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Zhang S, Mi P, Luan J, Sun M, Zhao X, Feng X. Fluorene-9-bisphenol acts on the gut-brain axis by regulating oxytocin signaling to disturb social behaviors in zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 255:119169. [PMID: 38763277 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have identified the exposure to ubiquitous environmental endocrine disruptors may be a risk factor of neurological disorders. However, the effects of fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) in environmental exposure concentrations associated with these disorders are poorly understood. In this study, classic light-dark and social behavior tests were performed on zebrafish larvae and adults exposed BHPF exposure to evaluate social behavioral disorders and the microbiota-gut-brain axis was assessed to reveal the potential mechanisms underlying the behavioral abnormalities observed. Our results demonstrated that zebrafish larvae exposed to an environmentally relevant concentration (0.1 nM) of BHPF for 7 days showed a diminished response to external environmental factors (light or dark). Zebrafish larvae exposed to BHPF for 7 days or adults exposed to BHPF for 30 days at 1 μM displayed significant behavioral inhibition and altered social behaviors, including social recognition, social preference, and social fear contagion, indicating autism-like behaviors were induced by the exposure. BHPF exposure reduced the distribution of Nissl bodies in midbrain neurons and significantly reduced 5-hydroxytryptamine signaling. Oxytocin (OXT) levels and expression of its receptor oxtra in the gut and brain were down-regulated by BHPF exposure. In addition, the expression levels of genes related to the excitation-inhibitory balance of synaptic transmission changed. Microbiomics revealed increased community diversity and altered abundance of some microflora, such as an elevation in Bacillota and Bacteroidota and a decline in Mycoplasmatota in zebrafish guts, which might contribute to the abnormal neural circuits and autism-like behaviors induced by BHPF. Finally, the rescue effect of exogenous OXT on social behavioral defects induced by BHPF exposure was verified in zebrafish, highlighting the crucial role of OXT signaling through gut-brain axis in the regulatory mechanisms of social behaviors affected by BHPF. This study contributes to understanding the effects of environmental BHPF exposure on neuropsychiatric disorders and attracts public attention to the health risks posed by chemicals in aquatic organisms. The potential mental disorders should be considered in the safety assessments of environmental pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhui Zhang
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education. Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Ping Mi
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Jialu Luan
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education. Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Mingzhu Sun
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Xizeng Feng
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education. Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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Zuo X, Zhang S, Bai H, Yu Q, Zhao Q, Sun M, Zhao X, Feng X. Effects of fluorene-9-bisphenol exposure on anxiety-like and social behavior in mice and protective potential of exogenous melatonin. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:29385-29399. [PMID: 38573577 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33148-6] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) is widely used in the manufacture of plastic products and potentially disrupts several physiological processes, but its biological effects on social behavior remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of BHPF exposure on anxiety-like and social behavior in female mice and the potential mechanisms, thereby proposing a potential therapy strategy. We exposed female Balb/c mice to BHPF by oral gavage at different doses (0.5, 50 mg/kg bw/2-day) for 28 days, which were found BHPF (50 mg/kg) exposure affected motor activity in the open field test (OFT) and elevated cross maze (EPM), resulting in anxiety-like behaviors, as well as abnormal social behavioral deficits in the Social Interaction Test (SIT). Analysis of histopathological staining results showed that BHPF exposure caused damage to hippocampal neurons in the CA1/CA3/DG region and decreased Nissl pyramidal neurons in the CA1/CA3 regions of the hippocampus, as well as a decrease in parvalbumin neuron expression. In addition, BHPF exposure upregulated the expression of excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) vesicle transporter genes (Vglut1, Vglut2, VGAT, GAD67, Gabra) and axon growth gene (Dcc) in the mouse hippocampus. Interestingly, behavioral disturbances and E/I balance could be alleviated by exogenous melatonin (15 mg/kg bw/2-day) therapy. Our findings suggest that exogenous melatonin may be a potential therapy with protective potential for ameliorating or preventing BHPF-induced hippocampal neuronal damage and behavioral disturbances. This study provided new insight into the neurotoxicological effects on organisms exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and aroused our vigilance in current environmental safety about chemical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zuo
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Weijin Road 94, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Shuhui Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Weijin Road 94, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Huijuan Bai
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Weijin Road 94, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Qian Yu
