Effects of Dietary Ascorbic Acid on Chronic Lead Toxicity to Young Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri)

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Abstract
Newly hatched rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) exposed to waterborne lead and receiving diets deficient in, or supplemented with, ascorbic acid, developed classical symptoms of lead toxicity and ascorbic acid deficiency. Those exposed to lead showed elevated blood lead concentrations, inhibition of erythrocyte δ-amino levulinic acid dehydratase, darkening of the tail regions and spinal curvatures. Those receiving ascorbate deficient diets showed depletion of carcass, liver, kidney, and brain ascorbic acid concentrations plus spinal curvatures. Fish subjected to both treatments simultaneously showed no evidence of an enhancement of ascorbate deficiency symptoms by exposure to lead or enhancement or reduction of lead toxicity symptoms by ascorbate deficient or supplemented diets, respectively. These results demonstrate that, although aspects of lead toxicity in fish resemble ascorbic acid deficiency, there is no metabolic interaction between the two factors.Key words: pollutants, toxicity, interaction, lead, vitamin deficiencies, Salmonidae, rainbow trout