Fig. 1.

Whole-body cortisol levels (nanograms per gram fish) in male adult ZF from the CTR and FLX lineages across generations. (A) Early developmental FLX exposure to the F₀ induced a transgenerational disruption of the stress axis manifested by a reduction of the basal and stress-induced cortisol levels in adult males. The stress response was instigated following a net handling stressor. The F₀ to F₃ denotes the different filial generations. n = 7–10 per group. (B) Male fish from the FLX lineages in the F₀ and F₃ generations exhibited a blunted cortisol production response following i.p. ACTH injection (0.0625 IU·g⁻¹ fish). n = 8–17 per group. N.I., noninjected group. For A and B, the data are presented as mean ± SEM and analyzed by two-way ANOVA (on ranks for A, F₂; B, F₃); P < 0.05. The letters represent statistical difference when interactions are present. ^#P < 0.001 compared with the basal group for A, and compared with the N.I. group for B; ^&P < 0.001 compared with the saline group. The asterisks (*) represent significant difference in the FLX group compared with the CTR: *P = 0.004 and **P < 0.001.