Efetividade dos inibidores da aromatase (aromP450) Letrozol e Exemestano para a masculinização da tilápia vermelha (Oreochromis spp)

Summary Background: cytochrome P450 aromatase enzyme (aromP450) is a key enzyme in the conversion of androgens into estrogens, a crucial step in the control of sexual differentiation in fish. Objective: the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of two aromatase inhibitors (AIs) as an alternative method for the masculinization of red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Methods: Letrozole (LT) and Exemestane (EM) aromatase inhibitors were used at two experimental doses (25 and 100 mg/Kg). Five days post-hatching larvae (5 dph) were fed the inhibitors for 30 days (35 dph). The control treatments consisted of 17α metil testosterone (MT) at a concentration of 60 mg/ Kg (positive control) and food with 300 ml/Kg ethanol (negative control). On 60 dph, gonadal extraction of fishes was performed for histological processing and staining with hematoxylin-eosin for analysis. Results: there were no significant differences (p>0.05) between any compound and implemented doses with the controls in terms of larval survival. Percentage of male fish increased for LT, EM, and MT (positive control), which showed significant differences (p<0.05) with the negative control. The dose analysis showed significant differences (p<0.05) for 100 mg/Kg dose and positive control with 25 mg/Kg dose and negative control; there were also differences between 25 mg/Kg dose and negative control. Conclusions: our results suggest that oral administration of third generation AIs (Type I or Type II) is effective for increasing the proportion of males without differences between inhibitor types. There is also a direct effect of the dose on male proportion. Suppression of aromatase activity allows guiding sexual differentiation towards final testicular development.