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Effects of Microcystis on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal-Liver Axis in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

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Abstract

In the present study, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were used to assess the endocrine disruption potential of Microcytis aeruginosa. Male Nile tilapia were exposed to lyophilized M. aeruginosa or purified microcystin-LR (8.3 μg/L) for 28 days. The levels of serum hormones (17β-estradiol and testosterone) and transcripts of selected genes in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal-liver axis were analyzed. The results showed that serum hormones were significantly up-regulated, and transcripts of 13 genes (GHRH, PACAP, GH, GHR1, GHR2, IGF1, IGF2, CYP19a, CYP19b, 3β-HSD1, 20β-HSD, 17β-HSD1 and 17β-HSD8) were significantly altered after Microcytis exposure. These results indicate that fish reproduction can be altered in a Microcystis bloom-contaminated aquatic environment.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported financially by the National Major Project on Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Agricultural Products (Grants GJFP2014009), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (Grants BK20130488).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, 214081, China

      Jiazhang Chen & Shunlong Meng

    2. Key Laboratory of Fishery Eco-environment Assessment and Resource Conservation in Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River, CAFS, Wuxi, 214081, China

      Jiazhang Chen & Shunlong Meng

    3. School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

      Hai Xu, Zhen Zhang & Xiangyang Wu

    Authors
    1. Jiazhang Chen
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    2. Shunlong Meng
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    3. Hai Xu
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    4. Zhen Zhang
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    5. Xiangyang Wu
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Hai Xu.

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    Jiazhang Chen and Shunlong Meng have contributed equally to this work.

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    Chen, J., Meng, S., Xu, H. et al. Effects of Microcystis on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal-Liver Axis in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 98, 562–566 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2051-4

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2051-4

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