Using zebrafish as a model system for studying the transgenerational effects of dioxin
- Authors
- Baker, T.R., Peterson, R.E., and Heideman, W.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-140402-10
- Date
- 2014
- Source
- Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology 138(2): 403-411 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Heideman, Warren, Peterson, Richard E.
- Keywords
- TCDD, dioxin, endocrine disruption, ovary, reproductive, sexual differentiation, skeletal, toxicity, transgenerational, zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Disease Models, Animal*
- Endocrine Disruptors/toxicity*
- Female
- Male
- Musculoskeletal Abnormalities/chemically induced*
- Musculoskeletal Abnormalities/embryology
- Ovary/drug effects
- Ovary/embryology
- Ovary/growth & development
- Reproduction/drug effects*
- Sex Ratio
- Zebrafish/abnormalities
- Zebrafish/embryology
- Zebrafish/growth & development*
- PubMed
- 24470537 Full text @ Toxicol. Sci.
- CTD
- 24470537
2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been associated with many disease states in humans. A rising concern is that exposure early in life can lead to adult toxicity and toxicity in subsequent generations. Juvenile zebrafish exposed to TCDD (50 pg/ml in water; 1 h exposure) at 3 and 7 weeks post fertilization showed toxicity only later in adulthood. We have maintained the offspring of these exposed F0 fish to determine whether we could find adverse affects in the next two generations of F1 and F2 offspring. TCDD exposure produced a significantly higher female:male ratio in all three generations. Scoliosis-like axial skeleton abnormalities, not normally observed in controls, were present in the F1 and F2 generations descended from the treated F0 founders. Egg release and fertilization success were reduced in the TCDD lineage F1 and F2 generations. This reduction in fertility in the TCDD lineage F2 generation could be attributed to alterations in the F2 males. Using zebrafish as a model allowed the simultaneous maintenance of different generations with relatively small space and costs. The zebrafish showed clear signs of transgenerational responses persisting into generations never directly exposed to TCDD.