title: Endocrine disruption effects of long-term exposure to perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and related mechanisms.
abstract: Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been frequently detected in both the environment and biota, however the endocrine disruption potentials and underlying mechanism of long-chain PFAAs have not yet been fully understood in fish. In the present study, the effects of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) on sex steroid hormones and expression of mRNA of selected genes in hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis were evaluated after 120 d exposure of zebrafish. In addition, production of sex hormones and transcription of steroidogenic genes were measured after in vitro exposure of H295R cells for 48 h. Exposure to PFTrDA resulted in reduced production of testosterone (T) along with lesser expression of CYP17A mRNA in H295R cells. In zebrafish, significant up-regulation of vtg1 was observed in males exposed to PFDA, whereas down-regulation was observed in females exposed to PFTrDA. In male zebrafish, concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2) were significantly increased at 0.01 mg L(-1) PFTrDA. Significant increases in ratios of E2/T and E2/11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) were observed in male zebrafish after exposure to PFDA or PFTrDA, indicating estrogenic potentials of these compounds. The results of this study showed that long-term exposure to PFDA or PFTrDA could modulate sex steroid hormone production and related gene transcription of the HPG axis in a sex-dependent manner. Consequences of endocrine disruptions in reproduction performances of the fish warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea; National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 404-708, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Areum
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Yongin University, Yongin 449-714, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyunghee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kyungho@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kyungho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003652:Decanoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000235:genetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003652:Decanoic Acids; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C036567:perfluorodecanoic acid; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase
keywords: Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonad axis; Perfluoroalkyl acids; Sex steroid hormone; Steroidogenesis