Effects of β-endosulfan on the growth and reproduction of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

Because of persistent organic pollution in aquatic environments, the widely used organochlorine pesticide endosulfan, which is a potential endocrine disruptor, is expected to pose a significant risk to aquatic organisms. In the present study, we explored the potential endocrine-disrupting risk of β-endosulfan by investigating its effect on the growth, reproduction, plasma vitellogenin, and organ histology of adult zebrafish. We found that, although β-endosulfan did not significantly affect the growth of zebrafish, it greatly decreased the hatching rate, even at a concentration as low as 10 ng/L. Interestingly, the decrease of the hatching rate was highly correlated with pathological alterations of the testes. Additionally, the values of the gonadosomatic index were significantly reduced in female zebrafish treated with 200 ng/L β-endosulfan, which was also closely associated with ovarian histological changes. More importantly, a significant increase in the level of vitellogenin was observed in all male fish treated with β-endosulfan. Based on these findings, we conclude that β-endosulfan severely affects the reproductive function of zebrafish and the synthesis of vitellogenin in the liver, and thus, β-endosulfan has a serious endocrine disruption function in zebrafish.