Unexpected phenotypes of malformations induced in Xenopus tropicalis embryos by combined exposure to triphenyltin and 9-cis-retinoic acid

Xenopus tropicalis embryos were exposed for 48 hr to the mixtures of 5 g Sn/L triphenyltin(TPT), which is a well-known endocrine disruptor, and 0.25–5 g/L 9-cis retinoic acid(9c-RA), which is the natural ligand of retinoid X receptor. The phenotypes induced by combined exposure were more variable than those resulting from single exposure to either TPT or 9c-RA. The prominent phenotypes included underdeveloped head structures, abnormal eyes, narrow fins, enlarged proctodaeum, etc. Especially, combined exposure induced unexpected notochord malformations, which ranged from small swellings of the surface of the tails to the extension and extrusion of notochord out of the posterior tails. Compared with the 5 g Sn/L TPT-treated group, the index of fin deficiency was not affected, and the index of axis deficiency was significantly increased with increasing RA concentrations in the mixtures. Our results suggest that combined exposure to TPT and 9c-RA induced not only more variable phenotypes of malformations than exposure to single compound but also some new and unexpected phenotypes.     

Postmetamorphic Xenopus laevis shows decreased plasma triiodothyronine concentrations and phosphorylase activity due to subacute phytosterol exposure

Postmetamorphic South African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were exposed to a phytosterol mixture (ca. 80% β-sitosterol and less sitostanol, campesterol, and campestanol) for 14 days at 30 μg l⁻¹ in a flow-through system. The effects of phytosterols (PS) on the plasma thyroid hormone (T₃ and T₄), testosterone, leptin-immunoreactive peptide and tissue glycogen concentrations were determined. The following enzyme activities were also analyzed from the liver and muscle: glycogen phosphorylase and lipase, and from the liver only: glucose-6-phosphatase. The plasma T₃ concentration was lower in the PS-exposed female frogs. Both muscle lipase and glycogen phosphorylase activities were also lower in the PS-exposed animals. These results could indicate that the basal metabolic rate and locomotion activity of the frogs were decreased. The effects could not be attributed to the possible estrogenicity of the PS mixture. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the possible significance of these effects.     

二噁英对非洲爪蛙细胞色素P450表达的影响

二噁英(代DD)是一类毒性较强的环境污染物质.试验使用印记法定量检测了非洲爪蛙芳烃基受体(从R)及其核内的转录因子(Amt),细胞色素P450(CYP)中的CYP1A6 mRNA及CYP1A7 mRNA;用免疫反应检测了CYP1A蛋白质的表达.结果表明:TCDD的染毒没有引起AhR和Arnt表达量的增加,但引起CYP1A6 mRNA及CYP1A7 mRNA表达的极显著增加,以及CYP1A蛋白质的强烈表达;TCDD强烈诱发非洲爪蛙CYP1A,且存在质量浓度依存性,使用CYP1A作为环境危险性评价具有一定的可探讨性.      

热带爪蟾胚胎在水质监测中的应用

分析了热带爪蟾胚胎用于水质监测的理论基础,综述了其在环境科学中的应用前景,总结评价了热带爪蟾胚胎用于水质监测的方法及应用实例,并讨论了其用于水质评价目前存在的问题.热带爪蟾是一种良好的模式生物,需要对其加强实际应用研究.     

非洲爪蟾在生态毒理学研究中的应用(Ⅱ):甲状腺干扰作用评价

甲状腺干扰物是目前生态毒理学和环境毒理学研究的一个热点.本文介绍了非洲爪蟾作为评价甲状腺干扰作用的模型动物的理论基础,从变态速度/时间、甲状腺发育、甲状腺激素信号途径、促甲状腺激素表达等几个方面,综述了目前非洲爪蟾用于评价甲状腺干扰作用的方法学及其应用的进展,最后探讨了非洲爪蟾用于甲状腺干扰作用评价存在的问题和今后的发展趋势.     

Low concentrations of atrazine, glyphosate, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and triadimefon exposures have diverse effects on Xenopus laevis organ morphogenesis

Many chemicals are released into the environment, and chemical contamination has been suggested as a contributing factor to amphibian declines. To add to a growing body of knowledge about the impact of individual chemicals on non-target organisms, we examined the specificity of deformities induced by exposure to four pesticides (atrazine, 2,4-dichloropheoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), triadimefon, and glyphosate) in the model amphibian species, Xenopus laevis. We focused on the period of organ morphogenesis, as it is frequently found to be particularly sensitive to chemical exposure yet also commonly overlooked.We found similar levels of intestine malformations and edemas, as well as disruption of skeletal muscle, in atrazine and triadimefon exposed tadpoles. The e ects of 2,4-D were only apparent at the highest concentrations we examined; glyphosate did not induce dramatic malformations at the concentrations tested. While researchers have shown that it is important to understand how chemical mixtures a ect non-target organisms, our results suggest that it is first crucial to determine how these chemicals act independently in order to be able to identify consequences of individual pesticide exposure.     

