title: Effects of atrazine on sex steroid dynamics, plasma vitellogenin concentration and gonad development in adult goldfish (Carassius auratus).
abstract: Sexually mature goldfish (Carassius auratus) of both sexes were exposed to two doses (100 and 1000 microg/l) of the widely used herbicide atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) for a period of 21 days and effects on the concentrations of gonad and plasma sex steroids (testosterone (T), 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT)), plasma vitellogenin (VTG) and gonad histo-morphology assessed. Atrazine did not show any obvious estrogenic effect in males, as determined by a lack of vitellogenin induction. There were, however, effects of atrazine on plasma androgen concentrations (androgen dynamics) and tissue (plasma and gonad) estrogen concentrations in male goldfish; exposure to 1000 microg/l atrazine induced suppression in both testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone, and resulted in elevated 17beta-estradiol, after 21 day of exposure. Further, these suppressive effects on plasma androgens and the induction in estrogen were dose- and time-related. The highest atrazine exposure dose induced structural disruption in the testis and both 100 and 1000 microg/l induced elevated levels of atresia in ovaries.
authors.affiliation: URBO, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium. laura.spano@fundp.ac.be
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spanò
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Aerle
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devos
authors.forename: S N M
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Mandiki
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thomé
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kestemont
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001280:Atrazine / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006054:Goldfish / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006066:Gonads / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013997:Time Factors; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D014819:Vitellogenins; D001280:Atrazine