非洲爪蟾在生态毒理学研究中的应用(Ⅲ)——生殖内分泌干扰作用的评价

Application of Xenopus laevis in Ecotoxicology(Ⅲ)—Evaluating Reproductive Endocrine Disruption

两栖动物生殖内分泌系统(如性别分化、性腺发育、第二性特征)对性激素的敏感性,使得该类动物可用于研究内分泌干扰物(Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals,EDCs)对生殖内分泌系统的干扰作用.两栖动物非洲爪蟾是发育生物学研究的经典模型动物,多年来积累的有关其生殖内分泌的资料可以为生殖内分泌干扰的研究提供参考.论文分析了非洲爪蟾作为评价生殖内分泌干扰作用模型动物的理论基础,总结了评价生殖内分泌干扰作用目前使用的几个指标(性别分化、性腺形态、性腺组织学结构、性激素水平、卵黄蛋白原表达等生物标记),综述了非洲爪蟾在评价酚类化合物、阿特拉津、多氯联苯等几种EDCs的生殖内分泌干扰作用中的应用,最后讨论了非洲爪蟾作为一种评价EDCs生殖内分泌干扰作用的模型动物目前存在的问题.毫无疑问,非洲爪蟾是生殖内分泌干扰研究的良好模型动物,为促进该模型动物更好的应用,需要加强非洲爪蟾生殖生物学和内分泌学的研究.

The reproductive system （sex differentiation, gonadal development, secondary sexual development, etc. ）of amphibians is sensitive to sex hormones, which enables amphibians to be used to study reproductive endocrine disruption of endocrine disrupting chemicals （EDCs）. Amphibian Xenopus laevis is one of classic model animal species for developmental biology. Substantial data on the reproductive endocrine of X. laevis can provide potential support for studying endocrine disruption. In this paper, the theoretic foundation of X. laevis as a model animal species for evaluating reproductive endocrine disruption was discussed. Subsequently, several endpoints （sex differentiation, morphology and histology of gonads, sex hormone level, biomarkers such as vitellogenin expression for evaluating reproductive endocrine disruption, etc.）were reviewed. Also, the application of X. laevis in evaluating reproductive endocrine disruption of phenolic chemicals, atrazine, polychlorinated biphenyls, and so on, was reviewed in this paper. Finally, some problems on the application of X. laevis in evaluating reproductive endocrine disruption were discussed. Undoubtedly, X. laevis is a good model animal species for evaluating reproductive endocrine disruption. To promote the application of X. laevis, however, it is needed to further strengthen studies on reproductive biology and endocrinology of X. laevis.