Plasticizers as endocrine disruptors: the case of the endocannabinoid system in teleost species

Plasticizers, as Bisphenol A (BPA) and Di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP), are chemicals added to the plastics to improve their performance, which recently, turned into a ubiquitous in the environment due to the high rate of use and manufacture of plastic, and hence, of the plasticizers. BPA and DiNP have been found in all environmental matrices, being bioavailable for organisms and reported as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). On the other hand, the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a novel lipid signaling system lately defined, has been proposed as a new target for the potential effects of the EDCs. The ECS has been described in several species and it has an essential role for the well-being of the organisms. For that, the main goal of the present project was to assess the effects of BPA and DiNP in the ECS of Danio rerio and Sparus aurata. To accomplish this objective D. rerio and S. aurata were chronically treated (3 weeks) with BPA and DiNP, separately, via water or via food respectively. Generally, the results for both species, showed a deregulation of the ECS at central (brain) and peripheral level (liver and gonads) at mRNA and protein level, the alteration of the hepatic lipid metabolism and the biochemical composition of liver in both species. In the gonads, the reproductive performance measured as fertility rate, the gonadal morphology and sexual hormone levels were also altered by the treatments of both pollutants. In conclusion, the chronic exposure to environmental concentrations of BPA and DiNP induced alterations at the ECS pathway in Danio rerio and Sparus aurata. Finally, the ECS can be considered as new target for EDCs such as BPA and DiNP.