Effect of androgens on seawater adaptation in Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus

Sexually immature two-year old Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) were implanted with Silastic capsules containing testosterone or 11-ketoandrostenedione in early spring. Seawater adaptability of the hormone-treated and sham-operated fish was tested periodically from May to August using a 48h seawater challenge test with 25‰ seawater. The sham-operated control fish displayed a seasonal pattern in seawater adaptation, showing a good hypoosmoregulatory ability until mid June followed by a marked increase in plasma sodium and magnesium levels in July and August. Gill Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity decreased concurrently with the observed decrease in seawater adaptability. Over the same period the androgen-treated fish displayed a similar pattern in seawater adaptability, however, in May and June the plasma sodium levels were significantly higher in both androgen-treated groups compared to the control group. Plasma magnesium regulation was impaired in both androgen-treated groups in August. Gill Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in the testosterone-treated fish was lower in June compared to the control fish, whereas the activity was not affected by 11-ketoandrostenedione treatment. The results show that while androgens impair the hypoosmoregulatory capacity in Arctic char, the seasonal pattern of seawater adaptability is not affected.