TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS INTO POPULATIONS OF FARMED FISH

DISEASE CONTROL, A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY, REQUIRES ADMINISTRATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS TO WHOLE POPULATIONS OF FISH. AVAILABLE MODES OF DRUG DELIVERY, (ORAL, IMMERSION OR INJECTION) ARE INEFFICIENT OR NOT PRACTICAL ON A LARGE SCALE. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP AN EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY FOR ADMINISTRATION OF HORMONES, ANTIBIOTICS AND VACCINES INTO MASS POPULATIONS OF FISH. RESEARCH DONE ON MAMMALS INDICATED THAT ULTRASOUND STIMULATION MAY CHANGE SKIN PERMEABILITY. RESULTS FROM A PRELIMINARY STUDY WE CONDUCTED IN FISH, SHOWED THAT ULTRASOUND STIMULATION GREATLY ENHANCES THE UPTAKE OF THE TESTED PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOUNDS FROM THE SURROUNDING WATER INTO THE CIRCULATION OF THE FISH. WE PROPOSE TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF ULTRASOUND STIMULATION AS A DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR THE MAIN THERAPEUTANTS USED IN AQUACULTURE. WE WILL EXPOSE FISH TO DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF ULTRASOUND AND CONCENTRATIONS OF ANTIBIOTICS, VACCINES AND HORMONES, FOLLOWED BY DETEMINATION OF THE CIRCULATING LEVELS OF THE STUDIED COMPOUNDS BY RIA, ELISA AND HPLC. IMMUNE RESPONSE TO VACCINES WILL ALSO BE MONITORED.