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Weijin Road 94, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Qili Zhao
- Institute of Robotics & Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Mingzhu Sun
- Institute of Robotics & Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Institute of Robotics & Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xizeng Feng
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, Nankai University, Weijin Road 94, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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Liu QY, Chen ZM, Li DW, Li AF, Ji Y, Li HY, Yang WD. Toxicity and potential underlying mechanism of Karenia selliformis to the fish Oryzias melastigma. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 262:106643. [PMID: 37549486 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Karenia selliformis can produce toxins such as gymnodimines, and form microalgal blooms causing massive mortality of marine life such as fish and shellfish, and resulting in serious economic losses. However, there are a few of studies on the toxic effects of K. selliformis on marine organisms and the underlying mechanisms, and it is not clear whether the toxins produced by K. selliformis affect fish survival through the food chain. In this study, a food chain was simulated and composed by K. selliformis-brine shrimp-marine medaka to investigate the possibility of K. selliformis toxicity transmission through the food chain, in which fish behavior, histopathology and transcriptomics changes were observed after direct or indirect exposure (through the food chain) of K. selliformis. We found that both direct and indirect exposure of K. selliformis could affect the swimming behavior of medaka, manifested as decreased swimming performance and increased "frozen events". Meanwhile, exposure to K. selliformis caused pathological damage to the intestine and liver tissues of medaka to different degree. The effect of direct exposure to K. selliformis on swimming behavior and damage to fish tissues was more severe. In addition, K. selliformis exposure induced significant changes in the expression of genes related to energy metabolism, metabolic detoxification and immune system in medaka. These results suggest that toxins produced by K. selliformis can be transferred through the food chain, and that K. selliformis can destroy the intestinal integrity of medaka and increase the absorption of toxins, leading to energy metabolism disorders in fish, affecting the metabolic detoxification capacity of the liver. Our finding provides novel insight into the toxicity of K. selliformis to marine fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin-Yuan Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zi-Min Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Da-Wei Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ai-Feng Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Ying Ji
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Hong-Ye Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wei-Dong Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Eutrophication and Control of Harmful Algal Blooms of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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Qiao Y, Zhou Y, Zhang X, Faulkner S, Liu H, Wang L. Toxic effects of triphenyltin on the development of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 885:163783. [PMID: 37146813 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Triphenyltin (TPT) is known to be an environmental endocrine disruptor and has adverse effects on aquatic animals. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated with three different concentrations (12.5, 25, 50 nmol/L) based on the LC50 value at 96 h post fertilization (96 hpf), after TPT exposure. The developmental phenotype and hatchability were observed and recorded. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in zebrafish were detected at 72 hpf and 96 hpf using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) as a probe. The number of neutrophils after exposure was observed using transgenic zebrafish Tg (lyz: DsRed). RNA-seq analysis was used to compare the gene expression changes in zebrafish embryos at 96 hpf in the control group and 50 nmol/L TPT exposure group. The data revealed that TPT caused a delay in hatching of zebrafish embryos in a time- and dose-dependent manner, as well as causing pericardial edema, spinal curvature and melanin reduction. ROS levels in embryos exposed to TPT increased, and the number of neutrophils increased after TPT exposure to Tg (lyz: DsRed) in transgenic zebrafish. RNA-seq results were also analyzed, and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that significant differential genes were enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway (P < 0.05), and the PPAR signaling pathway mainly affected genes related to lipid metabolism. The RNA-seq results were verified using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Oil red O and Nile red staining showed increased lipid accumulation after TPT exposure. These findings suggest that TPT affects the development of zebrafish embryos even at relatively low concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Qiao
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, PR China
| | - Yongbing Zhou
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, PR China
| | - Xuemin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, PR China
| | - Sam Faulkner
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, New Lambton, NSW 2035, Australia
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, PR China.
| | - Li Wang
- School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, PR China.
