Effects of waterborne exposure to 4-nonylphenol on plasma sex steroid and vitellogenin concentrations in sexually mature male carp ( Cyprinus carpio)

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 15 - 28
• Main Authors: Villeneuve, D.L, Villalobos, S.A, Keith, T.L, Snyder, E.M, Fitzgerald, S.D, Giesy, J.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Alkylphenols; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Carps - physiology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Endocrine System - drug effects; Environmental Exposure; Estradiol; Estradiol - blood; Fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Male; Phenols - adverse effects; Reference Values; Testosterone; Testosterone - blood; Vitellogenins - blood; Vitellogenins - drug effects; Water Pollutants, Chemical - adverse effects; Biomarkers; Testosterone; Fish; Estradiol; Alkylphenols; Mimetic hormone; Plasma; Androgen; Estrogen; 17β-Estradiol; Biological marker; Endocrine disruptor; Vitellogenin; In vitro; Ovarian hormone; Freshwater environment; Vertebrata; Sexual maturity; Pisces; Cyprinus carpio; Cyprinidae; Testicular hormone; Biological effect; Sex steroid hormone; Mechanism of action
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(01)00212-0

4-Nonylphenol (NP) has been shown to elicit estrogenic responses both in vivo and in vitro. The mechanism by which NP exerts estrogenic and other endocrine-modulating effects in vivo remains unclear, however. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of NP to elicit estrogenic responses through indirect mechanisms of action involving the modulation of endogenous steroid hormone concentrations. Sexually mature male common carp ( Cyprinus carpio) were exposed to aqueous NP concentrations ranging from <0.05 to 5.4 μg NP/l for 28–31 d. Approximately 0.5–3.5 ppm of NP was detected in pooled plasma samples or tissue samples from the carp studied. NP exposure did not significantly increase plasma concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T) or vitellogenin (VTG). Excluding outliers, plasma E2 concentrations ranged from <175 to 700 pg E2/ml. T concentrations ranged from 940 to 24,700 pg T/ml plasma. The greatest VTG concentration detected was 52 μ g/ml. One-third of the plasma samples tested contained <1 μg VTG/ml. Overall, the results of this study did not support the hypothesis that exposure to waterborne NP can modulate concentrations of steroid hormones in the plasma of sexually mature male carp. The results did, however, raise a number of questions regarding the utility of estradiol equivalent (EEQ) estimates as a means of predicting in vivo effects of estrogenic substances. Furthermore, they provide information regarding the concentrations and variability of E2, T, and VTG in the plasma of sexually mature male carp, which may aid in design and interpretation of future studies.