Chronic Exposures to the Herbicide Atrazine and the Pharmaceutical Finasteride Disrupt Sex Steroid and Thyroid Hormone Signaling and Gonadal Development in Frogs
January 2010
in “
uO Research (University of Ottawa)
”
New to Finasteride? There is a guide in the encyclopedia. Read the guide → Studysummary This research found that the widely used herbicide atrazine may alter Northern leopard frog development, affecting metamorphosis success, sex ratio, and hormone-related gene expression.
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This research investigated the effects of the herbicide atrazine and the pharmaceutical finasteride on frog development. Atrazine exposure in Northern leopard frog tadpoles led to reduced metamorphic success, a female-biased sex ratio, and altered hormone-related enzyme activities. Finasteride exposure in Western clawed frogs inhibited certain enzyme activities and induced testicular oocytes in males, indicating an intersex condition. The study highlighted that both atrazine and finasteride disrupted sex steroid and thyroid hormone signaling, affecting gonadal development. These findings suggested that the enzymes srd5alpha and srd5beta are crucial during frog development and are potential targets for endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
