Endogenous hormones matters in evaluation of endocrine disruptive effects mediated by nuclear receptors.

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AOP-Anchored Transcriptome Analysis Catalogue Accelerates the Discovery of Environmental Toxicants in Zebrafish.

Current toxicity screening approaches to evaluate the vast number of environmental chemicals that require assessment are hampered due to their significant costs, time requirements, and reliance on live animal testing. The aim of the present study was to develop an adverse outcome pathway (AOP)-anchored transcriptome analysis (AATA) catalogue to expedite the discovery of environmental toxicants. 437 AOPs from the AOPwiki (https://aopwiki.

Prednisolone Accelerates Embryonic Development of Zebrafish via Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling at Low Concentrations.

Synthetic glucocorticoids have been widely detected in aquatic ecosystems and may pose a toxicological risk to fish. In the present study, we described multiple end point responses of zebrafish to a commonly prescribed glucocorticoid, prednisolone (PREL), at concentrations between 0.001 and 9.

Reduced Transcriptome Analysis of Zebrafish Embryos Prioritizes Environmental Compounds with Adverse Cardiovascular Activities.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of premature death in humans and remain a global public health challenge. While age, sex, family history, and false nutrition make a contribution, our understanding of compounds acting as cardiovascular disruptors is far from complete. Here, we aim to identify cardiovascular disruptors via a reduced transcriptome atlas (RTA) approach, which integrates large-scale transcriptome data sets of zebrafish and compiles a specific gene panel related to cardiovascular diseases.

Large-Scale Transcriptional Profiling of Molecular Perturbations Reveals Cell Line Specific Responses and Implications for Environmental Screening.

Cell-based bioassays represent nearly half of all high-throughput screens currently conducted for risk assessment of environmental chemicals. However, there has long been a concern about the sensitivity and heterogeneity among cell lines, which were explored only in a limited manner. Here, we address this question by conducting a large-scale transcriptome analysis of the responses of discrete cell lines to specific molecules.

Environmental chemicals affect circadian rhythms: An underexplored effect influencing health and fitness in animals and humans.

Circadian rhythms control the life of virtually all organisms. They regulate numerous aspects ranging from cellular processes to reproduction and behavior. Besides the light-dark cycle, there are additional environmental factors that regulate the circadian rhythms in animals as well as humans.

The neonicotinoid thiacloprid causes transcriptional alteration of genes associated with mitochondria at environmental concentrations in honey bees.

Thiacloprid is widely used in agriculture and may affect pollinators. However, its molecular effects are poorly known. Here, we report the global gene expression profile in the brain of honey bee foragers assessed by RNA-sequencing.

Insecticides cause transcriptional alterations of endocrine related genes in the brain of honey bee foragers.

Bees are exposed to endocrine active insecticides. Here we assessed expressional alteration of marker genes indicative of endocrine effects in the brain of honey bees. We exposed foragers to chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin and thiacloprid and assessed the expression of genes after exposure for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h.

Effects of environmental steroid mixtures are regulated by individual steroid receptor signaling.

Fish are exposed to steroids of different classes in contaminated waters, but their effects are not sufficiently understood. Here we employed an anti-sense technique using morpholino oligonucleotides to knockdown the glucocorticoid receptors (GRs, GRα and GRβ) and androgen receptor (AR) to investigate their role in physiological and transcriptional responses. To this end, zebrafish embryos were exposed to clobetasol propionate (CLO), androstenedione (A4) and mixtures containing different classes of steroids.

ABC transporters in gills of rainbow trout ().

Fish gills are a structurally and functionally complex organ at the interface between the organism and the aquatic environment. Gill functions include the transfer of organic molecules, both natural ones and xenobiotic compounds. Whether the branchial exchange of organic molecules involves active transporters is currently not known.

Cardiovascular drugs and lipid regulating agents in surface waters at global scale: Occurrence, ecotoxicity and risk assessment.

Cardiovascular drugs and lipid regulating agents have emerged as major groups of environmental contaminants over the past decades. However, knowledge about their occurrence in freshwaters and their ecotoxicity is still limited. Here, we critically summarize the presence of 82 cardiovascular drugs and lipid regulating agents at a global-scale and represent their effects on aquatic organisms.

Global transcriptome analysis reveals relevant effects at environmental concentrations of cypermethrin in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Cypermethrin is a frequently used insecticide in agriculture and households but its chronic and molecular effects are poorly known are . Here we describe effects of sublethal cypermethrin exposure on the global transcriptome in the brain of honey bees determined by RNA-sequencing. Exposure for 48 h to 0.

Effects of new generation progestins, including as mixtures and in combination with other classes of steroid hormones, on zebrafish early life stages.

Fish are exposed to progestins and steroid mixtures in contaminated waters but the ecotoxicological implications are not sufficiently known. Here we analyze effects of the new generation progestin dienogest (DNG) followed by investigating effects of mixtures of new generation progestins containing DNG, cyproterone acetate and drospirenone and the hormone progesterone. Furthermore, effects of this mixture were studied after adding 17β-estradiol (E2) and clobetasol propionate (CLO) in zebrafish embryos and larvae at concentrations between 0.

17β-Estradiol and the glucocorticoid clobetasol propionate affect the blood coagulation cascade in zebrafish.

Fish are exposed to estrogens, progestins and glucocorticoids in the aquatic environment but effects on the blood coagulation cascade are unknown. Here we analyzed effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) alone and in combination with mixtures of new generation progestins and the glucocorticoid clobetasol propionate (CLO) in zebrafish embryos to assess their effects on the blood coagulation system. We assessed transcripts of 13 genes, such as coagulation factors, and genes involved in the anticoagulation and fibrinolytic system upon exposure to concentrations of 0.

