Estrogenic effects in flounder Platichthys flesus orally exposed to 4- tert-octylphenol

Abstract

The estrogenic effect of dietary 4- tert-octylphenol in the flounder Platichthys flesus was investigated in the laboratory. In the first experiment male flounders were fed doses of 10, 50 and 100 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW or 0.05 mg 17β-estradiol kg −1 BW every second day for 10 days. Increases in the plasma content of vitellogenin were observed on day 6 by the first sampling in all treated groups. An effect of octylphenol on the size of the liver and testis was only seen in one of the exposed group (50 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW). An increase in the concentration of 4- tert-octylphenol was found in both liver and muscle tissues of all 4- tert-octylphenol treated fish. The concentration of 4- tert-octylphenol (ng g −1 WW) in liver tissue was four to five times greater than the concentration in muscle tissue. Only about 8% of the 4- tert-octylphenol administered to the group receiving 50 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW was retained in the liver and the muscles at the end of the experiment. In the second experiment male flounders were exposed to a low dose range of 4- tert-octylphenol (1 to 25 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW) in order to establish the dose-response relationship of 4- tert-octylphenol when applied by feeding to flounder. Vitellogenin induction (LOED) occurred at 10 and 5 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW after, respectively, 6 and 11 days of exposure. Based on a logistic regression analysis the effect dose (ED 50) could be determined as 8.2 and 5.6 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW on day 6 and 11, respectively. 4- tert-octylphenol accumulated in liver, muscle and testis tissue, and a significant accumulation in liver was found at 2.5 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW and in muscle and testis at 5 mg 4- tert-octylphenol kg −1 BW. Finally, a positive correlation between the plasma vitellogenin concentration and the liver tissue concentration of 4- tert-octylphenol was established as well as a positive correlation between the content of 4- tert-octylphenol in liver and muscle/testis tissue.