PUBLICATION
Short-term exposure to low concentrations of the synthetic androgen methyltestosterone affects vitellogenin and steroid levels in adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio)
- Authors
- Andersen, L., Goto-Kazeto, R., Trant, J.M., Nash, J.P., Korsgaard, B., and Bjerregaard, P.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-051219-2
- Date
- 2006
- Source
- Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 76(3-4): 343-352 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Andersen, Lene, Bjerregaard, Poul, Korsgaard, Bodil, Nash, Jon
- Keywords
- Aromatase, CYP19, Methyltestosterone, Sex steroids, Vitellogenin, Zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Body Size
- Aromatase/analysis
- Aromatase/biosynthesis
- Zebrafish Proteins/biosynthesis
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/enzymology
- Vitellogenins/analysis
- Vitellogenins/drug effects*
- Zebrafish/physiology*
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary
- Male
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary
- Gonadal Steroid Hormones/analysis*
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Ethinyl Estradiol/toxicity
- Testis/drug effects
- Testis/metabolism
- Methyltestosterone/toxicity*
- Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity
- Animals
- Analysis of Variance
- PubMed
- 16352352 Full text @ Aquat. Toxicol.
Citation
Andersen, L., Goto-Kazeto, R., Trant, J.M., Nash, J.P., Korsgaard, B., and Bjerregaard, P. (2006) Short-term exposure to low concentrations of the synthetic androgen methyltestosterone affects vitellogenin and steroid levels in adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio). Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 76(3-4):343-352.
Abstract
Short-term effects of methyltestosterone (MT) on the endocrine system of adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio) were examined. Males were exposed to 0, 4.5, 6.6, 8.5, 19.8, 35.9, 62.3ng MT/l and ethinylestradiol (EE2) (26.4ng/l) for 7 days. Several physiological endpoints that may be affected by endocrine disrupters were analysed, specifically vitellogenin (VTG) concentration, estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), and 11-ketotestosterone (KT) content, brain aromatase activity and gene expression of CYP19A1 and CYP19A2 in the testis. Exposure to the lowest MT concentration (4.5ng MT/l), and the EE2 increased the concentration of VTG significantly compared to solvent control group. Exposure to higher concentrations of MT did not increase VTG levels. Endogenous KT and T levels decreased significantly in a concentration-dependent manner in response to the MT exposure and the lowest effective concentrations were 6.4 and 8.5ng MT/l, respectively. The levels of KT and T were also significantly suppressed by EE2 when compared to the solvent control group. Significant decreases in endogenous E2 levels were found in some MT groups but it was not possible to distinguish a simple concentration-response relationship. No effects of MT or EE2 on the brain aromatase activity or on testicular gene expression of CYP19A1 and CYP19A2 were detected. The results show that androgens such as MT can act as endocrine disrupters even at very low concentrations.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping