title: Xenoestrogens elicit a modulation of endocannabinoid system and estrogen receptors in 4NP treated goldfish, Carassius auratus.
abstract: Based on pharmacological, behavioral and neuroanatomical studies, the endocannabinoids appear to be pivotal in some important neuroendocrine regulations of both vertebrates and invertebrates. Interestingly, a well developed endocannabinoid system was recently demonstrated by us in different bonyfish brain areas which control reproduction, energy balance and stress. Fish in particular are very sensitive to different types of stressors which can heavily affect their reproductive activity and negatively reverberate on aquaculture. Since recent new data have been reported on endocrine disruptors (EDs) impact on zebrafish receptor CB1 expression, in the present research we have investigated the response of the endocannabinoid system to acute treatment with an environmental stressor such as the xenoestrogen nonylphenol (4NP) in the brain and peripheral tissues of the goldfish Carassius auratus. First of all the estrogenic effects induced by 4NP were demonstrated by a dose-dependent increase of plasma levels and gene expression of the biomarker vitellogenin, then changes in cannabinoid receptors and anandamide degradative enzyme, the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), were analysed by means of Real Time PCR. As the exposure to EDs may lead to an activation of estrogen receptors and affects the Aromatase (AROB) transcription, changes in mRNA levels for ER subtypes and AROB were also evaluated. Our results confirm in goldfish the effect of 4NP on ERα and ERβ1 receptors and point out a different sensitivity of CB1 and CB2 for this compound, suggesting distinct roles of these cannabinoid receptors in some adaptive processes to contrast stress induced by xenoestrogen exposure.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Animal and Human Biology, University of Torino, I-10123 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pomatto
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mosconi
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cottone
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cocci
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nabissi
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borgio
authors.forename: Alberta M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Polzonetti-Magni
authors.forename: Maria Fosca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Franzoni
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006054:Goldfish / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases
chemical_list: D000581:Amidohydrolases; D001141:Aromatase; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D010636:Phenols; D043882:Receptors, Cannabinoid; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D014819:Vitellogenins; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases; C025256:nonylphenol