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ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CONTAMINANTS AND ALLIGATOR EMBRYOS: A LESSON FROM WILDLIFE?
Citation:
Guillette Jr., L. ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CONTAMINANTS AND ALLIGATOR EMBRYOS: A LESSON FROM WILDLIFE?
Description:
Many xenobiotic compounds introduced into the environment by human activity adversely affect wildlife. A number of these contaminants have been hypothesized to induce non lethal, multigenerational effects by acting as endocrine disrupting agents. One case is that of the alligators living in a contaminated lake in central Florida (USA). The alligators of Lake Apopka exhibit reproductive disorders including reduced hatchability of eggs, reduced viability of offspring, impaired hormone secretion and modified reproductive anatomy. The endocrine system exhibits an organizational effect on the developing alligator embryo. Thus, a disruption of the normal hormonal signals can permanently modify the organization and future function of the reproductive system. Juvenile male alligators found on Lake Apopka have reduced phallic size coincident with abnormally low plasma testosterone concentrations - as seen in neonates. Many of the major contaminants found in alligator eggs exhibit an affinity for the estrogen receptor but little attraction for the binding proteins found in the plasma or cytosol. Together, these data suggest that contaminants can act as hormonally active agents, capable of disrupting the developing embryo. Although species specific differences are noted among developmental pathways in vertebrates, many common features exist demonstrating that wildlife models are important indicators of potential environmental health issues.