In Vivo Biomarkers of Estrogenicity Limitation of

Authors: S Nadzialek S Depiereux S N M Mandiki Patrick Kestemont

Publish Date: 2010/06/04

Volume: 60, Issue: 3, Pages: 471-478

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Abstract

In the literature multiple sample schemes have been developed to assess the environmental impacts of endocrinedisruptor compounds EDCs from sewage treatment plant STPs In the present work the plan study was designed by sampling upstream and downstream wild populations of gudgeons from two STP stations La Roche and Rochefort Belgium Biomarkers of feminization were assayed such as vitellogenin expression and ovotestis screening Parameters involved in steroidogenesis sex steroids and brain aromatase activity were also investigated to better characterize interactions between living organisms coping with a complex mixture of compounds loaded by treated effluent Results displayed moderate differences between upstream and downstream populations of wild gudgeons Moreover accounted differences have demonstrated the difficulty of characterizing the mixture of compounds to which fish are exposed in the aquatic milieu Actually physiological responses were not representative of a particular group of EDC eg estrogenlike compounds but instead confirm an association between different categories of compounds Even if powerful biomarkers of estrogenicty were developed the interpretation of the response profile remains limited through in vivo parameters due to the complex association between compounds of various originsWe thank Mr Mine and Mr Evrard for their contribution in the electrofishing procedure in rivers This study was performed with the financial support of the “Fonds pour la formation à la Recherche dans l’Industrie et dans l’Agriculture” FRIA and the “Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique” FNRS Thanks are also due to Professor Y Poumay for access to the Laboratory “Cells and Tissues” Faculty of Medecine FUNDP where histological preparations were performed

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