Effects of Aluminium on Vitellogenin and Its mRNA Induction by Estradiol-17$\beta$ in the Primary Culture of Hepatocytes in the Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Effects of Al on vitellogenin (VTG) and VTG mRNA induction by estradiol-17 $\beta$($E_2$) were examined in primary hepatocyte culture of rainbow trout. Hepatocytes were precultured for 2 days and then E2 ($2{\times}10^{-6}$M) and Al ($10^{-6}-10^{-4}$M) were simultaneously added to the incubation medium. Hepatocytes were cultured for 5 more days. Media and hepatocytes were then analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Northern blotting for VTG and VTG mRNA, respectively. These metal had no appreciable effect on the viability of hepatocytes in culture. However, Al interfered with VTG production and VTG mRNA expression. Al reduced VTG production in a concentration-dependent way and a significant reduction accurred at Al concentrations greater than $5{\times}10^{-5}$M. VTG mRNA expression also decreased with a negative correlation with Al concentration (r＝-0.98). These results suggest that Al inhibit VTG production at the transcriptional level to reduce VTG mRNA expression.