To examine the direct effects of tributyltin acetate (TBTA) on osteoclasts and osteoblasts, teleost scale, which has both osteoclasts and osteoblasts and is similar to mammalian membrane bone, was used in the present study. The activities of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and alkaline-phosphatase, as respective indicators of activity in both cells, were used. In freshwater teleost (goldfish) and marine teleosts (nibbler and wrasse), the osteoclastic activity in the scales did not change as a result of TBTA treatment (10(-9) to 10(-5) M). However, the osteoblastic activity decreased in the goldfish, nibbler, and wrasse after 6 h of incubation. In goldfish, even 10(-10) M of TBTA significantly inhibited the osteoblastic activity. The inhibitory activity in goldfish was stronger than that in nibbler and wrasse. Therefore, details of the mechanism were examined using goldfish. The mRNA expressions of the estrogen receptor and insulin-like growth factor-I, which participate in osteoblastic growth and differentiation, decreased in the TBTA-treated scales. However, the mRNA expression of metallothionein (MT), a metal-binding protein that protects the organism from heavy metal, increased much less than those of cadmium and methyl-mercury. Furthermore, we showed that the plasma calcium and hypocalcemic hormone (calcitonin) level increased in goldfish kept in water containing TBTA (10(-10) and 10(-8) M). The current data are the first to demonstrate that, in teleosts, TBTA inhibits osteoblastic activity without affecting osteoclastic activity and disrupts the calcium metabolism, including the calcemic hormone, in goldfish.