This Key Event Relationship is licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA license. This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
Relationship: 1386
Title
Reduction, Plasma 17beta-estradiol concentrations leads to Reduction, Plasma vitellogenin concentrations
Upstream event
Downstream event
AOPs Referencing Relationship
| AOP Name | Adjacency | Weight of Evidence | Quantitative Understanding | Point of Contact | Author Status | OECD Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androgen receptor agonism leading to reproductive dysfunction (in repeat-spawning fish) | non-adjacent | High | Moderate | Evgeniia Kazymova (send email) | Open for citation & comment | WPHA/WNT Endorsed |
| Aromatase inhibition leading to reproductive dysfunction | non-adjacent | High | Moderate | Cataia Ives (send email) | Open for citation & comment | WPHA/WNT Endorsed |
| Inhibition of thyroid peroxidase leading to impaired fertility in fish | adjacent | High | High | Cataia Ives (send email) | Open for comment. Do not cite | Under Development |
| Inhibition of 5α-reductase leading to impaired fecundity in female fish | adjacent | High | High | Cataia Ives (send email) | Open for citation & comment | Under Development |
| Embryonic Activation of the AHR leading to Reproductive failure, via epigenetic down-regulation of GnRHR | non-adjacent | High | Moderate | Arthur Author (send email) | Under development: Not open for comment. Do not cite | |
| Androgen receptor agonism leading to reproduction dysfunction (in zebrafish) | non-adjacent | High | High | Arthur Author (send email) | Under development: Not open for comment. Do not cite |
Taxonomic Applicability
Sex Applicability
| Sex | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Female | High |
Life Stage Applicability
| Term | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Adult, reproductively mature | High |
There is not a direct structural/functional relationship between reduced concentrations of 17ß-estradiol in plasma and reduced plasma VTG concentrations. The relationship is thought to be mediated through additional events of hepatic estrogen receptor activation, vitellogenin protein synthesis in the liver, and subsequent secretion of vitellogenin into the plasma.
| ID | Experimental Design | Species | Upstream Observation | Downstream Observation | Citation (first author, year) | Notes |
|---|
| Title | First Author | Biological Plausibility |
Dose Concordance |
Temporal Concordance |
Incidence Concordance |
|---|
Biological Plausibility
Dose Concordance Evidence
Temporal Concordance Evidence
Incidence Concordance Evidence
Uncertainties and Inconsistencies
- In several studies, significant decreases in plasma vitellogenin are detected at lower concentrations than those that result in significant decreases in plasma E2. However, detection of differences in plasma VTG is ofen enhanced by the greater dynamic range in the concentrations of the protein that occur in plasma, compared to the dynamic range of steroid hormone concentrations.
- A computational model developed by Cheng et al. (2016) is capable of simulating altered plasma VTG concentrations associated with changes in plasma E2 concentrations in female fathead minnows. This model has been used to generate a quantitative response-response relationship that can predict steady state plasma VTG concentrations for a given steady state plasma E2 concentration (Conolly et al. 2017).
- The model and response-response relationship were developed based on data from exposures to the model aromatase inhibitor fadrozole. The validity of the model-based predictions/relationships for other stressors and species has not yet been established.
- Li et al. (2011) also developed a physiologically-based computational model of the adult female fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Conceptually, this model could also be applied to derive a quantitative response-response relationship between plasma E2 and plasma VTG concentrations. The Li et al. model was calibrated based on data from exposures to 17alpha-ethynylestradiol and 17ß-trenbolone. Neither its validity for other stressors or speices, nor its agreement with the Cheng et al. (2016) model have been examined in detail.
Response-response Relationship
Under long term, steady state exposure conditions, the following equation can be used to estimate the µM concentration of plasma vitellogenin (downstream event) from the µM concentration of plasma 17ß-estradiol.
Time-scale
Known Feedforward/Feedback loops influencing this KER
This key event relationship likely applies to oviparous vertebrates only.
- Key enzymes needed to synthesize 17β-estradiol first appear in the common ancestor of amphioxus and vertebrates (Baker 2011).
- Vitellogenesis is common to a range of egg-laying vertebrates and invertebrates. However, in the case of invertebrates, vitellogenins are transported via hemolymph rather than plasma and vitellogenesis is regulated by invertebrate hormones, not estradiol.