Early life exposure to environmental levels of the aromatase inhibitor tributyltin causes masculinisation and irreversible sperm damage in zebrafish ( Danio rerio)

Abstract

To determine whether early life exposure to tributyltin (TBT), an aromatase inhibitor, impaired reproductive function in fish, Danio rerio were exposed to environmentally realistic levels (0.01–100 ng l −1) of TBT from 0 to 30, 30 to 60, and 0 to 70 days post-hatch, and the sex ratio and sperm motility of the adults examined 3–5 months after cessation of exposure. Fish exposed for 70 days to 0.1 ng l −1 of TBT, a concentration presently below the detection limit in water, showed a male biased population which produced a high incidence of sperm lacking flagella. At 1 ng l −1, the motility of sperm was significantly lower than that of control fish, while at 10 ng l −1, all sperm lacked flagella and, at 100 ng l −1, milt volume had increased. The effect of exposure on sex ratio was similar after exposure from 0 to 70 and 0 to 30 days, but even 100 ng l −1 gave only 65% males after exposure from 30 to 60 days. Effects on sperm motility and morphology and on milt volume were less pronounced after 30 day than 70 day exposure. Our data suggest that screening for aromatase inhibiting activity and assessment of its risks in early life to human and wildlife fertility needs to be urgently addressed, and that the reproductive toxicity of TBT may presently be underestimated.