Effects of 17á-ethinylestradiol-based contraceptives on ovarian tissue using histopathological examination and FSH, LH, CYP1A, and CYP3A expressions using qRT-PCR in the ovaries and brain tissues of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Abstract

In this study, the main aim was to identify the effects of exposure to 17á-ethinylestradiol-based contraceptives on the ovaries and brain tissues of common carp. For this purpose, histopathological changes were evaluated in ovaries after 21 days of contraceptive exposure. In addition, the expression levels of the CYP1A, CYP3A, FSH, and LH genes were measured in contraceptive-exposed brain tissue and ovaries respectively, using qRT-PCR (p less than 0.05, p less than 0.01, and p less than 0.001, respectively). No histopathological lesions, including inflammation, degeneration, or necrosis in the evaluated ovarian tissue of common carp were found after both high and low levels of exposure to contraceptives. Therefore, it is concluded that these contraceptives were highly dangerous to the reproduction system of common carp; the accumulation of contraceptive waste in the water supply could adversely affect and threat the common carp population. This may indirectly also affect other animals.