全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)对斑马鱼卵黄蛋白原mRNA水平的影响

为了研究环境低剂量全氟辛烷磺酸（perfluorooctane sulfonate,PFOS）对水生生物的内分泌干扰效应和可能的作用机制,测定了PFOS对斑马鱼（Brachydanio rerio）肝脏中卵黄蛋白原（vitellogenin,VTG）mRNA水平的影响.将斑马鱼暴露于4个PFOS的环境低剂量浓度组（0.1、1、10、100μg.L-1）中进行21d毒性试验,收集肝脏样品,提取RNA,采用荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）分别检测VTG1和VTG3的mRNA水平.结果表明：①PFOS暴露引起雄性斑马鱼肝脏VTG1和VTG3 mRNA水平升高,VTG1 mRNA水平升高与剂量呈正相关,在100μg.L-1暴露浓度处与对照组呈现显著性差异;VTG3的mRNA水平变化与剂量呈倒U型曲线,呈现典型的毒物刺激荷尔蒙效应,在10和100μg.L-1暴露浓度处与对照组呈现显著性差异;②PFOS暴露引起雌性斑马鱼肝脏中VTG1 mRNA水平升高,在10μg.L-1暴露浓度处与对照组呈现显著性差异,但在高浓度（10和100μg.L-1）处试验结果误差较大;VTG3 mRNA水平只在10μg.L-1暴露浓度处升高,但相比于对照组均没有显著性差异.试验结果表明PFOS暴露对斑马鱼的内分泌干扰作用明显,其毒性作用机制可能是类雌激素效应,而肝脏中VTG1和VTG3mRNA水平可能作为PFOS内分泌干扰效应评价的敏感生物标志物,但VTG1和VTG3 mRNA水平的响应曲线呈现基因亚型和性别差异.     

实时定量RT-PCR方法检测雌二醇诱导原代培养青鳉鱼肝细胞的基因表达

利用原代培养的雄性青鳉鱼肝细胞进行了相同雌二醇(E2)浓度(100 nmol·L-1)下的不同时间(2、4、6、8d)和相同暴露时间(4d)下的不同浓度(1、10、100、1000、10000 nmol·L-1)的雌二醇(E2)实验,采用实时定量RT-PCR方法对青鳉鱼VTG-Ⅰ、VTG-Ⅱ、CHG-H、CHG-L和ERα的基因表达进行了研究,结果表明,VTG-Ⅰ、VTG-Ⅱ、CHG-H、CHG-L和ERα的基因表达与E2的暴露浓度呈现很好的剂量-效应关系,且1nmol·L-1E2暴露就能显著诱导肝细胞内VTG-Ⅰ、VTG-Ⅱ、CHG-H、CHG-L和ERα的基因表达.作为生物监测雌激素活性的in vitro方法,实时定量RT-PCR的灵敏度高于其它已经发表的方法.因此,实时定量RT-PCB方法与原代培养青鳉鱼肝细胞相结合的方法在环境雌激素效应的评价上具有很大地应用潜力.     

定量RT-PCR检测雌二醇诱导的青鳉鱼基因表达

采用实时定量RT-PCR(Q-RT-PCR)方法,对暴露60d雌二醇的雄性青鳉鱼肝脏内卵黄蛋白原(VTG)和卵壳前体蛋白(CHG)基因表达进行研究.结果表明,0.1,1.0,10.0,100.0ng/L的雌二醇使肝脏内VTG-I,VTG-II,CHG-L和CHG-H基因表达被显著诱导.其中VTG-I显示出较好的剂量—效应关系,是较为理想的生物标记物基因.在0.1ng/L雌二醇暴露组中,VTG-I和VTG-II的表达量均显著高于对照组(P<0.05),表明本方法具有检测环境中低剂量雌二醇暴露的潜力.     

