Hydroxylated PAHs in bile of deep-sea fish.: Relationship with xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution in deep-sea environments (1500-1800 m depth) has been assessed by measuring bile PAH metabolites in deep-sea fish. Five species from the NW Mediterranean were selected for the study: Coryphaenoides guentheri, Lepidion lepidion, Mora moro, Bathypterois mediterraneus, and Alepocephalus rostratus. file crude samples were directly analyzed by HPLC-fluorescence at the excitation/ emission wavelengths of benzo[a]pyrene (380/430 nm). Differences among sampling sites were recorded, which suggests that coastal discharges of contaminants may reach these remote areas,Subsequently, a number of bile samples were hydrolyzed and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of individual PAHs. 1-Pyrenol and 2-phenylphenol were among the most abundant compounds detected. The results obtained confirm the long-range transport of PAHs to deepsea environments, subsequent exposure of fish inhabiting those remote areas, and its ability to metabolize and excrete them through the bile. The data also describe hepatic enzymes (cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferases) that appear to be as catalytically efficient as those in shallow water species.