Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3001 Bern, Switzerland.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2011;63(5-12):412-6. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.05.007. Epub 2011 Jun 17.
Endocrine disruption, in particular disruption by estrogen-active compounds, has been identified as an important ecotoxicological hazard in the aquatic environment. Research on the impact of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) on wildlife has focused on disturbances of the reproductive system. However, there is increasing evidence that EDCs affect a variety of physiological systems other than the reproductive system. Here, we discuss if EDCs may be able to affect the immune system of fish, as this would have direct implications for individual fitness and population growth. Evidence suggesting an immunomodulatory role of estrogens in fish comes from the following findings: (a) estrogen receptors are expressed in piscine immune organs, (b) immune gene expression is modulated by estrogen exposure, and (c) pathogen susceptibility of fish increases under estrogen exposure.
内分泌干扰，特别是雌激素活性化合物的干扰，已被确定为水生环境中一个重要的生态毒理危害。关于内分泌干扰化合物 (EDCs) 对野生动物影响的研究主要集中在生殖系统的紊乱上。然而，越来越多的证据表明，EDCs 会影响除生殖系统以外的多种生理系统。在这里，我们讨论 EDC 是否能够影响鱼类的免疫系统，因为这将直接影响个体的适应能力和种群的增长。有证据表明，雌激素在鱼类中具有免疫调节作用，这一点来自以下发现：(a) 雌激素受体在鱼类免疫器官中表达，(b) 免疫基因表达受雌激素暴露的调节，以及 (c) 鱼类在雌激素暴露下对病原体的易感性增加。
