Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvae
Methimazole (MMI) is an emerging endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) due to its increasing use in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism), but its potential impact on amphibian development remains largely unexplored. In the present study, the effects of 8 mg/L MMI and 1 μg/L thyroxine (T4)...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014765132500020X |
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| author | Fei Wei Xueyi Wu Hongyuan Wang Yongpu Zhang Lei Xie |
| author_facet | Fei Wei Xueyi Wu Hongyuan Wang Yongpu Zhang Lei Xie |
| author_sort | Fei Wei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Methimazole (MMI) is an emerging endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) due to its increasing use in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism), but its potential impact on amphibian development remains largely unexplored. In the present study, the effects of 8 mg/L MMI and 1 μg/L thyroxine (T4) exposure on skeletal ossification and muscle development in Bufo gargarizans tadpoles were comprehensively investigated by double skeletal staining, histological analysis and RNA sequencing. Our results indicated that MMI treatment down-regulated the expression levels of ossification-related genes (e.g., BMPs, MMPs, and Wnt9a) in cartilage, thereby delaying chondrocyte apoptosis and inhibiting hindlimb ossification. Muscle sarcomere was elongated in both the MMI and T4 treatment groups, which may lead to muscle weakness and consequently affect land motion. Additionally, we evaluated the expression levels of fast muscle-related genes (TNNI2 and TNNT3) and slow muscle-related genes (TNNI1 and TNNT1), revealing an opposite trend in the transition from fast to slow muscle after T4 and MMI exposures. In conclusion, these findings fill the data gap regarding MMI contamination in aquatic environments by revealing the negative effects of MMI on amphibian bone and muscle development. Future studies should address the toxicity of EDCs to wildlife and inform aquatic ecosystem conservation strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f2fa8aaade0945c5bd7f2f7a69bdf39b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-f2fa8aaade0945c5bd7f2f7a69bdf39b2025-01-23T05:26:06ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-01-01289117684Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvaeFei Wei0Xueyi Wu1Hongyuan Wang2Yongpu Zhang3Lei Xie4Life and Environmental Science College, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, China; College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, ChinaLife and Environmental Science College, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, ChinaLife and Environmental Science College, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, China; Corresponding authors at: Life and Environmental Science College, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, China.Life and Environmental Science College, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, China; Corresponding authors at: Life and Environmental Science College, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325003, China.Methimazole (MMI) is an emerging endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) due to its increasing use in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism), but its potential impact on amphibian development remains largely unexplored. In the present study, the effects of 8 mg/L MMI and 1 μg/L thyroxine (T4) exposure on skeletal ossification and muscle development in Bufo gargarizans tadpoles were comprehensively investigated by double skeletal staining, histological analysis and RNA sequencing. Our results indicated that MMI treatment down-regulated the expression levels of ossification-related genes (e.g., BMPs, MMPs, and Wnt9a) in cartilage, thereby delaying chondrocyte apoptosis and inhibiting hindlimb ossification. Muscle sarcomere was elongated in both the MMI and T4 treatment groups, which may lead to muscle weakness and consequently affect land motion. Additionally, we evaluated the expression levels of fast muscle-related genes (TNNI2 and TNNT3) and slow muscle-related genes (TNNI1 and TNNT1), revealing an opposite trend in the transition from fast to slow muscle after T4 and MMI exposures. In conclusion, these findings fill the data gap regarding MMI contamination in aquatic environments by revealing the negative effects of MMI on amphibian bone and muscle development. Future studies should address the toxicity of EDCs to wildlife and inform aquatic ecosystem conservation strategies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014765132500020XAmphibianMethimazoleThyroxineEndochondral ossificationMuscle transformation |
| spellingShingle | Fei Wei Xueyi Wu Hongyuan Wang Yongpu Zhang Lei Xie Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvae Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Amphibian Methimazole Thyroxine Endochondral ossification Muscle transformation |
| title | Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvae |
| title_full | Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvae |
| title_fullStr | Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvae |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvae |
| title_short | Methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in Bufo gargarizans larvae |
| title_sort | methimazole disrupted skeletal ossification and muscle fiber transition in bufo gargarizans larvae |
| topic | Amphibian Methimazole Thyroxine Endochondral ossification Muscle transformation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014765132500020X |
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