Water temperature and concomitant waterborne ethinylestradiol exposure affects the vitellogenin expression in juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Environmental estrogens have the potential to considerably affect the reproduction and development of aquatic vertebrates by interfering with the endocrine system. In addition to the potential risk of environmental estrogens, increasing water temperatures as a result of global warming have become a serious problem in many rivers and streams. To assess the degree of estrogenic exposure, the analysis of the estrogen-dependent protein vitellogenin (Vtg) is a frequently used biomarker in field studies. Little, however, is known regarding the potential interaction between ambient water temperature and the Vtg production induced by waterborne environmental estrogens. In order to test the influence of temperature on Vtg synthesis, we exposed juvenile brown trout to an environmentally relevant concentration of ethinylestradiol (EE2) and held them either at low or high temperatures (12 and 19 °C, respectively), but also at temperature cycles of 12–19 °C in order to simulate the field situation. The EE2 exposure caused a 7–74-fold increase of hepatic Vtg mRNA. The synthesis of Vtg mRNA was clearly stimulated in fish held at higher water temperatures (12–19 °C and 19 °C, respectively). On the protein level, Vtg showed a similar pattern; the higher the temperature, the higher the concentration of Vtg in the plasma. The experiment further revealed a temperature-dependent increasing amount of hepatic estrogen receptor alpha mRNA (ERα) after exposure to waterborne EE2. The gene expression of estrogen receptor beta-1 (ERβ-1) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the liver of EE2 exposed fish, however, showed no treatment-related alterations. In line with observed constant bile cortisol concentrations, our data do not indicate corresponding stress related effects on hepatic Vtg production. The present survey, however, clearly demonstrates that increased temperature significantly elevates the estrogen-induced expression of Vtg and therefore has to be considered when interpreting environmental monitoring studies.