Evidence for estrogenic endocrine disruption in an offshore flatfish, the dab (Limanda limanda L.)

Scott, Alexander P.; Sanders, Matthew; Stentiford, Grant D.; Reese, R. Allan; Katsiadaki, Ioanna

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2006.12.013

Cited by 39 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…If alkylphenols are transported passively offshore in sediments, then we would expect sites hundreds of miles offshore to have lower contamination levels in sediment, as has been shown for other environmental contaminants (Rees et al 1999, Boonyatumanond et al 2006, Zoller 2006, Rato et al 2008. Many offshore marine organisms are known to accumulate environmental contaminants, and thus carry contamination loads that are surprisingly high relative to ambient levels (e.g., Scott et al 2007, Rato et al 2008. Lobsters may be exposed to alkylphenols directly through sediment or water, or through prey items with elevated levels of contaminants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Endocrine-Disrupting Alkylphenols are Widespread in the Blood of Lobsters from Southern New England and Adjacent Offshore Areas

Jacobs

Laufer

Stuart

et al. 2012

Journal of Shellfish Research

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Endocrine-disrupting pollutants in rivers and oceans represent a poorly understood but potentially serious threat to the integrity of aquatic and coastal ecosystems. We surveyed the hemolymph of lobsters from across southern New England and adjacent offshore areas for 3 endocrine-disrupting alkylphenols. We found all 3 compounds in hemolymph from every year and almost every region sampled. Prevalence of contamination varied significantly between regions, ranging from 45% of lobsters from southern Massachusetts to 17% of lobsters from central Long Island Sound. Mean contamination levels varied significantly as a function of region, year sampled, and collection trip, and were highest overall in lobsters from western Long Island Sound and lowest in lobsters from central Long Island Sound. Surprisingly, lobsters from offshore areas were not less contaminated than lobsters from inshore areas. Contamination levels also did not vary as a function of lobster size or shell disease signs. Contaminated lobsters held in the laboratory did not retain alkylphenols, suggesting that hemolymph contamination levels represent recent, rather than long-term, exposure. Our data set is the first, to our knowledge, to survey endocrine-disrupting contaminants in a population across such a broad temporal and spatial scale. We show that alkylphenol contamination is a persistent, widespread, but environmentally heterogeneous problem in lobster populations in southern New England and adjacent offshore areas. Our work raises serious questions about the prevalence and accumulation of these endocrine-disrupting pollutants in an important fishery species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Endocrine-Disrupting Alkylphenols are Widespread in the Blood of Lobsters from Southern New England and Adjacent Offshore Areas

Jacobs

Laufer

Stuart

et al. 2012

Journal of Shellfish Research

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“…Whether anthropogenic (exogenous) endocrinedisrupting sources can contribute to the high prevalence of liver tumors observed in European flatfish warrants further study, particularly since the highest tumor prevalence in dab observed at offshore sites around the UK (e.g. Dogger Bank) coincides with those sites where intersex and elevated VTG expression have previously been reported (Stentiford & Feist 2005, Scott et al 2007). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…It is synthesized and secreted by the liver, and is normally undetectable in the plasma of immature females and male fish. Classically, VTG has been measured as a biomarker for estrogen exposure (Christiansen et al 1998, Denslow et al 2001, Larkin et al 2003, and elevated levels have recently been documented in flounder populations from some estuaries (Kleinkauf et al 2004) and in dab from offshore sites (Scott et al 2007), indicating that these fish may well suffer from endocrine disruption. Further support for this hypothesis comes from Stentiford & Feist (2005), who reported intersex (ovotestis) in dab from the North Sea, and suggest that these fish may be exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene expression analyses of hepatocellular adenoma and hepatocellular carcinoma from the marine flatfish Limanda limanda

Small¹,

Williams²,

Sturve³

et al. 2010

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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At selected sites around the UK, the offshore sentinel flatfish species dab Limanda limanda are found to contain elevated levels of macroscopic liver tumors. Previous proteomic and metabolomic studies have demonstrated that differences exist between tumor and non-tumor tissues; however, these differing features were not identified, and little is known about the changes at the gene expression level, or whether prognostic markers are present and can be identified. A flounder Platichthys flesus custom cDNA microarray and RT-PCR were used to investigate hepatic mRNA expression in the histologically confirmed tumors, hepatocellular adenoma (HA) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HC) from dab, and in adjacent normal tissue from the same fish. Differences in gene expression were observed between tumor and normal tissues, and between tumor types. A class-prediction approach using 50 transcripts revealed sufficient group-specific expression profiles to allow segregation of samples dependent on their tumor type or the sex of the host. Vitellogenins were found to display the greatest induction (up to 500-fold induction) in some HC tumors from female fish and in both HA and HC tumors from males. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the association of vitellogenin expression with tumors of wild fish.

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“…In light of data presented in the present study, it will now be important to consider the relationship between elevated liver cancer prevalence and potential causal factors at offshore sites. Studies demonstrating potential offshore endocrine disruption effects in populations of dab from the Dogger Bank region of the North Sea (Stentiford & Feist 2005, Scott et al 2007) and the recent finding of over-expression of vitellogenin mRNA in liver tumours of dab (Small et al 2010) are provocative directors for further research investigating the relationship between liver-cancer formation and the endocrine system of marine fish and their elevated association with particular geographic locations (Stentiford et al 2009). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of age on liver pathology and other diseases in flatfish: implications for assessment of marine ecological health status

Stentiford¹,

Bignell²,

Lyons³

et al. 2010

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Age at disease onset, a familiar concept in human medicine, has not been commonly discussed in relation to diseases of wildlife. Furthermore, while age has been anecdotally linked with disease susceptibility in aquatic animals (e.g. in aquaculture), little attention has been devoted to health of specific cohorts in wild aquatic animal populations. In an attempt to refine current approaches to marine environmental monitoring programmes that utilise fish diseases as a sentinel for ecological status, we have investigated age at onset for 10 disease variables in the flatfish Limanda limanda, a commonly utilised species in such programmes in Europe. By comparing the prevalence of these variables (including several associated with liver neoplasia) in different age classes from the same sites, we have demonstrated an increased propensity for 'harm' (a cumulative measure of multiple disease variables) with age. Furthermore, a comparison of age-matched cohorts from geographically distinct offshore marine sites revealed that this tendency for increased harm differs in magnitude between sites. In these scenarios, the age at onset for key disease variables (such as pre-neoplastic and neoplastic pathologies of the liver) also differs between sites, with some locations containing populations with apparently increased susceptibility in younger age classes. We conclude that while age is an important variable when assessing fish population health status, it does not explain all of the differences in disease prevalence observed in natural populations, and further, that age-matched cohorts from certain populations have a higher propensity for disease than fish of the same age from other sites. The basis for these differences in susceptibility is discussed in relation to the prevailing burden of anthropogenic contaminants and to other natural factors (such as population genetics and migration) inherent in sampled populations.

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Evidence for estrogenic endocrine disruption in an offshore flatfish, the dab (Limanda limanda L.)

Cited by 39 publications

References 47 publications

Endocrine-Disrupting Alkylphenols are Widespread in the Blood of Lobsters from Southern New England and Adjacent Offshore Areas

Endocrine-Disrupting Alkylphenols are Widespread in the Blood of Lobsters from Southern New England and Adjacent Offshore Areas

Gene expression analyses of hepatocellular adenoma and hepatocellular carcinoma from the marine flatfish Limanda limanda

Effect of age on liver pathology and other diseases in flatfish: implications for assessment of marine ecological health status

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