title: Environmental estrogens and reproductive biology in amphibians.
abstract: In this paper, the effects of an estrogenic compound, 4-nonyl-phenol (NP), on the amphibians Rana esculenta and Triturus carnifex are described together with those on sexual differentiation in Xenopus laevis. NP increased plasma vitellogenin in male frogs and newts in a dose-related manner; moreover, inhibitory effects on gonadotropin and prolactin (PRL) secretion by pituitary were found together with an elevation of plasma androgens. NP treatment also caused a remarkable increase in number of prolactin-immunolabeled cells, suggesting that xenoestrogen might induce, at least in the newt pituitary, a PRL accumulation possibly due to a reduction of the hormone release. In addition, both NP and bisphenol A caused feminization by increasing the percentage of female phenotypes in X. laevis, and the in vivo effects were more pronounced than those of estradiol-17beta.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Scienze Morfologiche e Biochimiche Comparate, Università di Camerino, Camerino, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mosconi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carnevali
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Franzoni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cottone
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kloas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuyama
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Polzonetti-Magni
mesh_terms: D000663:Amphibians / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D011893:Rana esculenta / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D014319:Triturus / Q000502:physiology; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000097:blood; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006062:Gonadotropins; D010636:Phenols; D014819:Vitellogenins; D011388:Prolactin; D001141:Aromatase; C041594:4-nonylphenol