title: Early Life Exposure to Ractopamine Causes Endocrine-Disrupting Effects in Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes).
abstract: β-Agonists, which are used as human pharmaceuticals or feed additives, have been detected in aquatic environments. β-Agonists have also been proposed for use in aquaculture. However, there are limited data available regarding the adverse effects of β-agonists in aquatic organisms. In this study, ractopamine was selected as the representative β-agonist, and medaka embryos were exposed at concentrations ranging from 5 to 625 μg/L for 44 days. In contrast to what has been found in mammals, ractopamine caused no growth response in medaka. However, the transcriptional changes of genes related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, especially in females, suggested that β-agonists may have the potential to disrupt the endocrine system. Moreover, genes involved in anti-oxidative activity or detoxification were affected in a gender-specific manner. These findings, particularly the effects on the endocrine system of fish, will advance our understanding of the ecotoxicity of β-agonists.
authors.affiliation: College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sisi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, People's Republic of China. azwfu@zjut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhengwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000187:drug effects; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009990:Oryzias / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000633:toxicity*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D010627:Phenethylamines; C060897:ractopamine
keywords: Endocrine disruption; Gender-specificity; Gene transcription; Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis; β-Agonist