Bioavailability and Interaction of Metals via the Gastrointestinal Tract of the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract

<p> Knowledge into uptake rate and interactions of the metals via the gastrointestinal tract of freshwater fish is vital, in order to provide tools to protect and to sustain aquatic biota. An in vitro stomach and gut sac technique was utilized to investigate uptake rates of essential metals (copper, zinc and nickel) and non-essential metals (cadmium, lead and nickel) at luminal concentrations of 50fJ.M via the gastrointestinal tract Metals had no effect on the fluid transport rates via the gastrointestinal tract except for copper at the stomach. The stomach emerged as small but important site for metal absorption and interaction. Essential metals were absorbed at approximately the same rate as nonessential metals via the gastrointestinal tract. Copper, zinc, nickel, silver, and lead showed statistical correlation between rate of absorption and mucus binding via gastrointestinal tract, an important first finding for the development of a Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) for the gastrointestinal tract of trout. </p> <p> There was an antagonistic effect of calcium on cadmium uptake at the stomach but not at the intestine. Zinc and calcium exhibited synergistic interaction at the stomach but no interaction at the intestine. These results showed the possibility of the transporters DMTl to mediate copper and cadmium uptake via the intestine; hZip 2 to mediate copper and zinc uptake at the stomach; and Mzip 4 or ZTLl to mediate zinc uptake via the gastrointestinal tract of trout. These results can be used to develop a BLM for the gastrointestinal tract of fish. </p>