Gender Benders at the Beach: Endocrine Disruption in Marine and Estuarine Organisms

Abstract

Several consensus definitions of the term endocrine disruptor have appeared recently, but all definitions include the important, though frequently implicit, stipulation that the animal is not distressed or in obvious discomfort. Instead, a superficially healthy animal is experiencing alterations in hormone synthesis, transport, receptor interaction, metabolism, excretion, or feedback regulation. In addition, hormone disruption may occur during sex differentiation, and its effects may not be manifested until after sexual maturation. Many cases of chemically induced reproductive impairment have been reported for both freshwater and marine species. However, reproductive impairment may not necessarily result from hormone disruption and should be considered suggestive, but not conclusive, evidence of endocrine disruption. A suite of in vivo and in vitro assays will more adequately assess whether a compound is truly endocrine disrupting. This review will cover basic endocrinology of marine and estuarine invertebrates and vertebrates, methods for detecting endocrine disruption, and examples of endocrine disruption in various species.

Uptake and elimination, and effect of estrogen-like contaminants in estuarine copepods: an experimental study

“…Thus, the occurrence of reproductive abnormalities has been frequently reported (Jobling et al 1996;Petrovic et al 2002). Although the number of published data about endocrine disruption in wild species has substantially increased during the last 10 years for both vertebrate and invertebrate animals (DeFur et al 1999;Larsson et al 1999;Oberdörster and Cheek 2000;Porte et al 2006;Mazurova et al 2008), studies on the specific mechanism by which the endocrine system can be disrupted are scarce. However, some potential hormone-disrupting chemicals have been listed as priority pollutants, depending on their molecular structure, by regulating bodies such as the European Union and the Oslo and Paris Commission.…”

Occurrence and distribution of pharmaceutically active and endocrine disrupting compounds in Singapore's marine environment: Influence of hydrodynamics and physical–chemical properties

“…However, a number of high-production volume pharmaceuticals qualify, based on an assessment of their structure, as probably persistent and bioaccumulative (Howard and Muir, 2011). Natural and synthetic EDCs have inherent endocrine-disrupting properties and may interfere with the natural functions of hormones and potentially modify sexual development and reproductive function in organisms (Oberdorster and Cheek, 2001;Scholz and Kluver, 2009;Soin and Smagghe, 2007). PhACs consist of a variety of human and veterinary drugs which contain biologically active ingredients designed for a variety of chemico-biological interaction at a target site.…”

An approach to detecting estrogenic endocrine disruption via choriogenin expression in an estuarine model fish species

“…While endocrine disruption studies have been conducted using estuarine species such as summer flounder, sheepshead minnow and Atlantic croaker (Folmar et al 2000;Folmar et al 2001; Thomas and Rahman 2011), limited data are available and none of these species are found on all three coasts (East, West, and Gulf). Hence, a need exists for a more widely distributed EDC model species for North American estuarine fishes, particularly considering that estuaries are utilized by many species of fish for at least part of their lives and are subject to an extensive range of inputs likely to contain EDCs (Oberdorster and Cheek 2000;Ridgway and Shimmield 2002).…”