Sub-adult RDX Exposure, Whole Body Tissue Investigation

ABSTRACT: We investigated ecotoxicological effects and toxicogenomic responses in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to an environmentally-relevant concentration (0.83 mg/L) of the munitions compound cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) in one year and multi-generational assays. In the one year assay, RDX effects were discerned by comparing breeding groups reared in control or RDX-exposure conditions for one year. RDX had no detectable effect on gonad-somatic index, or condition factor in females assayed at 1 day and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, however the liver-somatic index was significantly increased versus controls only at the 12 month time point. RDX had no effect on live-prey capture rates at all time points assayed and no significant impacts on egg production, fertilization or hatch success in the 1-year exposure trial. Genomic analyses indicated that RDX exposure caused limited differential expression of transcripts within time points and no functional conservation of effects indicative of RDX exposure among time points for either brain or liver tissues in the one year exposure. In the multi-generational assay, the effects of acute (96h) exposure to RDX were compared in fish reared to the F2 generation in either control or RDX-exposure conditions. The RDX-reared fish were not observed to have appreciably enhanced RDX tolerance versus the control-reared fish. However, significant differences in gene expression were observed among the control and RDX-reared fish related to neuro-excitatory glutamate metabolism, sensory signaling and processes in neurological development. In total, our results indicate that exposure to an RDX concentration approximating maximum levels observed in the field (0.83 mg/L) caused limited impacts in fathead minnows in a one year exposure, however caused altered expression in genes involved in neural function in a multi-generational exposure.

ORGANISM(S): Pimephales promelas

PROVIDER: GSE21102 | GEO | 2010/07/30

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA129675

REPOSITORIES: GEO