壬基酚和双酚A对雄性斑马鱼(Danio rerio)卵黄蛋白原mRNA的诱导效应

为了对野外环境中内分泌干扰物更快速有效地进行检测,运用逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)技术检测了17β-雌二醇(E2)、壬基酚(NP)和双酚A(BPA)对雄性成体斑马鱼肝脏合成卵黄蛋白原(VTG)mRNA的诱导作用,并初步探讨了VTGmRNA体内代谢动力学模式.结果表明,随着暴露浓度的升高(E2:20、100、250、500ng·L-1;NP:20、100、250、500μg·L-1;BPA:50、100、250、500、1000μg·L-1),VTGmRNA表达量均显著增加,VTGmRNA表达量与暴露浓度具有明显的剂量-效应关系.在10d的暴露期内,随着暴露时间的延长,VTGmRNA表达量均显著增加,VTGmRNA表达量与暴露时间呈明显的时间-效应关系;停止暴露后,VTGmRNA表达量迅速下降,E2诱导的表达消失得最快(4d),而NP、BPA诱导的表达持续时间相对较长(6d).     

The use of bioaccumulation, biomarkers and histopathology diseases in shape Procambarus clarkii to establish bioavailability of Cd and Zn after a mining spill

Individuals of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (males and females) were exposed simultaneously to cadmium and zinc during 21 days. Exposure concentrations were those determined at the Guadiamar river after the Aznalcóllar mining spill (SW, Spain): 10 and 30 μg L⁻¹ of cadmium and 1000 and 3000 μg L⁻¹ of zinc. Three biomarkers (MT: metallothioneins like proteins, VTG: vitellogenin/vitellin like proteins and histopathology) together with heavy metal bioaccumulation were determined in soft tissues of male and female P. clarkii. At the concentrations tested, increasing cadmium exposure resulted in increasing cadmium bioaccumulation and increasing subletal effects (induction of MT, VTG and histopathological damage in tissues). Nevertheless, although increasing zinc exposure showed increasing VTG induction and histopathological damages, not a positive relationship was determined with MT induction. Concerning to responses determined in male and female crayfishes only differences were found between sexes at the highest cadmium exposure concentration related to bioaccumulation in hepatopancreas tissues. Biomarkers responses to heavy metal contamination in this crayfish, even VTG induction not before tested in heavy metal contamination assessment in crustaceans resulted potential tools for the monitoring of heavy metal environmental contamination.     

Vitellogenin induction in Cyprinus carpio treated with 17beta-estradiol and 4-nonylphenol

The aim of the present study was to demonstrate induction ofvitellogenin in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) as abiomarker for monitoring freshwater ecosystems. Sexually undifferentiated specimens of common carp were treated experimentally with 17-estradiol and increasing doses of 4-nonylphenol and levels of plasma Vtg were measured in orderto: 1) validate an ELISA assay for plasma Vtg in the common carpusing the polyclonal rabbit anti-salmon Vtg antibody AA1 (Biosense, Norway); 2) check the sensitivity of carp juvenilesin producing Vtg in response to estrogen stimulation. The grouptreated with 17-estradiol showed high induction (156%)with respect to controls, also groups treated with 4-nonylphenolshowed induction of Vtg. The group treated with 100 mg kg^-1b.wt showed an induction of 61%. A statistically significantcorrelation was found between dose and response. This preliminary study demonstrate a response to the ELISA assay for Vtg in the common carp using rabbit anti-salmon antibody AA1. With further evidence the tested biomarker might be proposed for large scale monitoring of estrogenic effects caused by pollution in urban and industrial effluents.     

Effects of p,p′-DDE exposure on gonadal development and gene expression in Japanese medaka （Oryzias latipes）

Although 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis（p-chlorophenyl）-ethylene （p,p′-DDE）, the major and most persistent metabolite of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane （DDT）, was continually detected in wild fishes that showed abnormal gonad development such as intersex, little is known about the impact of p,p′-DDE exposure on gonad development in fishes. To survey the effects of p,p′-DDE on gonadal development and gene expressions, male juvenile （20-d post hatch） Japanese medaka （Oryzias latipes） was exposed to 1, 5, 20, and 100 μg/L p,p′-DDE for two months. Increased hepatosomatic index （HSI） and decreased gonadosomatic index （GSI） were found in the p,p′-DDE-treated groups. Intersex was found in 100 μg/L p,p′-DDE exposure group, as well as 100 ng/L 17α-ethynylestradiol （EE2） group. By quantitative real-time RT-PCR, it was found that gene expressions of vitellogenins （VTG-1, VTG-2）, choriogenins （CHG-H, CHG-L）, and estrogen receptor α （ER-α） in the liver of the fish were significantly up-regulated by p,p′-DDE exposure. VTG-1 and VTG- 2 were recommended as the preferred biomarker for assessing anti-androgenic p,p′-DDE because they were the highest up-regulated among the genes and showed good dose-response relationship. The up-regulated ER-α suggested that a potential synergetic effect would occur when p,p′-DDE coexists with other ER-α-binding endocrine-disrupting chemicals （EDCs）.     

