Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on Prosobranch Snails 
(Mollusca: Gastropoda) in the Laboratory. 

Part I: Bisphenol A and Octylphenol as Xeno-Estrogens 

Ecotoxicology v.9, i.6, Dec00 

[Part II Triphenyltin as a Xeno-Androgen below]

Jörg Oehlmann 
Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, 
D-02763 Zittau, Germany, E-mail: oehlmann@ihi-zittau.de 

Ulrike Schulte-Oehlmann 
Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, 
D-02763 Zittau, Germany 

Michaela Tillmann 
Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, 
D-02763 Zittau, Germany 

Bernd Markert 
Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, 
D-02763 Zittau, Germany 

Abstract  

The effects of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals on freshwater and marine prosobranch species were analysed in laboratory experiments. In this first publication, the responses of the freshwater snail Marisa cornuarietis and of the marine prosobranch Nucella lapillus to the xeno-estrogenic model compounds bisphenol A (BPA) and octylphenol (OP) are presented at nominal concentration ranges between 1 and 100 μg/L. Marisa was exposed during 5 months using adult specimens and in a complete life-cycle test for 12 months. In both experiments, the xeno-estrogens induced a complex syndrome of alterations in female Marisa referred to as “superfemales” at the lowest concentrations. Affected specimens were characterised by the formation of additional female organs, an enlargement of the accessory pallial sex glands, gross malformations of the pallial oviduct section resulting in an increased female mortality, and a massive stimulation of oocyte and spawning mass production. The effects of BPA and OP were comparable at the same nominal concentrations. An exposure to OP resulted in inverted U-type concentration response relationships for egg and spawning mass production. Adult Nucella from the field were tested for three months in the laboratory. As in Marisa, superfemales with enlarged accessory pallial sex glands and an enhancement of oocyte production were observed. No oviduct malformations were found probably due to species differences in the gross anatomical structure of the pallial oviduct. A lower percentage of exposed specimens had ripe sperm stored in their vesicula seminalis and additionally male Nucella exhibited a reduced length of penis and prostate gland when compared to the control. Because statistically significant effects were observed at the lowest nominal test concentrations (1 μg BPA or OP/L), it can be assumed that even lower concentrations may have a negative impact on the snails. The results show that prosobranchs are sensitive to endocrine disruption at environmentally relevant concentrations and that especially M. cornuarietis is a promising candidate for a future organismic invertebrate model to identify endocrine-mimetic test compounds.

Keywords 
endocrine disruptors, xeno-estrogens, bisphenol A, octylphenol, snails

source: http://www.kluweronline.com/oasis.htm/312965 19jul03

Effects of Endocrine Disruptors on Prosobranch Snails 
(Mollusca: Gastropoda) in the Laboratory. 

Part II: Triphenyltin as a Xeno-Androgen

Ecotoxicology v.9, i.6, Dec00 

Ulrike Schulte-Oehlmann Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany 

Michaela Tillmann Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany 

Bernd Markert Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany 

Jörg Oehlmann Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Lehrstuhl Umweltverfahrenstechnik, Fachgruppe Human- und Ökotoxikologie, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany, E-mail: oehlmann@ihi-zittau.de 

Burkard Watermann LimnoMar, Bei der Neuen Münze 11, D-22145 Hamburg, Germany 

Sandra Scherf LimnoMar, Bei der Neuen Münze 11, D-22145 Hamburg, Germany 

Abstract 

In laboratory experiments the effects of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals on freshwater and marine prosobranch species were analysed. In this second of three publications the responses of the freshwater ramshorn snail Marisa cornuarietis and of two marine prosobranchs (the dogwhelk Nucella lapillus and the netted whelk Hinia reticulata) to the xeno-androgenic model compound triphenyltin (TPT) are presented. Marisa and Nucella were exposed via water (nominal concentrations 5–500 ng TPT-Sn/L) and Hinia via sediments (nominal concentrations 50–500 μg TPT-Sn/kg dry wt.) for up to 4 months. Female ramshorn snails but not the two marine species developed imposex in a time and concentration dependent manner (EC₁₀ 4 months: 12.3 ng TPT-Sn/L) with a comparable intensity as described for tributyltin. TPT reduced furthermore the fecundity of Marisa at lower concentrations (EC₁₀ 4 months: 5.59 ng TPT-Sn/L) with a complete inhibition of spawning at nominal concentrations ≥250 ng TPT-Sn/L (mean measured ±SD: ≥163±97.0 ng TPT-Sn/L). The extension of the pallial sex organs (penis with accessory structures and prostate gland) of male ramshorn snails and dogwhelks were reduced by up to 25% compared to the control but not in netted whelks. Histopathological analyses for M. cornuarietis and H. reticulata provide evidence for a marked impairment of spermatogenesis (both species) and oogenesis (only netted whelks). The test compound induced a highly significant and concentration independent increase in the incidence of hyperplasia on gills, osphradia and other organs in the mantle cavity of N. lapillus indicating a carcinogenic potential of TPT. The results show that prosobranchs are sensitive to endocrine disruption at environmentally relevant concentrations of TPT. Also, M. cornuarietis is a promising candidate for a future organismic invertebrate system to identify endocrine-mimetic test compounds.

Keywords