Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can influence the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis and possibly affect reproduction in vertebrates. We analyzed the effect of 30-day endosulfan (ES) exposure in sexually undifferentiated larvae of the cichlid fish Cichlasoma dimerus. The number, area, mean cytoplasmic and nuclear diameter, and mean cytoplasmic optical density of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) I, II, and III immunoreactive (ir-) neurons and β follicle-stimulating hormone (βFSH) ir-cells were measured. Animals exposed to the highest ES concentration (0.1 μg/l) showed a decrease in GnRH I nucleus/cytoplasm area ratio upon exposure. Nuclear area and mean nuclear diameter of βFSH ir-cells was higher in ES treated fish. βFSH nucleus/cytoplasm area ratio was high in exposed animals, and animals exposed to 0.1 μg/l ES showed smaller mean cytoplasmic optical density. These findings suggest that ES affects GnRH I and βFSH protein synthesis/release. However, these responses seem to be insufficient to affect gonadal differentiation at this stage of development.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.