Physiological and Transcriptional Effects of Mixtures of Environmental Estrogens, Androgens, Progestins, and Glucocorticoids in Zebrafish.

Fishes are exposed to mixtures of different classes of steroids, but ecotoxicological implications are not sufficiently known. Here, we systematically analyze effects of different combinations of steroid mixtures in zebrafish embryos to assess their joint activities on physiology and transcriptional alterations of steroid-specific target genes at 96 and 120 h post fertilization. In binary mixtures of clobetasol propionate (CLO) with estradiol (E2) or androstenedione (A4), each steroid exhibited its own expression profile.

Effects of the glucocorticoid clobetasol propionate and its mixture with cortisol and different class steroids in adult female zebrafish.

Ecotoxicological effects of glucocorticoids and steroid mixtures in the environment are not sufficiently known. Here we investigate effects of 11-14 days exposure of female zebrafish to the glucocorticoid clobetasol propionate (Clo), cortisol (Cs), their mixture and mixtures with five different class steroids (Clo + triamcinolone + estradiol + androstenedione + progesterone) in liver, brain and gonads. Cs showed little activity, while Clo reduced the condition factor at 0.

Biopesticide spinosad induces transcriptional alterations in genes associated with energy production in honey bees (Apis mellifera) at sublethal concentrations.

Bees experience substantial colony losses, which are often associated with pesticides. Besides synthetic insecticides biological compounds such as spinosad are used in agriculture and organic farming against insect pests. However, potential adverse effect at sublethal concentrations to pollinators are poorly known.

Fungicides chlorothanolin, azoxystrobin and folpet induce transcriptional alterations in genes encoding enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and metabolism in honey bees (Apis mellifera) at sublethal concentrations.

Fungicides are highly used for plant protection but their molecular and chronic effects are poorly known. Here, we analyse transcriptional effects in the brain of honey bees of three frequently applied fungicides, azoxystrobin, chlorothanolin and folpet, after oral exposure for 24, 48 and 72 h. Among transcripts assessed were genes encoding proteins for immune and hormone system regulation, oxidative phosphorylation, metabolism, and acetylcholine receptor alpha 1.

Glucocorticoid mixtures of fluticasone propionate, triamcinolone acetonide and clobetasol propionate induce additive effects in zebrafish embryos.

Many synthetic glucocorticoids from medical applications occur in the aquatic environment. Whether they pose a risk for fish health is poorly known. Here we investigate effects of glucocorticoids fluticasone propionate (FLU) and triamcinolone acetonide (TRI) as single steroids and as ternary mixtures with clobetasol propionate (CLO) in zebrafish embryos.

Environmental glucocorticoids corticosterone, betamethasone and flumethasone induce more potent physiological than transcriptional effects in zebrafish embryos.

Many glucocorticoids occur in the aquatic environments but their adverse effects to fish are poorly known. Here we investigate effects of the natural glucocorticoid corticosterone and the synthetic glucocorticoids betamethasone and flumethasone in zebrafish embryos. Besides studying the effects of each steroid, we compared effects of natural with synthetic glucocorticoids, used as drugs.

A Vitellogenin Antibody in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera): Characterization and Application as Potential Biomarker for Insecticide Exposure.

The insect yolk precursor vitellogenin is a lipoglycoprotein synthesized and stored in the fat body and secreted into the hemolymph. In honey bees, vitellogenin displays crucial functions in hormone signaling, behavioral transition of nurse bees to foragers, stress resistance, and longevity in workers. Plant protection products such as neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, and organophosphates alter the transcriptional expression of vitellogenin.

Mixtures of Aluminum and Indium Induce More than Additive Phenotypic and Toxicogenomic Responses in Daphnia magna.

Aquatic systems are contaminated by many metals but their effects as mixtures on organisms are not well understood. Here, we assessed effects of aluminum with fairly well-known modes of actions and indium, an understudied emerging contaminant from electronics, followed by studying equi-effective mixtures thereof. We report acute and adverse phenotypic effects in Daphnia magna adults and global transcriptomic effects employing RNA sequencing in neonates.

Transcriptional and physiological effects of the pyrethroid deltamethrin and the organophosphate dimethoate in the brain of honey bees (Apis mellifera).

The pyrethroid deltamethrin and the organophosphate insecticide dimethoate are widely used in agriculture and in urban areas. Both plant protection products (PPPs) unintendedly result in adverse effects in pollinators. Currently, the sublethal effects of both compounds are poorly known, particularly on the molecular and biochemical level.

Endocrine disruption and chronic effects of plant protection products in bees: Can we better protect our pollinators?

Exposure to plant protection products (PPPs) is one of the causes for the population decline of pollinators. In addition to direct exposure, pollinators are exposed to PPPs by pollen, nectar and honey that often contain residues of multiple PPPs. While in legislation PPPs are regarded mainly for their acute toxicity in bees, other effects such as neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, behavioural changes, stress responses and chronic effects that may harm different physiologically and ecologically relevant traits are much less or not regarded.

Interaction of environmental steroids with organic anion transporting polypeptide (Oatp1d1) in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Steroid hormones in the aquatic environment may pose a risk to fish health due to their ubiquitous presence and high biological activity. At present, the uptake process and toxicokinetics of steroids in fish are poorly known, in particular the role of cell membrane transporters. We investigated the interaction of 17 endogenous and environmental steroids with the zebrafish organic anion transporting peptide (Oatp1d1) uptake transporter, which is prominently expressed in liver and kidneys.