University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, Hofackerstrasse 30, CH-4132, Muttenz, Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, Section Biocides and Plant Protection Products, CH-3003, Bern, Switzerland.
Environ Pollut. 2018 Dec;243(Pt B):1588-1601. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.117. Epub 2018 Sep 25.
Exposure to plant protection products (PPPs) is one of the causes for the population decline of pollinators. In addition to direct exposure, pollinators are exposed to PPPs by pollen, nectar and honey that often contain residues of multiple PPPs. While in legislation PPPs are regarded mainly for their acute toxicity in bees, other effects such as neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, behavioural changes, stress responses and chronic effects that may harm different physiologically and ecologically relevant traits are much less or not regarded. Despite the fact that endocrine disruption by PPPs is among key effects weakening survival and thriving of populations, pollinators have been poorly investigated in this regard. Here we summarize known endocrine disruptive effects of PPPs in bees and compare them to other chronic effects. Endocrine disruption in honey bees comprise negative effects on reproductive success of queens and drones and behavioural transition of nurse bees to foragers. Among identified PPPs are insecticides, including neonicotinoids, fipronil, chlorantraniliprole and azadirachtin. So far, there exists no OECD guideline to investigate possible endocrine effects of PPPs. Admittedly, investigation of effects on reproduction success of queens and drones is rarely possible under laboratory conditions. But the behavioural transition of nurse bees to foragers could be a possible endpoint to analyse endocrine effects of PPPs under laboratory conditions. We identified some genes, including vitellogenin, which regulate this transition and which may be used as biomarkers for endocrine disruptive PPPs. We plea for a better implementation of the adverse outcome pathway concept into bee's research and propose a procedure for extending and complementing current assessments, including OECD guidelines, with additional physiological and molecular endpoints. Consequently, assessing potential endocrine disruption in pollinators should receive much more relevance.
接触植保产品（PPPs）是导致传粉媒介数量减少的原因之一。除了直接接触，传粉媒介还会通过花粉、花蜜和蜂蜜接触到 PPPs，而这些物质通常含有多种 PPPs 的残留。尽管在立法中，PPP 主要因其对蜜蜂的急性毒性而受到关注，但其他影响，如神经毒性、免疫毒性、行为改变、应激反应和慢性影响，这些影响可能损害不同生理和生态相关特征，却很少或没有受到关注。尽管 PPP 引起的内分泌干扰是削弱种群生存和繁殖力的关键影响之一，但在这方面对传粉媒介的研究还很不完善。本文总结了 PPPs 对蜜蜂的已知内分泌干扰效应，并将其与其他慢性效应进行了比较。蜜蜂的内分泌干扰包括对蜂王和雄蜂生殖成功的负面影响，以及保育蜂向采集蜂的行为转变。已鉴定出的 PPPs 包括杀虫剂，如新烟碱类、氟虫腈、氯虫苯甲酰胺和印楝素。到目前为止，还没有关于调查 PPPs 可能的内分泌效应的 OECD 指南。诚然，在实验室条件下，很少有可能调查 PPPs 对蜂王和雄蜂生殖成功的影响。但是，保育蜂向采集蜂的行为转变可能是分析 PPPs 内分泌效应的一个可能的终点，可以在实验室条件下进行。我们鉴定了一些基因，包括卵黄原蛋白，它调节这种转变，并且可以作为 PPPs 内分泌干扰的生物标志物。我们呼吁将不良结局途径的概念更好地应用于蜜蜂的研究，并提出一个程序，用其他生理和分子终点来扩展和补充当前的评估，包括 OECD 指南。因此，评估传粉媒介的潜在内分泌干扰应该得到更多的关注。
