title: Assessment of reproductive biomarkers in three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from sewage effluent recipients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of endocrine disruption close to sewage treatment plant effluent discharges along the Finnish Baltic Sea coast using a set of reproductive biomarkers present in adult three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Possible variation and sensitivity of the biomarkers during an entire reproductive period were also examined. The analysis of vitellogenin (VTG) for estrogenic activity and spiggin for androgenic activity, together with histopathological analysis indicated that sticklebacks were exposed to estrogenic loads sufficient to cause inappropriate production of VTG and to disrupt normal testicular structure in adult male sticklebacks. No androgenic disruption was observed. The results emphasize the need of a combination of several reproductive biomarkers in fish and repeated sampling for the detection of potential endocrine modulating substances under field condition.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Aquatic Pathobiology, Environmental and Marine Biology, Department of Biosciences, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Björkblom
authors.forename: Noora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mustamäki
authors.forename: Per-Erik
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Katsiadaki
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiklund
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis; D005387:Finland; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012722:Sewage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D015415:Biomarkers; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004967:Estrogens; D029941:Fish Proteins; D012722:Sewage; D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C429543:spiggin