Detection of a synthetic sex steroid in the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus): Evidence for a novel environmental androgen
artículo original
Date
2017-08Author
Murray, Christopher M.
Merchant, Mark
Easter, Michael
Padilla, Sergio
Garrigós, Davinia B.
Sasa Marín, Mahmood
Guyer, Craig
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Endocrine-disrupting contaminants (EDC's) are well known to alter sexual differentiation among vertebrates via estrogenic effects during development, particularly in organisms characterized by
temperature-dependent sex determination. However, substances producing androgenic effects typically
lack potency when tested in laboratory settings and are virtually unstudied in field settings. Here, we
assay levels of a synthetic androgen, 17a-methyltestosterone (MT), in a heavily male-biased population of American crocodiles in the Tempisque River Basin of Costa Rica based on the recent hypothesis that this chemical is an EDC in developing crocodilian embryos. The presence of MT was documented in all fieldcollected samples of egg yolk and in plasma of all age classes in among population of crocodiles.
Hatchlings exhibited higher plasma MT concentrations (102.1 ± 82.8 ng/mL) than juveniles (33.8 ± 51.5)
and adults (25.9 ± 20.8 ng/mL). Among populations, crocodiles captured in the Tempisque River
(62.9 ± 73.7 ng/mL) were higher in MT concentration than those from Tarcoles (13.3 ± 11.4 ng/mL) and
negative controls (0.001 ± 0.0002 ng/mL). A mechanism for the bio-transport of MT and its subsequent
effects is proposed.
External link to the item
10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.020Collections
- Biología [1635]