Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) function in fish gametogenesis and fertility
Dabrowski, K.; Ciereszko, A.; Blom, J. (1995). Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) function in fish gametogenesis and fertility, in: Lavens, P. et al. (Ed.) Larvi '95: Fish & Shellfish Symposium, Gent, Belgium, September 3-7, 1995. EAS Special Publication, 24: pp. 11 In: Lavens, P.; Jaspers, E.; Roelants, I. (Ed.) (1995). Larvi '95: Fish & Shellfish Symposium, Gent, Belgium, September 3-7, 1995. Special Publication European Aquaculture Society, 24. European Aquaculture Society: Gent. ISBN 90-71625-14-1. XXVI, 521 pp., more In: Special Publication European Aquaculture Society. European Aquaculture Society: Bredene. ISSN 0774-0689, more |
| Authors | | Top | - Dabrowski, K.
- Ciereszko, A.
- Blom, J.
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| Abstract | Ascorbic acid in high concentrations has long been associated with fish ovaries although its major function in female reproduction and egg fertility has not been elucidated. Dielary deficiency of vitamin C during vitellogenesis resulted in a depletion of ascorbic acid in tilapia, rainbow trout, cod and yellow perch, whereas the effects on embryo viability were detected only in tilapia and rainbow trout. A significant decrease in rainbow trout fecundity and egg production were documented in one study whereas a reduction in yolk materials deposition during vitellogenesis was found in fish fed ascorbate-deficient diet in another study. The first would suggest that vitamin C deficiency may interfere at the moment of oocyte selection long before vitellogenesis. This result of oocyte atresia in fish of low vitamin C status would contrast with the general effect of repeated stress which resulted in reduced egg size. The increased mortality was observed mostly in the progeny from ascorbate-deficient mothers at the eyed-stage although the eyed-hatching ratio was between 0.5-0.85. Recent data also suggest that concentrations of ascorbate in the seminal plasma of several teleost and acipenserid fish are much higher than in the blood plasma. Howevcr, the levels of ascorbate in testis were significantly lower than in the ovaries. In rainbow trout, seminal plasma ascorbate concentrations declined with a decrease of dietary source of vitamin C. Sperm concentrations and motility were reduced in fish which obtained ascorbate-deficient diets. The evidence of a higher frequency of abnormal and/or haploid embryos of rainbow trout of fathers maintained on diets deficient in vitamin C suggested that endogenous oxidative DNA damage might affect sperm qualilty and increase the frequency of genetic defects. These results indicate that the mechanism causing mortalities of the progeny in ascorbate-deficient male and female teleost fish might involve chromosomal errors. These results are significant because they demonstrate that the nutrient requirement in gametes producing fish are considerably different (higher in case of ascorbate) than that for optimum somatic growth. |
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