Environmental pollutants that serve as endocrine disruptorsmay affect the hormonal system, leading to health consequences. These compoundscan mimic, block, or modify the functions of hormones, which can result inreproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, or tumours pathogenesis. Endocrinedisruptors can enter the body through air, water and food, and directly throughthe skin. Climate change can worsen this problem by increasing the release ofenvironmental pollutants, stability, and distribution of pollutants whichaffects human and wildlife health. Increases in temperature can contribute tobioaccumulation and dispersion of these toxic compounds. Dioxin-likesubstances, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and some pesticides canbind to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and are known to interfere withnormal hormone regulation. Chronic exposure to these toxic substances may leadto development of pituitary tumours by altering AhR pathways, interfering withhormones. and promoting abnormal and malignant growth of cells. It is necessaryto understand these exposures in the context of human health. In this project,we will explore the impacts of increasing temperature to the toxicologicalimpacts of pollutants, using the zebrafish model (Danio rerio), with the intentof developing innovative biomarkers used to detect and diagnose pathologicalchanges leading also to pituitary neoplasms, associated with endocrinedisruptors.

Knowledge regarding the legislation on aquatic animal modelused in experimental research, specific training in vivo models forexperimental research, knowledge on fish diseases and disorders.

The Research team of Veterinary and Comparative Pathologyof  UNIME runs the Institute forComparative, Experimental, Forensic and Aquatic Pathology, a facility forexperimental aquatic in vivo models kept in recirculating aquaculture systems(RAS), performing histological, immunohistochemical and molecular analysis fordiagnosis in aquaculture and translational research for human health.