title: Reduced body condition and enzymatic alterations in frogs inhabiting intensive crop production areas.
abstract: Parameters indicative of general condition and health were compared amongst adult frogs inhabiting uncultivated lands and fields subjected to agricultural practices typical of the humid pampas of Argentina. Whereas no significant differences existed in the parasite load and external malformations prevalence rate of adult frogs from either environments, a reduced condition factor was clearly demonstrated in frogs from agricultural lands. This conclusion was reached for four frog species of different life habits: the terrestrial fossorial Rhinella fernandezae, the terrestrial Leptodactylus latinasus, the semi-aquatic Leptodactylus ocellatus, and the arborescent Hypsiboas pulchellus. A distinct pattern of enzymatic modifications was furthermore observed in L. ocellatus and H. pulchellus from agricultural lands, including elevated hepatic activities of catalase and cholinesterase, and an inhibition of liver GST activity. Further studies should investigate the causes and consequences of the systematically low condition factor observed in frogs from agricultural fields of the humid pampas of Argentina.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Recursos Biologicos, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (CNIA), Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA), B1712WAA Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina. jbrodeur@cnia.inta.gov.ar
authors.forename: Julie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brodeur
authors.forename: Romina P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Guillermo S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Natale
authors.forename: Alicia E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ronco
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elena Zaccagnini
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D001118:Argentina; D002219:Carbamates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006066:Gonads / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002219:Carbamates; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002374:Catalase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D002802:Cholinesterases; D005978:Glutathione