Combined effect of tributyltin and benzo[a] pyrene on the levels of sex hormone and vitellogenin in female Sebastiscus marmoratus

Tributyltin（TBT）, an organometal used as an antifouling biocide, has been reported to induce masculinization of fish. Benzo [a]pyrene （BaP）, a widespread carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, has been reported that its microsomal metabolites can produce an estrogenic response when tested in vitro. This study was therefore designed to examine the potential in vivo influence of TBT, BaP and their mixture on sex hormone levels in serum of Sebastiscus marmoratus, which were given 2 separate intraperitoneally （ip） injections（a single injection every 7 d） of TBT（0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg）, BaP（0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg）, or both in combination（0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg）; control fish received olive oil vehicle only. Six days after the 2nd injection, serum samples were collected and analyzed for sex hormone levels and alkali labile protein phosphorus （ALPP）, which is related to the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin. The pollutants at all doses significantly reduced serum testosterone, estradiol and ALPP content after 2 injections compared with the corresponding controls. The reduction of the estradiol levels should be response for the decrease of the vitellogenin levels. The results in the present study suggested that aromatase seems not the major target acted by TBT and BaP in fish. This study demonstrated that TBT or BaP exposure both inhibit the reproductive potential in female Sebastiscus marmoratus. Combined effect of TBT and BaP on the serum testosterone, estradiol and ALPP was not antagonism from the anticipation.     

Assessing the anti-estrogenic activity of sodium pentachlorophenol in primary cultures of juvenile goldfish (Carassius auratus) hepatocytes using vitellogenin as a biomarker

Both pentachlorophenol and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin （TCDD） had been studied widely because of their probable anti-estrogenic activity. Sodium pentachlorophenol （PCP-Na）, as a industrial product used in many fields, usually contains a trace of TCDD. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-estrogenic effect of PCP-Na in juvenile goldfish （Gurassius auratus） hepatocyte cultures using vitellogenin （VTG） as the biomarker. The ID50 of PCP-Na was investigated and then a series of concentrations （0.001 0.5 μg/ml） of PCP-Na were evaluated to estimate the anti-estrogenic activity. Results showed that PCP-Na was cytotoxic for hepatocytes even at very low concentration 〈1.21 μg/ml, and it could not induce VTG at any concentrations tested. Since it failed to stimulate VTG production, the possibility of its anti-estrogenic effect was tested, and a well-known anti-estrogenic compound-tamoxifen was used as positive control. PCP-Na caused a reduction in VTG synthesis in juvenile goldfish （Carassius auratus） hepatocytes at concentrations 〉0.1μg/ml when co-exposure with 1μg/ml 17β-estradiol （E2）, making its anti-estrogenic activity approximately as potent as tamoxifen. Our results indicate that PCP-Na can act as negative modulators of estrogenic function in juvenile goldfish （Carassius auratus） hepatocytes.     

Determination of alkali-labile phosphoprotein phosphorus from fish plasma using the Tb^3＋-tiron complex as a fluorescence probe

A sensitive method based on the fluorescence quenching effect of the Tb^3＋-Tiron complex is proposed for the determination of alkali-labile phosphoprotein phosphorus （ALP） released from fish plasma. The detection limit was 5.4 ng/ml （S/N=2）, and the relative standard deviation of the quenching effect （6 replicates） was 4.6%. The results obtained by the proposed method were in good agreement with those obtained by the colorimetric assay. The advantages of the present method are its relatively simple detection procedure, the lack of toxic organic solvents, and high sensitivity.