Bisphenol A (BPA) is a known environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical that is widely used in plastics manufacturing. BPA enters in the aquatic environment mainly through urban and industrial sewage effluents, thereby posing a potential threat to organisms living in these ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of BPA on VTG production with direct (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyarylamide gel electrophoresis) and indirect (alkali-labile phosphate (ALP), total plasma calcium and protein) methods in immature male yellowfin seabream ( Acanthopagrus latus) as a marine fish model. Fish were randomly distributed into seven groups that were administered 1, 10, 50, and 100 µg g week of BPA and 2 µg gweek of 17β-estradiol (E2) over a period of 2 weeks. Solvent controls received olive oil, whereas controls were not injected. The fish were sampled on days 0, 7, and 14, and their blood plasma and liver were obtained. The results showed that the hepatosomatic index of all treated fish was elevated in comparison with controls. Direct and indirect indicators showed that fish VTG protein was induced by BPA and E2 exposure. The protein was found to have two bands with molecular weights around 210 and 190 KDa. ALP, total plasma calcium and protein levels were increased in dose- and time-dependent manners. The results of this study demonstrated that short-term exposure of yellowfin seabream to BPA induced adverse effects in the reproductive system of hermaphrodite fish.
Background: The egg yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (VTG) has proven to be a useful biomarker, used to identify organisms exposed to estrogenic compounds. Methods: We investigated variations in the VTG gene expression pattern and plasma sex steroid hormones concentrations in the yellowfin Seabream, Acanthopagrus latus, (A. latus) by various doses of bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure for 7 and 14 days. We developed a quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for the expression of VTG gene in A. latus. The dose-response pattern of VTG gene expression in A. latus exposed to various doses of BPA was characterized. In order to design RT-PCR primers specific to A. latus VTG, a partial sequence of the VTG gene was obtained. Results: The RT-PCR assay was effective in detecting increased VTG gene expression in A. latus exposed to BPA. It also demonstrated that the VTG expression was affected by BPA in a dose and time-dependent manner. Plasma testosterone (T) levels were decreased in the treated fish in comparison with those found in the control group, when they were exposed to 100 µg/g of BPA and 2 µg/g of E2. In contrast, the plasma levels of 17β-estradiol (E2) were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: The results suggest that VTG mRNA quantification can provide a sensitive and early signal in the detection of estrogens in marine wildlife. It also indicated that BPA could lead to an imbalance of sex steroid hormones with potentially harmful consequences on sexually immature male A. latus.
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