Assessment of In Vitro Oocyte Maturation in Two Gobiid Fish Species, Chasmichthys dolichognathus and Tridentiger trigonocephalus after Exposure to Benzo[a]pyrene

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants derived from incomplete combustion of carbons and crude oil. In this study, we investigated the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a representative PAHs on in vitro sex steroid hormone production and germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) using isolated oocytes of longchin goby (Chasmichthys dolichognathus) and chameleon goby (Tridentiger trigonocephalus). Oocytes in diameters of 0.8-0.9 (end vitellogenic stage) and 0.9-1.0 mm (germinal vesicle migratory stage) from longchin goby and 0.5 mm (fully vitellogenic stage) from chameleon goby were used. In GVBD assay, B[a]P at 10 nM stimulated GVBD in the oocytes of 0.8-0.9 mm from longchin goby. B[a]P at 1 nM stimulated GVBD in the oocytes with diameter 0.5 mm from chameleon goby. In steroid production from oocytes of longchin goby, B[a]P at 100 nM decreased testosterone (T) production, B[a]P at 1,000 nM increased estraiol-17 (J (E2) production and 10 and 100 nM increased $17,20{\beta}$-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one ($17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$) production in the oocytes with diameter 0.8-0.9 mm. B[a]P at 1,000 nM increased E2 production, 100 and 1,000 nM increased $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ production in the oocytes with diameter 0.9-1.0 mm. In steroid production of oocytes from chameleon goby, B[a]P at 1,000 nM increased $E_2$ production. B[a]P at 10 nM increased $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ production. In the ratio of $E_2$ to T ($E_2$/T), B[a]P at 100 and 1,000 nM increased $E_2$/T in the oocytes of longchin goby. B[a]P at 100 nM also increased $E_2$/T in the oocytes of chameleon goby. Taken together, these results suggest that B[a]P have not only weak estrogenic effects but progestogenic effects on oocyte maturation.