Abstract
Synthetic progestins contamination is common in the aquatic ecosystem, which may lead to serious health problem on aquatic animals. Melengestrol acetate (MGA) has been detected in the aquatic environment; however, its potential effects on fish reproduction are largely unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the endocrine disruption and impact of MGA on zebrafish reproduction. Six-month old reproductive zebrafish were exposed to four nominal concentrations of MGA (1,10, 100 and 200 ng/L) for 15 days. Treatment with MGA reduced the egg production with a significant decrease at 200 ng/L. The circulating concentrations of estradiol and testosterone in female zebrafish or 11-keto testosterone in male zebrafish were significantly diminished compared to the non-exposed control fish. The early embryonic development or hatching rates were unaffected during the MGA exposure. Our results indicated that MGA was a potent endocrine disruptor in fish and the fish reproduction could be impaired even during a short-term exposure to MGA.
