PUBLICATION

Steroid androgen 17 alpha methyltestosterone used in fish farming induces biochemical alterations in zebrafish adults

Authors
Rivero-Wendt, C.L.G., Miranda-Vilela, A.L., Domingues, I., Oliveira, R., Monteiro, M.S., Moura-Mello, M.A.M., Matias, R., Soares, A.M.V.M., Grisolia, C.K.
ID
ZDB-PUB-200715-4
Date
2020
Source
Journal of environmental science and health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering   55(11): 1321-1332 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Soares, Amadeu
Keywords
Glutathione-S-transferase, biochemical markers, comet assay, methyltestosterone, micronucleus
MeSH Terms
  • Androgens/pharmacology
  • Androgens/toxicity*
  • Animals
  • Cichlids/growth & development
  • Comet Assay
  • DNA Damage*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Ecosystem
  • Female
  • Fisheries
  • Larva/drug effects
  • Larva/growth & development
  • Male
  • Methyltestosterone/pharmacology
  • Methyltestosterone/toxicity*
  • Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective/chemically induced*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/pharmacology
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
PubMed
32654587 Full text @ J. Environ. Sci. Health A Tox. Hazard. Subst. Environ. Eng.
Abstract
The 17 alpha methyltestosterone (MT) hormone is fed to Oreochromis niloticus larvae in fish farms with the purpose of inducing sex reversal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and sub-lethality of MT (99.9% purity) and cMT (a commercial MT with 90% purity) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) adults, where the animals were exposed to concentrations of 0, 4, 23, 139, 833 and 5000 µg/L for 96 hours. Genotoxicity was evaluated by micronucleus test (MN), nuclear abnormalities (NA) and comet assay. A low genotoxic potential of MT was showed, inducing micronucleus, nuclear abnormalities and DNA damage in Danio rerio, depending on the use of MT or cMT, gender and tested concentrations. In the sub-lethality trials, there was a basal difference in the activity of the enzymatic biochemical markers for males and females, while the Glutatione S transferase (GST) activity decreased in all analyzed tissues, and for males the enzymatic activity decreased only in the intestine. Results suggest that MT has a toxic potential to fish because it alters enzymatic metabolic pathways and may pose a risk to the ecosystems.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping