ANovel Organophosphate Ester, Tris(2,4-di tert -butylphenyl)Phosphate, Induced Reproductive Toxicityin Male Zebrafish at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations

作者：Yongkang Zhang, Haiyu Qin, Boqun Li, Zichen Yu, Bowen Zu, Ren Kong, Robert J. Letcher, Chunsheng Liu, Bingsheng Zhou · 发表于：Environmental Science & Technology · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1021/acs.est.4c10931 · 被引用次数：13 · 研究领域：Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals、Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species、Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology

Abstract As a novel organophosphate ester (NOPE), tris­(2,4-ditert-butylphenyl) phosphate (TDtBPP) has attracted significant attention due to its unexpectedly high detection in natural environments. However, the ecological toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of TDtBPP in organisms remain entirely unknown. In this study, 1 month old zebrafish were exposed to 0, 50, 500, or 5000 ng/L TDtBPP for 150 days, and the reproductive toxicity in male fish was evaluated. Results demonstrated that TDtBPP exposure significantly inhibited the maturation of spermatozoa and thus decreased spermatogenesis. Furthermore, abnormal sperm morphology and decreased sperm motility were also observed. The decrease in sperm quantity and quality eventually resulted in the declining fecundity. Moreover, TDtBPP exposure downregulated the expression of hsd3b1 in vivo and in vitro and subsequently inhibited the synthesis of androgens in zebrafish testes and Leydig cells. This inhibition of androgen synthesis appeared to be responsible for the observed reproductive toxicity in male fish. Molecular docking and dual-luciferase reporter gene experiments elucidated that TDtBPP inhibited the promotion of vitamin D on hsd3b1 transcription by the vitamin D receptor and thus downregulated the expression of hsd3b1. Our findings provide first time evidence that TDtBPP poses a risk to male fish reproduction at environmentally relevant levels.