Responses of molecular indicators of exposure in mesocosms: common carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to the herbicides alachlor and atrazine.
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were treated in aquatic mesocosms with a single pulse of the herbicides atrazine or alachlor to study the bioavailability and biological activity of these herbicides using molecular indicators: Liver vitellogenin gene expression in male fish for estrogenic activity, liver cytochrome P4501A1 gene expression, and DNA damage in blood cells using the single-cell gel electrophoresis method. Both alachlor and atrazine showed dose-related increases in DNA strand breaks at environmentally relevant concentrations (<100 ppb). Gene expression indicators showed that neither herbicide had estrogenic activity in the carp, whereas atrazine at concentrations as low as 7 ppb induced cytochrome P4501A1. These results support the study of molecular indicators for exposure in surrogate ecosystems to gauge relevant environmental changes following herbicide treatments.
Chang
Lina W
LW
Molecular Ecology Research Branch, Ecological Exposure Research Division, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, USA. chang.lina@epa.gov
Toth
Gregory P
GP
Gordon
Denise A
DA
Graham
David W
DW
Meier
John R
JR
Knapp
Charles W
CW
deNoyelles
F Jerry
FJ
Campbell
Scott
S
Lattier
David L
DL
D000081:Acetamides / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001280:Atrazine / Q000633:toxicity*; D001682:Biological Availability; D002347:Carps / Q000378:metabolism*; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
D000081:Acetamides; D006540:Herbicides; D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C000188:alachlor; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D001280:Atrazine