Paternal exposure to di‐n‐butyl‐phthalate induced developmental toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

Background Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is an environmental endocrine disruptor detected in water, soil, and other environmental media frequently. Growing concerns regarding DBP exposure focus on toxicity to male reproduction. Reports about the developmental toxicity of paternal DBP exposure are rare. In this study, we investigated the developmental toxicity of paternal exposure to DBP on offspring in zebrafish. Methods Adult male zebrafish with normal reproductive function were exposed to 0.2, 0.6, 1.8 mg/L of DBP or acetone solvent control for 30 days, and then mated with females. Thirty embryos per group were randomly selected to be observed, and malformations were recorded and photographed. The mating and observations were repeated three times, for a total of 90 embryos per group. Results The results showed that the percentage of malformations, such as edema and a bent trunk, was increased in the 0.6 and 1.8 mg/L DBP exposure groups, the heart rate and spontaneous contraction decreased in the 0.6 and 1.8 mg/L DBP exposure groups and migration of primordial germ cells was disrupted in some F1 embryos in all DBP exposure group after paternal exposure. The axial skeleton was affected in some F1 adults in the 1.8 mg/L DBP exposure group. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate the developmental toxicity of paternal DBP exposure in zebrafish.

Are New Phthalate Ester Substitutes Safer than Traditional DBP and DiBP? Comparative Endocrine-Disrupting Analyses on Zebrafish Using In Vivo, Transcriptome, and In Silico Approaches

“…In detail, exposure to 6 μM DBP and 8 μM DiBP induced 100% edemas, including pericardial edema (PE) and yolk sac edema (YSE), in zebrafish larvae at 8–120 hpf. The presence of edema in DBP-treated zebrafish has also been reported previously. − Four malformation subtypes, including body axis (AXIS), caudal fin (CFIN), body length, and notochord, were detected in a few animals (≤33%) exposed to 8 μM DiBP. In contrast, only two subtypes of malformations (AXIS and CFIN) were detected in a few animals (22%) exposed to 6 μM DBP.…”