title: Sex-specific biochemical and histological differences in gonads of sea urchins (Psammechinus miliaris) and their response to phenanthrene exposure.
abstract: Female and male individuals of the same species often differ with respect to their susceptibility to toxicant stress. In the present study, sea urchins (Psammechinus miliaris) of both sexes were exposed to high (150 μg L⁻¹) and environmentally relevant (5 μg L⁻¹) concentrations of phenanthrene over 10 days. While food intake was significantly decreased following exposure to 150 μg L⁻¹ phenanthrene, histological indices (lipofuscin accumulation, fibrosis, oocyte atresia), energetic status (energy charge, sum adenylates, AMP/ATP ratio) as well as ascorbate levels in the gonads showed either little or no effect upon phenanthrene exposure. However, most parameters (vitamin C, energy charge, sum adenylates, AMP/ATP ratio, ATP and ADP concentrations, lipofuscin content, fibrosis) significantly differed between male and female animals. This study illustrates the difficulties to identify toxic injury in reproductive tissue as it may be superimposed by gametogenesis and spawning of gametes.
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research within the Helmholtz Association, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany. Sabine.Schaefer@bafg.de
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abele
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weihe
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Köhler
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006066:Gonads / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C031181:phenanthrene; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D001205:Ascorbic Acid