title: Reproductive disturbance caused by an S-triazine herbicide in pigs.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of subacute treatment with a low dose of atrazine (1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine, 6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1-methyl-ethyl), an s-triazine herbicide, on endocrine oestrus regulation in gilts. A group of nine gilts (F1 generation of Swedish Landrace x Large Yorkshire) were treated with 1 mg atrazine/kg body mass daily, mixed to the feed for 19 days before the onset of expected oestrus. Blood samples were obtained by cranial vena cava puncture three times daily at 3-h intervals on five post-treatment days, i.e. before and during oestrus. The serum concentration of oestradiol-17 beta (E2) was determined by the fluoroimmunochemical method. On Day -2 before the onset of expected oestrus, a significantly lower (P < 0.001) E2 concentration was measured in the serum of treated gilts (31.25 +/- 1.95 and 39.32 +/- 1.38 pg/mL) than in the control pigs (51.43 +/- 1.29 and 68.59 +/- 2.99 pg/mL). In contrast, the E2 concentration measured in the serum of treated animals was significantly higher (P < 0.001) on the day of the expected onset of oestrus and on the subsequent two days (35.43 +/- 1.85, 53.92 +/- 1.98 and 60.32 +/- 2.35 pg/mL, respectively) than in the control animals (13.52 +/- 1.79, 21.53 +/- 1.35 and 20.05 +/- 1.46 pg/mL, respectively). Insufficient serum E2 concentration of the treated gilts resulted in a failure of expected oestrus, as indicated also by the state of dioestrus demonstrated by histopathological examination of the uterus.
authors.affiliation: Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Savska, Croatia. Tihomira.Gojmerac@mavi.veinst.hr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gojmerac
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uremović
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Uremović
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curić
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bilandzić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001280:Atrazine / Q000633:toxicity*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D015200:Fluoroimmunoassay / Q000662:veterinary; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity*; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D004958:Estradiol; D001280:Atrazine