Studying the Effects of a Xenoestorgen and Warmer Temperature on the Guppy Fish Liver Size and Cellularity

Pollutants, notably endocrine disruptors, have a negative impact on aquatic habitats and the organisms that inhabit them. When processed by the liver, these chemicals can exert an influence on the organ and produce morphological and functional alterations. Aside from that, the rise in water temperature caused by global warming has unavoidable effects on ectothermic creatures such as fish, including disruptions in metabolic processes, reproduction, growth, and survival rates. However, our understanding of the final combined impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and temperature remains restricted. As a result, the purpose of this study is to see if a higher temperature and exposure to 17-ethinylestradiol(EE2) affect (independently or interactively) fish liver mass and cellularity. To put our hypothesis to the test, we performed a stereological investigation using light microscopy. We utilized 25-m-thick paraffin sections of livers obtained from an experiment with mature male guppies (Poecilia reticulata). The animals were divided into four groups: two solvent control groups kept at 26C or 29 C for 45 days (simulating warming), and two groups kept at the same temperatures but exposed to EE2 (at a nominal concentration of 50 ng/L). The findings revealed that EE2 and temperature influenced body biometry, with EE2 having a detrimental effect on body mass and length. According to preliminary stereological data, fish from the control group exhibited larger livers. This fact was consistent with greater body biometry. Furthermore, control fish appear to have bigger or more hepatocytes (this is under analysis). The fundings suggest that the higher temperature affected the core structure of the liver. At this stage, we can not tell if the temperature influenced the processes of fish liver reactions to both stimuli.