The endocrine disrupter effect of atrazine and glyphosate on Biomphalaria alexandrina snails

Journal or Publishing Institution: Toxicology and Industrial Health

Study: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0748233713506959

Author(s): Omran, N.E., Salama, W.M.

Article Type: Peer Reviewed Study

Record ID: 1814

Abstract: Atrazine (AZ) and glyphosate (GL) are herbicides that are widely applied to cereal crops in Egypt. The present study was designed to investigate the response of the snail Biomphalaria alexandrina (Mollusca: Gastropoda) as a bioindicator for endocrine disrupters in terms of steroid levels (testosterone (T) and 17β-estradiol (E)), alteration of microsomal CYP4501B1-like immunoreactivity, total protein (TP) level, and gonadal structure after exposure to sublethal concentrations of AZ or GL for 3 weeks. In order to study the ability of the snails’ recuperation, the exposed snails were subjected to a recovery period for 2 weeks. The results showed that the level of T, E, and TP contents were significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.05) in both AZ- and GL-exposed groups compared with control (unexposed) group. The level of microsomal CYP4501B1-like immunoreactivity increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in GL- and AZ-exposed snails and reach nearly a 50% increase in AZ-exposed group. Histological investigation of the ovotestis showed that AZ and GL caused degenerative changes including azoospermia and oocytes deformation. Interestingly, all the recovered groups did not return back to their normal state. It can be concluded that both herbicides are endocrine disrupters and cause cellular toxicity indicated by the decrease of protein content and the increase in CYP4501B1-like immunoreactivity. This toxicity is irreversible and the snail is not able to recover its normal state. The fluctuation of CYP4501B1 suggests that this vertebrate-like enzyme may be functional also in the snail and may be used as a biomarker for insecticide toxicity.

Keywords: Cytochromes, Endocrine Disrupter, Estrogen, Testosterone; Animals, Atrazine, Biomphalaria, Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System, Endocrine Disruptors, Estrogens, Glycine, Herbicides; Drug Effects, Toxicity, Metabolism, Analysis; Effects of Atrazine on Plants, Bioindicators, Toxicology of Insecticides, Physiological Effect of Glyphosate

Citation: Omran, N.E., Salama, W.M., 2016. The endocrine disrupter effect of atrazine and glyphosate on Biomphalaria alexandrina snails. Toxicology and Industrial Health, 32(4) 656–665.