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Ashrafi R, Westermark A, Leppänen MT, Vehniäinen ER. Female-Biased Sex Ratios and Delayed Puberty in Two Fish Species with Different Ecologies in an Anthropogenically Affected Urban Lake. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 262:119844. [PMID: 39214489 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
In aquatic ecosystems, endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) pose a growing concern for their potential adverse effects on fish reproduction and development. In lake Pyhäjärvi, located in the urban boreal region of Tampere, Finland, a significant number of sexually immature pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) individuals have been identified in size and age categories that are expected to be sexually mature. To explore if this phenomenon is attributed to estrogenic endocrine disruption, we conducted a comprehensive study comparing fish from lake Pyhäjärvi with those from a nearby reference lake, lake Näsijärvi. Roach (Rutilus rutilus), known for its susceptibility to EDCs, was also included for comparison. We examined various parameters in both pikeperch and roach, including size, condition factor, age, reproductive indicators, biometric indices and gonadal histology. We also assessed liver vitellogenin mRNA levels and genetic sex in roach, and measured estrogen levels in lake waters and wastewater treatment plant effluents. Results revealed that approximately one-third of fish in both species exhibited sexual immaturity in lake Pyhäjärvi, with a female-biased sex ratio. Surprisingly, we found no signs of estrogenic endocrine disruption, indicated by the absence of intersex fish in both species. Furthermore, vitellogenin levels in roach closely resembled those in the reference lake. Estrogens were undetectable in the lake waters, suggesting that factors other than estrogenic EDCs, including other potential endocrine disruptors such as PCBs or heavy metals, may be influencing delayed sexual maturity and skewed sex ratios. Further inquiry is needed to pinpoint these underlying causes. Our study provides essential baseline information on fish sexual development in lake Pyhäjärvi, emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring and research to understand delayed sexual maturity and biased sex ratios. This is vital given the increasing concern about EDC impacts on aquatic ecosystems and the necessity for effective management strategies to protect these ecosystems' health and integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roghaieh Ashrafi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, 40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | | | | | - Eeva-Riikka Vehniäinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, 40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland; Department of Biology, 20014 University of Turku, Finland
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Cañizares-Martínez MA, Quintanilla-Mena MA, Árcega-Cabrera F, Ceja-Moreno V, Del Río-García M, Reyes-Solian SG, Rivas-Reyes I, Rivera-Bustamante RF, Puch-Hau CA. Transcriptional Response of Vitellogenin Gene in Flatfish to Environmental Pollutants from Two Regions of the Gulf of Mexico. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2023; 112:11. [PMID: 38092994 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-023-03825-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The present study evaluates the endocrine effect in flatfish through vitellogenin (vtg) gene expression and its association with pollutants data obtained from fish muscle and sediment from two regions in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM): Perdido Fold Belt (northwestern) and the Yucatan Peninsula (southeast). The results revealed induction of vtg in male flatfish in both geographical regions with different levels and patterns of distribution per oceanographic campaign (OC). In the Perdido Fold Belt, vtg was observed in male fish during four OC (carried out in 2016 and 2017), positively associated with Pb, V, Cd and bile metabolites (hydroxynaphthalene and hydroxyphenanthrene). In the Yucatan Peninsula, the induction of vtg in males was also detected in three OC (carried out in 2016 and 2018) mainly associated with Ni, Pb, Al, Cd, V and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Ultimately, estrogenic alterations could affect reproductive capacity of male flatfish in the GoM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra A Cañizares-Martínez
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México
| | - Mercedes A Quintanilla-Mena
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México
| | - Flor Árcega-Cabrera
- Unidad de Química en Sisal, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto de Abrigo S/N, Sisal, Yucatán, 97355, México
| | - Victor Ceja-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México
| | - Marcela Del Río-García
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México
| | - Sandy G Reyes-Solian
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México
| | - Isajav Rivas-Reyes
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México
| | - Rafael F Rivera-Bustamante
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México
| | - Carlos A Puch-Hau
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Unidad Mérida. Km. 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Mérida, Yucatán, 97310, México.
- Tecnológico Nacional de México Campus Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Valladolid, carretera Valladolid-Tizimín, Km. 3.5, Valladolid, Yucatán, C.P. 97780, México.
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