontransgenic fish, whereas no difference was observed among the transgenic groups. Plasma T3 levels in transgenic salmon were also approximately 2-fold higher relative to the nontransgenic fish. However, the plasma T3 level in transgenic animals was increased by exogenous T3 administration, but was reduced by exogenous PTU to that observed in nontransgenic salmon. The plasma GH level of transgenic fish was higher than that of the nontransgenic salmon,and the level was increased by the exogenous T3, whereas exogenous PTU did not reduce significantly GH levels in transgenic salmon. Transgenic fish also displayed cranium, jawand opercular abnormalities typical of the effects of this gene construct incoho salmon, indicating that some imbalance in growth processes has been induced. However, these abnormalities (especially cranial disruptions) were diminished by administration of exogenous PTU. In conclusion, exogenous T3and PTU treatments can induce hyperthyroidismand hypothyroidism, respectively,and have inverse effects on growthand skeletal abnormalities of transgenic salmon constitutively expressing GH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. West Sea Fisheries Research Institute, NFRDI, 707, Eulwang, Jung-gu, Incheon, 400-420, Republic of Korea

    Duk-Young Kang

  2. WestVancouver Laboratory, 4160 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, B.C., Canada

    Robert H. Devlin

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  1. Duk-Young Kang
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  2. Robert H. Devlin
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Kang, DY., Devlin, R.H. Effects of 3,5,3′-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) and 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) on growth of GH-transgenic coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kitsutch . Fish Physiology and Biochemistry 29, 77–85 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:FISH.0000035903.77056.5c

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:FISH.0000035903.77056.5c

  • GH-transgeniccoho salmon
  • growth hormone
  • propylthiouracil
  • thyroid hormones

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