title: Exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of genistein during activation does not affect sperm motility in the fighting fish Betta splendens.
abstract: Sperm collected from male fighting fish Betta splendens were activated in control water, water containing the ion-channel blocker gadolinium (a putative positive control), or water containing the isoflavone phytoestrogen genistein to determine the effects of acute genistein exposure on male reproductive function. Computer-assisted sperm analysis was used to quantify the proportion of sperm that were motile and the swimming velocity of those sperm. The highest concentration of gadolinium (100 μ M) tested was effective at reducing sperm motility and velocity, but neither concentration of genistein tested (3.7 nM or 3.7 μ M) significantly affected these sperm parameters. Our findings suggest that acute exposure to waterborne phytoestrogens during activation does not reduce the motility of fish sperm.
authors: Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA.
authors: Ethan D
authors: ED
authors: Clotfelter
authors: Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA.
authors: Hannah K
authors: HK
authors: Gendelman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology; D005682:Gadolinium; D019833:Genistein / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D005682:Gadolinium; D019833:Genistein