Bioconcentration kinetics of PCBs in various parts of the lifecycle of the tadpoles Xenopus laevis

Polychlorinated biphenyls （PCBs） in Xenopus laevis have been reported only for a few congeners. Additionally, there is very little information on the ability of Xenopus laevis to bioconcentrate PCBs. To address these issues, the tadpole Xenopus laevis was exposed to Aroclor 1254 mixtures in water at room temperature for 110 d followed by an additional 110 d of nonspiked PCBs in the water for the control group. During the whole process, bioconcentration factors （BCFs） of PCBs ranged from 1180 to 15670. For most PCB congeners, the highest and lowest bioconcentrations of the kinetic curves were found to be remarkably simultaneous, respectively. All 141 PCB congeners under the same experimental conditions had no linear correlation on the lgBCF versus lgKow relationship. The relationship between lgBCFs and lgKow followed a parabolic pattern indicative of selective bioconcentration, suggesting that the kinetic curves of the PCB congeners observed in the lifecycle of the tadpoles may be concentrated due to the amphibian special species and internal metabolism. In contrast, lgBCFs for PCBs were inversely related to lgKow, suggesting that a metabolism of the higher Kow PCB congeners occurred. These results support the author＇s conclusion that the tadpole Xenopus laevis plays major roles in the bioconcentration of PCB congeners, and demonstrated that the exposure kinetic curves of PCB congeners are complex. Besides the amphibian metamorphous development, the lifecycle of the tadpole Xenopus laevis also may be of importance in determining the bioconcentration of PCB congeners.     

蛋白组学分析揭示出阿特拉津对非洲爪蟾的生殖毒性源于其诱导生殖细胞凋亡并干扰紧密连接蛋白和代谢相关信号通路

阿特拉津可对雄性脊椎动物生殖系统造成不良影响,但其中分子机制尚不明了。本文作者将非洲爪蟾(Xenopus laevis)暴露于100 ppb的阿特拉津120 d,利用同位素标记相对和绝对定量(iTRAQ)技术检测了非洲爪蟾睾丸和卵巢中蛋白图谱的变化,结果显示100 ppb阿特拉津可影响爪蟾发育,延迟和阻碍雄性细精管的形成。组学分析显示,睾丸中143种以及卵巢中121种蛋白均表达异常,这些蛋白与细胞凋亡、细胞间紧密连接以及代谢途径相关。
精选自Xiuping Chen, Jiamei Wang, Haojun Zhu, Jiatong Ding and Yufa Peng. Proteomics analysis of Xenopus laevis gonad tissue following chronic exposure to atrazine. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 34, Issue 8, pages 1744–1750, August 2015. DOI: 10.1002/etc.2980
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.2980/full     

孕酮诱导非洲爪蟾卵母细胞生发泡破裂(GVBD)实验方法的优化及干扰物质筛查

非洲爪蟾卵母细胞生发泡破裂(GVBD)是生物学上研究卵细胞成熟过程及其机制的良好模型。由于GVBD受激素的调控,曾有研究将孕酮诱导的非洲爪蟾GVBD试验用于内分泌干扰物的筛查。通过预注射人体绒毛膜促性腺激素(HCG)提高非洲爪蟾卵母细胞对孕酮的敏感性、缩小个体差异,缩短试验时间等优化GVBD试验方法;并选用甲氧氯作为阳性参照物对优化的方法进行验证,最后用此方法研究了米非司酮、来曲唑、咪鲜胺3种化学物质对孕酮诱导GVBD的影响。结果发现,甲氧氯对GVBD的发生具有明显抑制作用,随着剂量的增加抑制作用增强,显示优化方法的可靠性。米非司酮作为孕酮受体拮抗剂,没有表现出抑制GVBD的效应,证明孕酮诱导爪蟾GVBD并非完全由孕酮受体(PR)介导。同时,来曲唑和咪鲜胺对孕酮诱导爪蟾GVBD没有影响,显示此两种物质在孕酮诱导GVBD过程中不具有内分泌干扰作用。     

全氟辛烷磺酸盐(PFOS)及替代品对两栖类蝌蚪的急性毒性

PFOS及其4种替代品对两栖动物非洲爪蟾和黑斑蛙蝌蚪的急性毒性结果为:用调聚法合成的织物三防整理剂对非洲爪蟾蝌蚪和黑斑蛙蝌蚪的96h-LC50分别为8和21mg·L-1,而PFOS对两种蝌蚪的96h-LC50分别为92和81mg·L-1。此实验结果说明织物三防整理剂的急性毒性高于PFOS。用电解氟化法合成的C4、C6织物三防整理剂和50%的全氟丁基有机铵盐阳离子表面活性剂浓度在100mg·L-1时,对两种蝌蚪都没有毒性。这说明,从急性毒性的角度,C4、C6织物三防整理剂和表面活性剂可作为PFOS的替代品使用,但是织物三防整理剂的急性毒性比PFOS大,作为替代品使用应慎重考虑。另外,PFOS和织物三防整理剂对黑斑蛙蝌蚪的急性毒性与对非洲爪蟾蝌蚪的急性毒性存在差异。出于保护我国本土两栖动物的目的,使用黑斑蛙开展毒性评价比使用非洲爪蟾更有现实意义。