Characterization of Follicular Atresia Responsive to BPA in Zebrafish by Morphometric Analysis of Follicular Stage Progression

Figure 5

Schematic representation of BPA effects on the zebrafish follicular development and hypothetical model of follicular atresia, peculiarly responsive to BPA. The exposure to low doses (5 μg/L) of BPA promotes the atretic development of the early recruited stage I follicles by accelerating and forcing their progression throughout previtellogenic and vitellogenic phases. The exposure produces stage IV follicles abnormally enlarged thus pressing their peculiar atretic development. Scheme adapted from Clelland et al. (2009).