2, 4-Dichloro-6-nitrophenol, a photonitration product of 2, 4-dichlorophenol, caused anti-androgenic potency in Chinese rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus).
2,4-Dichloro-6-nitrophenol (DCNP) is an environmental transformation product of 2,4-dichlorophenol that has been identified as widespread in effluent wastewater, but little is known about its toxicity because this compound is not regulated. Therefore, to investigate the endocrine disruption potency of DCNP in Chinese rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus), adult and juvenile fish were exposed to various concentrations of DCNP (2, 20, and 200 μg/L) for 28 d. After 28 d exposure, the plasma vitellogenin (VTG) levels were reduced in females while increased in males and juvenile fish considerably, as compared with the control. These results suggested that DCNP affects the HPG-axis in a sex-dependent way. Testosterone (T) levels in the plasma were significantly lower in adult and juvenile fish and were accompanied by an increased estradiol (E2)/T ratio. Histopathological observation revealed hypertrophy of the hepatocytes and nuclear pyknosis in the liver, the inhibition of spermatogenesis in the testes, and the degeneration of oocytes in the ovaries after DCNP exposure. The expression pattern of selected genes indicated that the nuclear receptor, steroidogenesis and gonadotropin regulation pathways were perturbed after DCNP exposure. Above all, our results demonstrated that DCNP clearly had anti-androgenic activity in both adult and juvenile fish and can therefore be considered as an endocrine-disrupting chemical.
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
Rui
R
Chen
Beijing Water Sciences and Technology Institute, Beijing, 100048, China.
Cao
C
Liu
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
Lilai
L
Yuan
Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reuse, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China. Electronic address: jmzha@rcees.ac.cn.
Jinmiao
J
Zha
Beijing Key Laboratory of Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reuse, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
Zijian
Z
Wang
D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000097:blood* / Q000254:growth & development; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000097:blood*
C518754:2,4-dichloro-6-nitrophenol; D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D009596:Nitrophenols; D014819:Vitellogenins; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol
2,4-Dichloro-6-nitrophenol; Chinese rare minnows; Endocrine disruption; Environmental transformation products