title: Assessing atrazine-induced toxicities in Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor.
abstract: Atrazine (AZ), a widely used herbicide has drawn attentions for its potential impacts on amphibians. This study aims to investigate the toxicity of AZ in Bufo bufo gargarizans Cantor (B. bufo gargarizans), a species of toad commonly found in China and countries in East Asia. We treated tadpoles with 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μg/L AZ for 85 days and examined related parameters. The results showed that the mortality of the toads in the treatment group increased dramatically in a U-shaped dose-response relationship. The hindlimb extension and metamorphosis rate of the toads were significantly inhibited by AZ at 10 and 100 μg/L. Under the same condition, there were significant progressive changes in the testicular structures. Moreover, we found that AZ has no significant effects on growth, sex ratios, gonadal morphology, forelimb emergence and histology in the ovaries. Our results support the idea that environmental contaminants including AZ may be relevant to global amphibian decline.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Linlin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sai
authors.forename: Qingbo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Binpeng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Cunxiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Gongchang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yuezhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jack C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001280:Atrazine / Q000633:toxicity*; D002023:Bufo bufo / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000187:drug effects*; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012744:Sex Ratio; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D001280:Atrazine