17β-Estradiol Causes Abnormal Development in Embryos of the Viviparous Eelpout

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 48; no. 24; pp. 14668 - 14676
• Main Authors: Morthorst, Jane E, Brande-Lavridsen, Nanna, Korsgaard, Bodil, Bjerregaard, Poul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 16.12.2014
• Subjects: Abnormalities, Multiple - chemically induced; Abnormalities, Multiple - veterinary; Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Embryo, Nonmammalian - drug effects; Estradiol - analysis; Estradiol - blood; Estradiol - toxicity; Female; Fish Diseases - chemically induced; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Larva - drug effects; Mortality; Perciformes - embryology; Vitellogenins - blood; Viviparity, Nonmammalian - drug effects; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - blood; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Marine environment; Embryonic development; Pollutant; Vertebrata; Embryo; Malformation; Toxicity; Pisces; 17β-Estradiol; Endocrine disruptor; Experimental study
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es5046698

Elevated frequencies of malformations among the offspring of Baltic eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) have been observed in aquatic environments receiving high anthropogenic input suggesting that manmade chemicals could be the causative agent. However, causal links between exposure to chemicals and abnormal development have never been confirmed in laboratory experiments. The purpose of this study was to investigate if exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2) causes abnormal development in larvae of the viviparous eelpout. Wild female eelpout were collected immediately after fertilization and exposed to E2 concentrations ranging from 5.7 to 133 ng L–1 for 6 weeks in a flow through test system. The experiment shows that E2 concentrations of 53.6 and 133 ng L–1 cause severe abnormal development among eelpout embryos. Reduced amount of ovarian fluid and increased weight of the ovarian sac indicate disturbance of ovarian function. Female plasma concentrations of E2 and vitellogenin increase in a monotonic concentration–response relationship with significant induction in the low concentration range. Our findings support the plausibility that the abnormal development among eelpout embryos encountered in monitoring programs may actually be caused by exposure to chemicals in the environment.