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Chang Y, Fu H, Yu H, Mao L, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Zhu L, Yang J, Liu X, Jiang H. Developmental defects and potential mechanisms in F1 generation of parents exposed to difenoconazole at different life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 883:163529. [PMID: 37068689 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
As a typical triazole fungicide, difenoconazole is extensively used to control plant diseases; however, its residue in environmental waters poses a risk to aquatic organisms. In this study, we investigated the acute toxicity of different life stages and sub-lethal toxicity in embryonic yolk sac stage of difenoconazole to zebrafish, and the developmental toxicity in F1 generation of parents exposed to difenoconazole at different life stages of zebrafish. Furthermore, we used transcriptomics to explore the potential mechanisms of difenoconazole on the F1 larvae of parents exposed to the chemical at the embryonic stage. The results of this study showed that developmental defects were observed in the F1 embryo/larvae of parents exposed to 3, 30, and 300 μg/L of difenoconazole at different (embryo, larval, juvenile, and adult) life stages, and exposure to difenoconazole at the embryonic stage caused more severe developmental toxicity than those at other life stages. Developmental defects (malformation, inhibition of heartbeat and body length) were observed in the F1 embryos and larvae of parents exposed to difenoconazole at the embryonic stage. In addition, the total cholesterol and triglyceride contents were significantly reduced in the F1 larvae, and RNA-seq analysis revealed significant alterations in the expression of nine genes (msmo1, hsd17b7, sc5d, tm7sf2, ebp, cyp2r1, lss, cyp51, and cyp27b1) in the steroid synthesis pathway. This is suggested that F1 larvae of parents exposed to difenoconazole at the embryonic stage show abnormalities in the steroid biosynthetic pathway. These results reveal the differences in toxicity of difenoconazole to zebrafish at different life stages, improve studies on difenoconazole toxicity to zebrafish, and provide a new perspective for assessing the risk of contaminants to aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Chang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Huimin Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Haitao Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Liangang Mao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanning Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Lizhen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongyun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Disease and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China.
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Fan X, Guo J, Jia X, Mao X, Zhou Y, Wang Y, Guo X, Shen J, Huai N, Zhang K, Abdusalam A, Hu H, Zhu H, Jia C, Cheng L, Li X, Zhang Z. Reproductive Toxicity and Teratogenicity of Fluorene-9-bisphenol on Chinese Medaka ( Oryzias sinensis): A Study from Laboratory to Field. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:561-569. [PMID: 36443945 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF), a bisphenol A (BPA) substitute, has been increasingly used as a material in syntheses of polymers that are widely used in road markings, artificial tracks, coating floors, building paints, etc., increasing the likelihood of BHPF contamination in the aquatic environment due to its release from the products. However, to date, it is unknown whether it may have actual impacts on fish in real environments. In this study, a 105-day exposure experiment of BHPF at various concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/L) on Chinese medaka (Oryzias sinensis) was performed under laboratory conditions and found decreased fecundity, such as lower egg qualities and quantities, retarded oogenesis, and atretic follicles in the fish and deformed eyes and bodies in its F1 generation. Toxico-transcriptome analyses showed that estrogen-responsive genes were significantly suppressed by BHPF, indicating that antagonist properties of BHPF on estrogen receptors might be causes for the decreased fecundity. Field investigations (Beijing) demonstrated that BHPF was detectable in 60% surface waters, with a mean concentration of 10.49 ± 6.33 ng/L, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and similar effects in wild Chinese medaka were also observed, some of which the parameters were found to be obviously correlated with the BHPF levels in corresponding waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Fan
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jilong Guo
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaojing Jia
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xingtai Mao
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yue Wang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xuan Guo
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jiashu Shen
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Narma Huai
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kailun Zhang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Abida Abdusalam
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hongxia Hu
- Fisheries Research Institute, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100068, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Fisheries Research Institute, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100068, China
| | - Chengxia Jia
- Fisheries Research Institute, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100068, China
| | - Lan Cheng
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiqing Li
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhaobin Zhang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Zhang S, Fu Z, Xu Y, Zhao X, Sun M, Feng X. The masculinization steroid milieu caused by fluorene-9-bisphenol disrupts sex-typical courtship behavior in female zebrafish (Danio rerio). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 246:114174. [PMID: 36228360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the behavior of congenital sex differences between males and females is highly dependent on steroid signals and hormonal milieu. The presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment generally plays a similar role to sex hormones, so its interference with aquatic organism population stability can not be ignored and is worth studying. Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) has been clarified as an endocrine disruptor on organisms by several studies but its mechanism in perturbation of courtship behavior of female zebrafish is not clear. Here, we proposed an automated multi-zebrafish tracking method quantifying the courtship process and reported that zebrafish females exposed to BHPF, are not receptive to males but rather court females, and lose normal ovarian function with an altered sex steroid milieu. Our results showed that BHPF damaged 17β-estradiol synthesis by down-regulation of sox3 and cyp19a1a, linking apoptosis with ovary development and female fecundity. The down-regulated expression of estrogen signaling through an estrogen receptor, esr2b, caused the induction of masculinization of female courtship behavior and sexual preference in zebrafish females after BHPF treatment. This process might be mediated by inhibiting the transcription of a neuropeptide B (npb) in the brain. Our study reveals that the estrogen signaling pathway may play an important role in classical courtship behavior and sexual preference of zebrafish. This study provided evidence that anti-estrogenic chemical exposure caused adverse effects on the regulation of the brain-gonad-estrogen axis of aquatic organisms, which should be of concern and highlighted the importance of controlling environmental contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhui Zhang
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education. Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Zhenhua Fu
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yixin Xu
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education. Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Mingzhu Sun
- The Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information Systems, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Xizeng Feng
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education. Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
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Özkan-Kotiloğlu S, Arslan P, Akca G, Günal AÇ. Are BPA-free plastics safe for aquatic life? - Fluorene-9-bisphenol induced thyroid-disrupting effects and histopathological alterations in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2022; 260:109419. [PMID: 35902060 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BPFL) is used as an alternative compound for bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor compound which is present in various materials including plastic bottles and packaging. Although it is used extensively in products that are labelled BPA-free, its effect on wildlife and humans have not been fully studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of BPFL in adult zebrafish. In the preliminary experiments of the study, the median lethal concentration value (LC50) of BPFL was 0.25 mg/L (95 % confidence interval 0.15-0.41) for 96 h. Following exposure to three different sublethal concentrations of BPFL after 96 h and 15 days, T4 hormone levels, expression levels of genes involved in thyroid metabolism and histopathological alterations were assessed. T4 hormone levels were found to be significantly higher in females at the lowest BPFL concentration following 96 h exposure (P < 0.05). Expression levels of trh, tshba and trhrb genes were upregulated following 96 h exposure at 0.025 mg/L concentration and crh was upregulated following 15 days exposure at 0.025 mg/L concentration in female zebrafish (P < 0.05). The most prominent histopathological findings in zebrafish exposed to 0.025 and 0.125 mg/L of BPFL were observed in the gill, liver, kidney and testis tissues. The gill tissues showed some hyperemia, lamellar fusion, hyperplasia, epithelial lifting, and telangiectasis, while passive hyperemia, hydropic degeneration, and necrosis were observed in the liver tissues. The BPFL is highly toxic to zebrafish even in sublethal concentrations according to the molecular and histopathological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Özkan-Kotiloğlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Art, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir, Turkey.
| | - Pınar Arslan
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Turkey
| | - Gülçin Akca
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Aysel Çağlan Günal
- Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Gazi Education, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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