The accumulation, transformation, and effects of quinestrol in duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza L.).

Potential risk of endocrine disrupting compounds on non-target organisms has received extensive attentions in recent years. The present work aimed to investigate the behavior and effect of a synthetic steroid estrogen quinestrol in duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza L. Experimental results showed that quinestrol could be uptaken, accumulated, and biotransformed into 17 α-ethynylestradiol in S. polyrhiza L. The accumulation of quinestrol had a positive relation to the exposure concentration. The bioaccumulation rate was higher when the duckweed was exposed to quinestrol solutions at low concentrations than at high concentration. While the transformation of quinestrol showed no concentration-dependent manner. Quinestrol reduced the biomass and pigment content and increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities and malondialdehyde contents in the duckweed. The results demonstrated that quinestrol could be accumulated and biotransformed in aquatic plant S. polyrhiza L. This work would provide supplemental data on the behavior of this steroid estrogen compound in aquatic system.

The bioaccumulation and biotransformation of synthetic estrogen quinestrol in crucian carp.

The occurrence and fate of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in aquatic species have attracted close attention during the last decades. In this study, the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of synthetic estrogen quinestrol, one of the typical EDCs, in the plasma and liver of crucian carp, were investigated by a newly developed and validated reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescent detection method. Crucian carp were exposed to quinestrol in concentration of 2, 10, 50, 100 µg/L (5.49, 27.43, 137.17, 274.34 nmol/L) for 60 days. After 60 days' exposure, the concentrations of quinestrol found in liver and plasma were in the range of 0.25-0.69 mg/kg and 0.19-0.30 mg/L respectively, positively correlated with the exposure concentrations ranged 2-100 µg/L (5.49-274.34 nmol/L). There was a negative correlation between the bio-accumulation ratios and the exposure concentrations of quinestrol. 17α-Ethinylestradiol was also found in liver and plasma, and the concentrations were 0.02-0.19 mg/kg and 0.37-0.96 mg/L, respectively. The results indicated that quinestrol can be accumulated and transformed to 17α-ethinylestradiol in crucian carp. Moreover, exposure to quinestrol caused oxidative damages to crucian carp and the content of malondialdehyde increased in all treatment concentrations.

Abnormal secretion of reproductive hormones and antioxidant status involved in quinestrol-induced reproductive toxicity in adult male rat.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of quinestrol, a synthetic oestrogen homologue with reproductive toxicity, on the secretion of reproductive hormones and antioxidant status in adult male rat. Our results showed that quinestrol exposure significantly decreased the weight of the testis, epididymides, seminal vesicle, and prostate, as well as the sperm counts in the cauda epididymis of rats. Quinestrol significantly reduced the size of seminiferous tubules and the total number of spermatogenic cells. Serum testosterone, follitropin, and lutropin were also significantly reduced in a dose-related manner after quinestrol exposure. Meanwhile, the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxide capacity significantly decreased, whereas the malondialdehyde and nitric oxide concentrations significantly increased in the testes. These findings revealed that endocrine disorders of reproductive hormones and oxidative stress may be involved in reproductive toxicity induced by quinestrol in adult male rats.