Thyroid hormones (THs) play an important role in early stages development of fish species. Manual elevation of THs in the embryos improves viability and hatching success. However, the impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals on THs-treated embryos are unclear. This study investigated the effect of triiodothyronine (T3) to mitigate toxic effects of diazinon in the endangered Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) eggs and embryos. Fertilized eggs were exposed to nominal concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg/L diazinon and the 96 h LC50 value was calculated at 3.5 mg/L. Eggs were then treated with exogenous T3 (1 ng/mL: LT3, and 10 ng/mL: HT3) and exposed to 3.5 mg/L diazinon (DLT3 and DHT3). Total THs concentrations, levels of cortisol, and expression of the igf-II gene were measured during embryogenesis. All the measured endpoints were significantly different between treatments or stages of incubation. Generally, despite insignificance in some cases, higher levels of T3 and Thyroxin (T4) were observed in T3-treated embryos regardless of the presence of diazinon. Cortisol was high in unfertilized eggs which reduced after fertilization. The igf-II gene up-regulated quickly after fertilization; was higher in T3-treated embryos. Exposure of eggs to diazinon reduced the levels of T3, T4, and igf-II gene expression, which corresponded to the lowest hatching. We concluded that exogenous T3 improves embryos development in A. persicus, which is a promising application for conservation strategies. Our study suggests that treating embryos with 10 ng/L T3 is a suitable way to overcome problems of incubation in diazinon-polluted water sources.
Keywords: Early development; Egg quality; Pesticides pollution; Sturgeon aquaculture; Thyroid functioning.
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