Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most widespread natural and anthropogenic pollutants, and some PAHs are proven developmental toxicants. We chemically characterized clean and heavily polluted sites and exposed fish embryos to PAH polluted sediment extracts during four critical developmental stages. Embryos were collected from Fundulus heteroclitus populations inhabiting the clean and heavily polluted Superfund estuary. Embryos of parents from the clean sites are sensitive to PAH pollutants while those of parents from the heavily polluted site are resistant. Chemical analysis of embryos suggests PAH accumulation and pollution-induced toxicity among sensitive embryos during development that ultimately kills all sensitive embryos before hatching, while remarkably, the resistant embryos develop normally. The adverse effects on sensitive embryos are manifested as developmental delays, reduced heart rates, and severe heart, liver, and kidney morphological abnormalities. Gene expression analysis of early somitogenesis, heartbeat initiation, late organogenesis, and pre-hatching developmental stages reveals genes whose expression significantly differs between sensitive and resistant embryo populations and helps to explain mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to polluted environments during vertebrate animal development.
Funder
National Institutes of Health
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Reference66 articles.
1. Association of selected persistent organic pollutants in the placenta with the risk of neural tube defects;A Ren;Proc Natl Acad Sci,2011
2. Endocrine disrupting polyhalogenated organic pollutants interfere with thyroid hormone signalling in the developing brain;VM Darras;Cerebellum,2008
3. Persistent organic pollutants, mitochondrial dysfunction, and metabolic syndrome;S Lim;In: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,2010
4. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants in utero and related maternal characteristics on birth outcomes: A multivariate data analysis approach;J Tan;Chemosphere,2009
5. Prenatal exposures to persistent and non-persistent organic compounds and effects on immune system development;I Hertz-Picciotto;In: Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology,2008
Cited by
6 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献