Biomarkers of reproduction

Serotonin levels are regulated by monoamine oxidase (MAO), which is the main elimination pathway for monoamines such as dopamine, serotonin, octopa-mine and noradrenaline. The MAO activity could be induced by a variety of secondary amines in the environment and could likely modulate serotonin levels in nerve tissues and perhaps sex differentiation. For example, MAO activity in the nerve ganglia and gonad was shown to be induced with a concomitant decrease in serotonin and dopamine in mussels exposed for 90 days, 10 km downstream from a primary-treated municipal effluent plume (Gagne and Blaise, 2003). In contrast, scallop MAO activity was shown to be repressed by pharmaceuticals such as the type A and B inhibitors deprenyl, pargyline and clorgyline (Pani and Croll, 1998). 

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Jonsson BA, Richthoff J, Rylander L, Giwercman A, Hagmar L (2005) Urinary phthalate metabolites and biomarkers of reproductive function in young men. Epidemiology 16 487 93... 

Sepulveda, M.S., Johnson, W.E., et al. (2002) An evaluation of biomarkers of reproductive function and potential contaminant effects in Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) sampled from the St. Johns River. Science of the Total Environment, 289(1-3) 133-144. 

Cheek, A., T. Brouwer, S. Carroll, S. Manning, J. McLachlan and M. Brouwer. Experimental evaluation of vitellogenin as a predictive biomarker of reproductive disruption. Environ. Health Perspect. 109 681 -690, 2001. 

Data for PCP and terrestrial wildlife are incomplete and — in view of the large interspecies variations in sensitivity — need to be collected. Research is needed on reproductive effects in animals following inhalation exposure to PCP additional acute and intermediate toxicity testing chronic duration exposure studies on cancer induction, genotoxicity, and immunotoxicity and the development of alternate biomarkers of PCP exposure and antidotes (WHO 1987 USPHS 1994). Until the results of these studies become available, it seems reasonable to apply to wildlife the same levels recommended for human health protection. 

Substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductively toxic (i.e., CMRs), for example, some endocrine disrupters, may pose special problems for derivation of aquatic EQSs (e.g., lack of internationally agreed tests in some cases difficulties with prediction of safe concentrations), but use of special tests for these properties is only justified for a small subset of chemicals that meet clear criteria. Furthermore, EQSs for these substances should not be derived directly from in vitro data or from biomarkers of exposure but from in vivo tests alone. 

Trosko JE, Chang CC, and Upham B (2002) Modulation of gap junctional communication by epigenetic toxicants A shared mechanism in teratogenesis, carcinogenesis, at-herogenesis, immunomodulation, reproductive- and ne-uro-toxicities. In Wilson SH and Suk WA (eds.) Biomarkers of Environmentally Associated Diseases, pp. 445—454. Boca Raton, FL Lewis Publishers. 

Biomarkers are often used in test batteries to evaluate the effects of exposure to multiple sources of contaminants and to detect responses to various sources of pollution, such as harbours, miscellaneous industrial sites and municipal and hospital wastewaters. Field studies with biomarkers are often plagued by various constraints, such as spatial variation (e.g. change in habitat characteristics), temporal variation (e.g. cycle of reproduction) and availability of organisms that can hamper data acquisition and prevent the use of multivariate methods during... 

Hogue CJ, Brewster MA. 1991. The potential of exposure biomarkers in epidemiologic studies of reproductive health. Environ Health Perspect 90 261-269. 

Effect. No known biomarkers of effect of di- -butyl phthalate were identified. Studies to identify some early indication of impending injury to the male and female reproductive systems, perhaps based on the interference of zinc metabolism, would be valuable in assessing likely health consequences in people with above-average exposure to di- -bufyl phthalate. 

Adverse effects of mercury to fishes, in addition to those listed on reproduction and growth, have been documented at water concentrations of 0.88-5.0 xg/L enzyme disruption in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) embryos immersed for 17 days in solutions containing 0.88 ig/L, as methylmercury decreased rate of intestinal transport of glucose, fructose, glycine, and tryptophan in the murrel (Channa punctatus) at 3.0 (xg Hg +/L for 30 days altered blood chemistry in striped bass (Morone saxatilis) at 5.0 xg Hg +/L in 60 days and decreased respiration in striped bass 30 days post-exposure after immersion for 30-120 days in 5.0 xg Hg +/L. In large-mouth bass, elevated liver metallothioneins are indicative of elevated muscle mercury concentrations, suggesting that mercury-induced metallothioneins may be useful biomarkers of mercury exposure. 

The significance of mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues is not Imown with certainty and requires additional research for satisfactory risk assessment. The following areas are recommended for study acclimatization and adaptation to mercury mercury remobilization during periods of metamorphosis, hibernation, estivation, and reproduction critical organ concentrations and biomarkers of adverse mercury effects. These studies should also consider the influence of exposure duration and dose, mercury speciation, and mercury interaction with other metals. 

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