Endocrine Disruptors in Developing Embryo on Daphnia magna

In crustaceans, as in other arthropods, the molt cycle and the physiological process of growth are controlled by molting hormones (MH) which are steroid hormones, the ecdysteroids. Ecdysteroids are major arthropod hormones which control both development (embryonic and larval molts, metamorphosis) and reproduction. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate both fenarimol and methoprene for embryotoxicity to daphnids. The embryotoxicity associated with each compound was assessed to discern whether the embryotoxicity of methoprene might be due to ecdysone agonist and the ecdysone antagonistic effects of fenarimol on Daphnia embryo. Exposure of daphnids for three weeks to 50 M methoprene resulted in a significantly high incidence of offspring that exhibited general toxicity. This exposure concentration had significant effects on the overall number of embryo death. However, exposure to 3 or 1 $\mu$M fenarimol were no significant effects on the embryo toxicity. The incidence of both of these toxicity increased with methoprene exposure. This observation suggest that methoprene showed embryonic general toxicity during embryo development, while, only fenarimol showed weak general toxicity with early stages of embryonic development.