Publication Abstract

The juvenile three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a model organism for endocrine disruption II - kidney hypertrophy, vitellogenin and spiggin induction

The juvenile three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a model organism for endocrine disruption II - kidney hypertrophy, vitellogenin and spiggin induction

E. Hahlbeck, I. Katsiadaki, I. Mayer, M. Adolfsson-Erici, J. James and B.-E. Bengtsson

This study investigated the suitability of juvenile three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., for detecting both androgen- and oestrogen-induced endocrine disruption. The investigated endpoints were kidney hypertrophy and the induction of the biochemical marker proteins spiggin and vitellogenin. Juveniles were exposed to steroid hormones 17ß-oestradiol (E2: nominal 0.01, 1.0 and 10µg/L), 17a-ethinyloestradiol (EE2: 0.05µg/L) and 17α-methyltestosterone (MT: 1.0µg/L) from the day of hatching until the termination of the experiments between 37 and 58 days post hatch. E2 and MT were applied during different time windows: a) 14 days post hatch only and b) the whole period except the first 14 days post hatch.

Kidney hypertrophy is an androgen-dependent secondary sexual character in adult male sticklebacks and corresponds to the production of the glue protein spiggin during the breeding season. The kidneys were hypertrophied and spiggin levels were elevated in juvenile sticklebacks after treatment with MT. Paradoxically, slightly elevated spiggin levels and kidney hypertrophy were observed also in fish treated with high dose E2. Levels of vitellogenin, the estrogen-inducible yolk precursor protein, were elevated in juvenile sticklebacks after E2 medium and high dose treatment.

The tested endpoints are suitable for the study of endocrine disruption in juvenile sticklebacks, a fish species that is easy to handle in laboratory and relevant for temperate geographical regions. A combination with intersexuality as endpoint is recommended to cover different exposure situations.

Reference:

E. Hahlbeck, I. Katsiadaki, I. Mayer, M. Adolfsson-Erici, J. James and B.-E. Bengtsson (2004) The juvenile three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a model organism for endocrine disruption II - kidney hypertrophy, vitellogenin and spiggin induction. Aquatic Toxicology, 70: 311-326.

E. Hahlbeck, I. Katsiadaki*, I. Mayer, M. Adolfsson-Erici, J. James* and B.-E. Bengtsson

Aquatic Toxicology, 70: 311-326