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EXOCRINE PANCREATIC NEOPLASMS IN THE MUMMICHOG (FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS) FROM A CREOSOTE-CONTAMINATED SITE
Citation:
Fournie, J., L. Courtney, K. Summers, AND W. Vogelbein. EXOCRINE PANCREATIC NEOPLASMS IN THE MUMMICHOG (FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS) FROM A CREOSOTE-CONTAMINATED SITE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-94/499 (NTIS PB95155180), 1994.
Description:
A high prevalence of exocrine pancreatic neoplasms occurred in mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, from a creosote-contaminated site in the Elizabeth River, Virginia. otal of 20 neoplasms occurred in a group of about 1 100 fish evaluated histologically. f 240 adult fish collected during October 1991, 3.3% had pancreatic neoplasms. djusted total lesion prevalence for fish belonging to size classes Ill and IV was 6.7 %. Pancreatic neoplasms were not observed in 234 fish collected at this site during May 1991, nor were pancreatic tumors found in 420 fish examined from 7 other localities. esions involved both mesenteric and intrahepatic exocrine pancreas and ranged from well-differentiated acinar cell adenomas to poorly differentiated acinar cell carcinomas. ll specimens with pancreatic neoplasms also had hepatocellular lesions. his epizootic of exocrine pancreatic neoplasia is the first to be reported in a wild fish population. ased on chemical characterization of the site from which the mummichog were collected and limited experimental data on chemically-induced pancreatic carcinogenesis in other small fish species, the neoplasms were probably caused by exposure of the fish to chemical carcinogens in their environment.