镉是环境毒理学重点研究的重金属元素。在电子垃圾拆解地、重金属矿区等地，环境化学分析揭示了镉暴露的普遍性和潜在风险，尤其母代孕期和新生个体早期发育阶段受暴露程度较为严重。镉通过干扰钙代谢导致骨骼发育不全、骨质疏松等毒性效应。脊椎动物耳石发育与骨骼类似，但相关调控因子及过程不同。尽管目前积累了较多镉毒性数据，但镉对耳石发育的毒性效应和机制尚不清楚，母代暴露对胎儿耳石发育的影响也尚不明确。因此，本课题以斑马鱼为模型开展以下研究：1. 环境相关剂量的镉暴露对耳石发育的影响和作用机制，以及对早期生理学活动的影响，如游泳平衡等行为学变化。2. 母代镉暴露对子代耳石发育的影响，并探讨母、子代耳石发育相关因子对镉暴露的响应。以期通过开展上述研究，为评价镉暴露导致的脊椎动物耳石发育毒性提供实验证据，为评价母代镉暴露对子代耳石发育的潜在危害提供重要依据。

Cadmium is a heavy metal element which have attracted extensive environmentally toxicological research. The environmental chemical analysis reveals the universality and potential risks of cadmium exposure in electronic waste dismantling field, heavy metal mining area and so on, especially during the gestation of maternal generation and the early development stage of newborn. Cadmium can lead to skeletal dysplasia and osteoporosis by interfering with calcium metabolism. The development of otolith in vertebrates is similar to that of bone, but the related regulatory factors and processes are different. Although more data on cadmium toxicity have been accumulated, the toxic effects and mechanisms of cadmium on otolith development are not yet clear. The influence of maternal exposure on the development of fetal otolith is not clear, too. Therefore, the following research is carried out with zebrafish as a model: 1), the influence of environmental related dose of cadmium exposure on otolith development, and the mechanism of action, as well as the impact on early physiological activities, such as swimming balance and other behavioral changes. 2), the effects of parental cadmium exposure on the development of the otolith in the offsprings, and the response of the related developmental factors to cadmium exposure in the parent and progeny. By carrying out the research above, we expect to provide experimental evidence for evaluating the toxicity of the cadmium exposure on otolith development in vertebrates, and provide an important basis for evaluating the potential harm of maternal cadmium exposure to the otoliths development in the offsprings.