Survey of estrogenic contamination in the costal waters of East China Sea using grey mullet.

众所周知，野生硬骨鱼的内分泌和性紊乱是由具有雌激素样功能的内分泌干扰物质引起的。然而，在日本和东亚地区，对这些物质在沿海水环境中的污染现状调查并不充分。以野生乌头鱼为研究对象，对海洋及河口海域环境雌激素进行了监测。在本研究中，我们试图测定血浆中卵黄原蛋白（vitellogenin， VTG）的浓度，这是肝脏在雌激素的影响下产生的主要卵黄蛋白。此外，我们使用组织学技术观察性腺异常。海湾地区的灰鲻鱼的VTG水平显著高于外海。在日本大阪湾东京湾雄鱼和未成熟雌鱼中，VTG水平与成熟雌鱼相同。这些地区由大量的工业和生活污水和污水排放。雄鱼和未成熟鱼的VTG水平一般很低（<1μg/ml），因为这些鱼的性腺中不包含卵黄细胞。这些结果表明，外源性雌激素样物质（环境雌激素）诱导了VTG的合成。在韩国南部采集的鱼的VTG含量高于韩国其他地方。我们将与中韩两国科学家共同开展东海沿岸水域雌激素污染的新调查。此外，我们还计划建立东亚内分泌干扰研究的科学家网络。

It is well known that endocrine and sexual disruptions in wild teleosts are induced by endocrine disrupting chemicals which have an estrogen-like function. However, the actualities of contamination by these substances in aquatic environment of coastal waters are not investigated well in Japan and East Asia. We carried out the monitoring of environmental estrogens in marine and estuarine areas using wild grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). In this research, we tried to determine the plasma concentrations of vitellogenin (VTG) which is the major yolk protein produced by the liver under the influence of estrogen. Moreover, we observed gonadal abnormalities using histological technique.VTG levels of grey mullets in the bay areas were significantly higher than the ones of fish collected in the open sea. In male and immature female fish of Tokyo Bay, Osaka Bay, Japan, VTG levels were the same as mature female fish. These areas are fed by a large amount of industrial and domestic sewage and effluent. VTG level is generally very low (<1μg/ml) in male and immature fish, because vitellogenic oocytes are not included in the gonad of these fish. These results indicate that VTG synthesis was induced by exogenous estrogen-like substance (environmental estrogen). VTG levels of the fish collected from South part of Korea were higher than another place of Korea.We will start the new survey of estrogenic contaminations in costal waters in the East China Sea with scientist of Korea and China. Moreover, we have a plan to construct the network of scientist for the research of endocrine disruption in East Asia.