Is nitrate an endocrine active compound in fish?

Nitrate and nitrite taken up into fish may be reduced to NO which is known to be a signalling compound in the organism contributing to the regulation of i.e. steroid synthesis. Exposure of male rats to nitrate and nitrite results in reduced plasma concentrations of testosterone (also nitrate concentrations around or below the limits for drinking water). Nitrate concentrations in streams may be elevated due to releases from agricultural practices. The effects of nitrate and nitrite on endocrine relevant endpoints were investigated in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and brown trout (Salmo trutta). Zebrafish were exposed to nitrate and nitrite from hatch to sexual maturation (60 d) and sex ratio and vitellogenin concentrations were determined. Juvenile brown trout were exposed in a short-term experiment and the concentrations of vitellogenin were determined. The sex ratio in zebrafish was not affected by exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations of nitrate and nitrite but vitellogenin concentrations were slightly elevated in all of the exposed groups compared to the control; no obvious concentration-response relationship was observed. The outcome of the brown trout experiment is awaiting the final analyses.