Serum concentrations of various environmental contaminants and their relationship to sex steroid concentrations and phallus size in juvenile American alligators
Serum concentrations of various environmental contaminants and their relationship to sex steroid concentrations and phallus size in juvenile American alligators
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DOI：
10.1007/pl00006617
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发表时间：
1999-05-01
影响因子：
4
通讯作者：
Woodward, AR
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Guillette, LJ;Brock, JW;Woodward, AR
最近的研究报告了美国佛罗里达州阿波卡湖的幼鳄和幼鳄的一些异常情况。这些异常包括男性和女性血浆性类固醇浓度的改变，以及性腺形态、性腺酶活性和类固醇生成的异常。胚胎暴露于卵子中的环境污染物已被假设为这些变化的因果因素。然而，产后暴露也会导致生殖和内分泌功能的变化。我们检测了18种有机氯农药或代谢物（OCs）中的16种和28种同源特异性多氯联苯（PCBs）中的23种，检测了来自阿普卡湖、橙湖和伍德拉夫湖国家野生动物保护区的幼鳄的血清浓度。Apopka湖幼鱼血清p、p′-DDE、狄氏剂、endrin、mirex、oxychlordane、Sigma DDTs和Sigma PCBs浓度显著高于其他湖泊幼鱼。此外，我们观察到血清污染物浓度与性类固醇浓度（雌二醇-17 β和睾酮）之间没有相关性。然而，阿普卡湖和橙湖的男性血清睾酮水平明显低于伍德拉夫湖。我们没有观察到阴茎大小或其他身体参数与血清污染物水平之间的关系。在调整了体型后，阿普卡湖的雄性阴茎尺寸更小。我们认为，先前对幼年短吻鳄的观察报告——在本研究中再次观察到——显然与我们测量的当前血清环境污染物水平无关，但可能是由于胚胎发育期间暴露于这些或其他污染物。未来的研究必须确定在鳄鱼卵中发现的污染物与在孵化的鳄鱼身上观察到的异常现象之间是否存在因果关系，并在幼鳄身上持续存在。
Recent studies have reported a number of abnormalities in the hatchling and juvenile alligators of Lake Apopka, FL (USA). These abnormalities include modifications of plasma concentrations of sex steroids in males and females as well as abnormalities in gonadal morphology, gonadal enzyme activity, and steroidogenesis. Embryonic exposure to environmental contaminants in the eggs has been hypothesized to be the causal agent for these changes. However, posthatchling exposure can also contribute to changes in reproductive and endocrine functioning. We have detected serum concentrations of 16 of 18 organochlorine pesticides or metabolites (OCs) and 23 of 28 congener-specific polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) examined in juvenile alligators from Lake Apopka, Orange Lake, and Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. Lake Apopka juveniles had significantly elevated serum concentrations of p,p'-DDE, dieldrin, endrin, mirex, oxychlordane, Sigma DDTs, and Sigma PCBs compared to juveniles from the other lakes. Further, we observed no correlations between serum contaminant concentrations and sex steroid concentrations (estradiol-17 beta and testosterone). However, serum testosterone was significantly lower in males from Lake Apopka and Orange Lake compared to Lake Woodruff NWR. We did not observe relationships between phallus size or other body parameters and serum contaminant levels. Phallus size was smaller in males from Lake Apopka even after adjustment for body size. We suggest that the observations previously reported for juvenile alligators-and observed again in this study-are apparently not associated with the current serum levels of the environmental contaminants we measured, but could be due to exposures during embryonic development to these or other pollutants. Future studies must determine if a causal relationship exists between the contaminants found in alligator eggs and abnormalities observed in the hatchlings and persisting in juveniles.