Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption Mechanism

Environmental estrogen is a substance that functions as an endocrine hormone in organisms and can cause endocrine system disruption. A typical environmental estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), can affect normal sexual function and organism development. However, even though the effects of different e...

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Main Authors: Xuan Liu, Xianyi Xie, Hongling Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
Series:Biomolecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/7/941
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author Xuan Liu
Xianyi Xie
Hongling Liu
author_facet Xuan Liu
Xianyi Xie
Hongling Liu
author_sort Xuan Liu
collection DOAJ
description Environmental estrogen is a substance that functions as an endocrine hormone in organisms and can cause endocrine system disruption. A typical environmental estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), can affect normal sexual function and organism development. However, even though the effects of different exposure stages of DES on the endocrine system and gonadal development of zebrafish juveniles are unknown, sex determination is strongly influenced by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). From 10–90 days post fertilization (dpf), juvenile zebrafish were exposed to DES (100 and 1000 ng/L) in three different stages (initial development stage (IDS), 10–25 dpf; gonadal differentiation stage (GDS), 25–45 dpf and gonadal maturity stage (GMS), 45–60 dpf). Compared with that of IDS and GMS, the growth indicators (body length, body weight, and others) decreased significantly at GDS, and the proportion of zebrafish females exposed to 100 ng/L DES was significantly higher (by 59.65%) than that of the control; in addition, the zebrafish were biased towards female differentiation. The GDS is a critical period for sex differentiation. Our results show that exposure to environmental estrogen during the critical gonadal differentiation period not only affects the development of zebrafish, but also affects the population development.
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spelling doaj.art-fc6ea7b1ec09438487b5426dc7bb03812023-11-22T01:41:09ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2021-06-0111794110.3390/biom11070941Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption MechanismXuan Liu0Xianyi Xie1Hongling Liu2State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaEnvironmental estrogen is a substance that functions as an endocrine hormone in organisms and can cause endocrine system disruption. A typical environmental estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), can affect normal sexual function and organism development. However, even though the effects of different exposure stages of DES on the endocrine system and gonadal development of zebrafish juveniles are unknown, sex determination is strongly influenced by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). From 10–90 days post fertilization (dpf), juvenile zebrafish were exposed to DES (100 and 1000 ng/L) in three different stages (initial development stage (IDS), 10–25 dpf; gonadal differentiation stage (GDS), 25–45 dpf and gonadal maturity stage (GMS), 45–60 dpf). Compared with that of IDS and GMS, the growth indicators (body length, body weight, and others) decreased significantly at GDS, and the proportion of zebrafish females exposed to 100 ng/L DES was significantly higher (by 59.65%) than that of the control; in addition, the zebrafish were biased towards female differentiation. The GDS is a critical period for sex differentiation. Our results show that exposure to environmental estrogen during the critical gonadal differentiation period not only affects the development of zebrafish, but also affects the population development.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/7/941environmental estrogendiethylstilbestrol (DES)zebrafish gonad developmentendocrine disruption-chemicals (EDCs)
spellingShingle Xuan Liu
Xianyi Xie
Hongling Liu
Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption Mechanism
Biomolecules
environmental estrogen
diethylstilbestrol (DES)
zebrafish gonad development
endocrine disruption-chemicals (EDCs)
title Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption Mechanism
title_full Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption Mechanism
title_fullStr Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption Mechanism
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption Mechanism
title_short Effects of Diethylstilbestrol on Zebrafish Gonad Development and Endocrine Disruption Mechanism
title_sort effects of diethylstilbestrol on zebrafish gonad development and endocrine disruption mechanism
topic environmental estrogen
diethylstilbestrol (DES)
zebrafish gonad development
endocrine disruption-chemicals (EDCs)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/7/941
work_keys_str_mv AT xuanliu effectsofdiethylstilbestrolonzebrafishgonaddevelopmentandendocrinedisruptionmechanism
AT xianyixie effectsofdiethylstilbestrolonzebrafishgonaddevelopmentandendocrinedisruptionmechanism
AT honglingliu effectsofdiethylstilbestrolonzebrafishgonaddevelopmentandendocrinedisruptionmechanism