title: Endocrine disruption caused by oral administration of atrazine in European quail (Coturnix coturnix coturnix).
abstract: The widely used herbicide atrazine (ATZ) has been reported to exhibit reproductive toxicity in rats, fish and amphibians, with an avian LD(50) of 5000 mg/kg. In the present work, ATZ was administered as a single oral dose of 25 or 100 mg/kg to female European quail (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) at days 0, 5 and 10 of the experiment, being the animals sampled at days 15, 30 and 45. ATZ significantly increased the expression of hepatic estrogen receptor α (ERα) at both doses at day 30. An important increase was also observed in plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) concentrations. ATZ at 100 mg/kg increased the circulating concentration of vitellogenin (Vtg), but this effect was not related with an increase in hepatic Vtg mRNA levels. ATZ had no effect on the hepatic expression of both cytochrome P450 1A4 (CYP1A4) or the related biotransformation activity ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD). These results led to the conclusion that ATZ provokes an estrogenic effect in sexually mature females of European quail. Further studies are necessary to establish the effect on sexual development or reproduction of female and male birds in the wild.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Veterinary School (UEx), E-10071 Cáceres, Spain. delacasa@unex.es
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de la Casa-Resino
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valdehita
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Navas
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-López
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001280:Atrazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003370:Coturnix / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006540:Herbicides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D006540:Herbicides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014819:Vitellogenins; D004958:Estradiol; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D001280:Atrazine