title: Short-term exposure to benzo[a]pyrene disrupts reproductive endocrine status in the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on reproductive endocrine disruption and explore the preliminary mechanisms in crustaceans. In this study, sexually mature female Portunus trituberculatus were exposed to 0, 0.1, 0.5 and 2.5 μg/L B[a]P for 10 days. The following were investigated: (1) Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) and oocyte diameter, (2) steroid concentrations in ovary and hemolymph, and (3) mRNA levels of genes involved in sex steroid synthesis (3β-HSD,17β-HSD) or reproduction (estrogen receptor (ER), OUT (Ovarian tumor gene) domain containing ubiquitin aldehyde-binding protein 1 (OTUB1), vitellogenin (VTG),vasa). B[a]P exposure caused significant reductions in the GSI and oocyte diameter in the crabs. Furthermore, 17β-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T) and progesterone (P) levels were inhibited significantly while 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD mRNA expressions were also decreased in a dose-dependent manner at day 10, which suggests that B[a]P can disrupt sex steroid levels through steroid synthesis pathways. In addition, high levels of B[a]P activated transcription of OTUB1 while suppressed ER and VTG expression, which indicates that exposure to waterborne B[a]P could interfere with ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and subsequently affect ER and ER-mediated gene expression. We also observed a reduction in vasa gene expression reflecting the negative effect of B[a]P on oocyte development in the molecular level. This study is the first to demonstrate in vivo B[a]P toxicity in the reproductive endocrine system of female P. trituberculatus and provided a scientific basis of the decline in crustacean populations.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao266003, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao266003, PR China. Electronic address: panlq@ouc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Luqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000633:toxicity*; D003386:Brachyura / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D003445:Crustacea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000235:genetics; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D012758:Shellfish; D013550:Swimming; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000235:genetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025801:Ubiquitin; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
keywords: Benzo[a]pyrene; ER; Portunus trituberculatus; Reproductive endocrine disruption; Steroidogenesis