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Chen S, Lin C, Tan J, Wang Y, Wang X, Wang X, Liu L, Li J, Hou L, Liu J, Leung JYS. Reproductive potential of mosquitofish is reduced by the masculinizing effect of a synthetic progesterone, gestodene: Evidence from morphology, courtship behaviour, ovary histology, sex hormones and gene expressions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 769:144570. [PMID: 33486178 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The ever-increasing use of synthetic hormones, especially progestins, for medical applications has drawn growing concerns due to their potential endocrine disrupting effects that may diminish the reproductive outputs of aquatic organisms. Using mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) as a model species, we tested whether gestodene (GES), a commonly used progestin, can alter the expressions of genes associated with sex hormone synthesis and cause ensuing changes in morphological features, courtship behaviour and oocyte development. After exposing to GES at environmentally relevant concentrations (2.96, 32.9 and 354 ng L-1) for 40 days, we found that GES, especially at 354 ng L-1, induced masculinization of female fish, indicated by the reduced body weight to length ratio and development of gonopodia (i.e. anal fins of male fish). Thus, the males showed less intimacy and mating interest towards the GES-exposed females, indicated by the reduced time spent on attending, following and mating behaviours. While oocyte development was seemingly unaffected by GES, spermatogonia were developed in the ovary. All the aforementioned masculinizing effects of GES were associated with the increased testosterone level and decreased estradiol level, driven by upregulating androgen receptor genes (Arα and Arβ). Overall, our findings suggest that progestins could undermine the reproductive potential of aquatic organisms and hence their persistence in the progestin-contaminated environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanduo Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Canyuan Lin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Ecological Remediation for Industrial Agglomeration Area, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiefeng Tan
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, College of Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Xiaolan Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Lu Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Jiayi Li
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Liping Hou
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Juan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Water Quality and Conservation in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radionuclides Pollution, China.
| | - Jonathan Y S Leung
- Faculty of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
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