Leukocyte profile of tadpoles and juveniles of Lithobates catesbeianus Shaw, 1802 (Anura) and the effects of nonylphenol and cyproterone acetate

Author(s)

de Gregorio, Lara S. ^[1] ; Franco-Belussi, Lilian ^{[1, 2]} ; De Oliveira, Classius ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Biol, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, Lab Expt Pathol, Inst Biosci, BR-79002970 Campo Grande, MS - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: South American Journal of Herpetology; v. 20, n. 1, p. 75-82, AUG 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Amphibians are threatened with extinction worldwide, and one of the global causes is environmental pollution. Several toxicants can interfere with their immune system, making them more susceptible to disease, which also contributes to their decline. The contaminants 4-nonylphenol (NP), a detergent with estrogenic properties, and cyproterone acetate (CPA), an anti-androgenic medicine, are known to impair the immune system of some vertebrates, but the effects are understudied in anurans. In this study, we evaluated the effects of NP (at 1, 10, and 100 mu g/L) and CPA (at 0.025, 0.25, and 2.5 ng/L) on leukocyte count in tadpoles and juveniles of Lithobates catesbeianus. We analyzed lymphocytes, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and thrombocytes in a proportional count and made comparisons between the groups. The experiments lasted 28 d, and the conditions were almost identical for both stages (varying only the volume of water). The tadpoles showed decreased lymphocytes and increased neutrophils at 1 mu g/L NP and increased eosinophils at the two highest doses of CPA. The juveniles showed reduced neutrophils in all treatments with both compounds and increased thrombocytes (except at 2.5 ng/L CPA). Also, all dosages of CPA increased basophils. Although the life-stages had different response patterns, our study showed that NP and CPA altered the proportion of leukocytes on blood stream in both stages, probably as a response against the negative effects of the compounds, which might make the animals more susceptible to diseases and contribute to their decline. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/00946-4 - Internal Pigmentation in Ectotherms: Innate immunity and UV defense
• Grantee: Lilian Franco Belussi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 18/01078-7 - The liver of anuran amphibians: morphology compared between 10 species and action of benzopyrene in the melanomacrophages of Physalaemus cuvieri
• Grantee: Classius de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants