Vitellogenesis as a Biomarker for Estrogenic Contamination of the Aquatic Environment

Abstract

A rapidly increasing number of chemicals, or their degradation products, are being recognized as possessing estrogenic activity, albeit usually weak. We have found that effluent from sewage treatment works contains a chemical, or mixture of chemicals, that induces vitellogenin synthesis in male fish maintained in the effluent, thus indicating that the effluent is estrogenic. The effect was extremely pronounced and occurred at all sewage treatment works tested. The nature of the chemical or chemicals causing the effect is presently not known. However, we have tested a number of chemicals known to be estrogenic to mammals and have shown that they are also estrogenic to fish; that is, no species specificity was apparent. Many of these weakly estrogenic chemicals are known to be present in effluents. Further, a mixture of different estrogenic chemicals was considerably more potent than each of the chemicals when tested individually, suggesting that enhanced effects could occur when fish are exposed simultaneously to various estrogenic chemicals (as is likely to occur in rivers receiving effluent). Subsequent work should determine whether exposure to these chemicals at the concentrations present in the environment leads to any deleterious physiological effects. -Environ Health Perspect 103(Suppl 7): 173-178 (1995)

Estrogenic activity of tropical fish food can alter baseline vitellogenin concentrations in male fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

“…Under normal circumstances, VTG levels in male fish are either undetectable or low (approximately 10,000 to 100,000 times lower than typical female concentrations [4,5]). However, when male fish are exposed to oestrogenic substances, they are capable of producing a large amount of VTG and blood concentrations can reach values similar to those in females.…”

“…However, when male fish are exposed to oestrogenic substances, they are capable of producing a large amount of VTG and blood concentrations can reach values similar to those in females. Thus VTG induction in male fish is commonly used as a specific biomarker for the detection of oestrogenic endocrine disruptors in the environment and in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development tests [6] of suspected oestrogenic chemicals [4,7].…”

The three-spined stickleback as an environmental sentinel: effects of stressors on whole-body physiological indices

“…Among those most widely used are the cytochrome P450 family of biotransforming isozymes that are induced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins and dibenzofurans (Buhler & Wang-Buhler, 1998); the metal-binding protein metallothionein, levels of which are increased by exposure to heavy metals (Olsvik et al, 2000); The inhibition of esterase activity, particularly acetylcholinesterase, caused by exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides (Kirby et al, 2000;Thompson, 1999) and the yolk lipoprotein precursor vitellogenin, induced by estrogens and estrogen mimics (Sumpter & Jobling, 1995). Specific indicators of exposure are useful when the identity of a pollutant is known, or where evidence is sought for the presence of a specific pollutant.…”

In vitro synergistic interaction of alligator and human estrogen receptors with combinations of environmental chemicals.

“…Soto et al demonstrated that a combination of 10 chemicals enhanced the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in the E-SCREEN in a greater than additive manner (2). Sumpter and Jobling have shown that vitellogenin induction in fish hepatocytes was stimulated in a synergistic fashion by a combination of environmental chemicals (5). An in vivo example of mixtures of environmental chemicals having synergistic activity is a study using turtle eggs performed in collaboration with Bergeron et al (6).…”