Effects of the UV filter benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone) at low concentrations in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
- Authors
- Blüthgen, N., Zucchi, S., and Fent, K.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-120702-41
- Date
- 2012
- Source
- Toxicology and applied pharmacology 263(2): 184-194 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- UV filter, benzophenone-3, benzophenone-1, metabolism, bioconcentration, gene expression, gonad-histology
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Benzophenones/administration & dosage
- Benzophenones/pharmacokinetics
- Benzophenones/pharmacology*
- Down-Regulation/drug effects
- Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects*
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects*
- Gonadal Steroid Hormones
- Male
- Sunscreening Agents/administration & dosage
- Sunscreening Agents/pharmacokinetics
- Sunscreening Agents/pharmacology*
- Time Factors
- Vitellogenins/drug effects
- Vitellogenins/metabolism
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 22721600 Full text @ Tox. App. Pharmacol.
- CTD
- 22721600
Organic UV filters including benzophenone-3 (BP-3) are widely used to protect humans and materials from damage by UV irradiation. Despite the environmental occurrence of BP-3 in the aquatic environment, little is known about its effects and modes of action. In the present study we assess molecular and physiological effects of BP-3 in adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio) and in eleuthero-embryos by a targeted gene expression approach focusing on the sex hormone system. Fish and embryos are exposed for 14 days and 120 hours post fertilization, respectively, to 2.4–312 μg/L and 8.2–438 μg/L BP-3. Chemical analysis of water and fish demonstrates that BP-3 is partly transformed to benzophenone-1 (BP-1) and both compounds are accumulated in adult fish. Biotransformation to BP-1 is absent in eleuthero-embryos. BP-3 exposure leads to similar alterations of gene expression in both adult fish and eleuthero-embryos. In the brain of adult males esr1, ar and cyp19b are down-regulated at 84 μg/L BP-3. There is no induction of vitellogenin expression by BP-3, both at the transcriptional and protein level. An overall down-regulation of the hsd3b, hsd17b3, hsd11b2 and cyp11b2 transcripts is observed in the testes, suggesting an antiandrogenic activity. No histological changes were observed in the testes after BP-3 treatment. The study leads to the conclusion that low concentrations of BP-3 exhibit similar multiple hormonal activities at the transcription level in two different life stages of zebrafish. Forthcoming studies should show whether this translates to physiological effects.