Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the potential role of bisphenol A (BPA) in inducing endocrine disruption in fish.
Methods: Adult male koi carps, Cyprinus carpio carpio (n = 60, mean body weight = 125 +/- 12.288 g and mean length = 24 +/- 1.392 cm) were exposed to three graded concentrations of BPA (10, 100 and 1000 mu g/L) for a period of 21 days. A single dose of 17-beta estradiol (1 ng/l) was used as positive control.
Results: The mean plasma concentration of vitellogenin (VTG) significantly increased in the carps exposed to 100 mu g BPA/L reaching a mean value of 14600.0 +/- 1400.0 ng/ml in comparison to 1140.00 +/- 34.64 ng/ml observed for the control group,. However, BPA at all experimental concentrations had no significant effect on metallothionein levels in the liver, but the levels in the kidney were significantly decreased in all BPA-exposed groups in comparison to the level recorded for control (181.69 +/- 0.77 pg/g wet tissue).
Conclusion: Exposure to BPA modulates plasma vitellogenin at median concentration and renal metallothionein levels at all concentrations in carp. Thus, these parameters are potential biomarkers in the biomonitoring of the aquatic environment for estrogenic chemicals.