PUBLICATION

Embryonic exposure to benzo(a)pyrene inhibits reproductive capability in adult female zebrafish and correlation with DNA methylation

Authors
Gao, D., Lin, J., Ou, K., Chen, Y., Li, H., Dai, Q., Yu, Z., Zuo, Z., Wang, C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-180513-14
Date
2018
Source
Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)   240: 403-411 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
DNA methylation, Fish, Mechanism, PAH, Reproduction
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Aromatase
  • Benzo(a)pyrene/metabolism
  • Benzo(a)pyrene/toxicity*
  • DNA Methylation/drug effects*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/physiology
  • Endocrine System/drug effects
  • Estradiol/metabolism
  • Female
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • Liver/metabolism
  • Ovary/drug effects
  • Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid/analogs & derivatives
  • Reproduction/drug effects
  • Vitellogenins/metabolism
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/metabolism
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish/physiology*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
PubMed
29753248 Full text @ Environ. Pollut.
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of embryonic short-term exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, on ovarian development and reproductive capability in adult female zebrafish. In 1-year-old fish after embryonic exposure to BaP for 96 h, the gonadosomatic indices and the percentage of mature oocytes were significantly decreased in the 0.5, 5 and 50 nmol/L treatments. The spawned egg number, the fertilization rate and the hatching success were significantly reduced, while the malformation rate of the F1 unexposed larvae were increased. The mRNA levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, ovarian cytochrome P450 aromatase cyp19a1a and cyp19b, estrogen receptor esr1 and esr2, and hepatic vitellogenin vtg1 and vtg2 genes, were down-regulated in adult female zebrafish that were exposed to BaP during embryonic stage. Both 17β-estradiol and testosterone levels were reduced in the ovary of adult females. The methylation levels of the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) gene gnrh3 were significantly increased in the adult zebrafish brain, and those of the GnRH receptor gene gnrhr3 were elevated both in the larvae exposed to BaP and in the adult brain, which might cause the down-regulation of the mRNA levels of gnrh3 and gnrhr3. This epigenetic change caused by embryonic exposure to BaP might be a reason for physiological changes along the brain-pituitary-gonad axis. These results suggest that short-term exposure in early life should be included and evaluated in any risk assessment of pollutant exposure to the reproductive health of fish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping