title: Feminization and masculinization of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) observed in rivers impacted by municipal wastewaters.
abstract: Municipal wastewaters have been known to contain various estrogens and androgens. Little is known about the joint action of these chemicals from wastewaters on fishes in the aquatic environment. The objectives of this study were to investigate the estrogenic and/or androgenic effects in wild mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) of two effluent-impacted rivers in South China by determining morphological changes and hepatic mRNA expression levels of relevant genes such as vitellogenin (Vtg), estrogen receptor (ERα) and androgen receptors (ARα and ARβ), and to assess the linkages of those morphological changes and hepatic mRNA expression levels to the chemical concentrations measured by in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis. The results showed a significant induction of Vtg and ERα mRNA in the livers of the males and a gonopodium-like anal fin in the females collected at the majority of sites. Redundancy analysis and Pearson correlation analysis showed that the chemical concentrations obtained by in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis had significant correlations with some of the endpoints for the estrogenic and/or androgenic effects in mosquitofish. The findings from this study indicate that the estrogens and androgens present in the two rivers could cause the observed estrogenic and androgenic effects in mosquitofish.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: You-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Shuang-Shuang
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Li-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, CAS Centre for Pearl River Delta Environmental Pollution and Control Research, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Guo
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Ying
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005262:Feminization / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014770:Virilism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D004967:Estrogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D014819:Vitellogenins; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical