Atrazine-Induced Hepato-Renal Toxicity in Adult Male Xenopus laevis Frogs

Abstract

Atrazine (ATZ) is an herbicide commonly detected in groundwater. Several studies have focused on its immunological and endocrine effects on adult Xenopus laevis species. However, we investigated the impact of atrazine on the renal and hepatic biochemistry and histomorphology in adult male frogs. Forty adult male frogs were allocated to four treatment groups (control, one ATZ (0.01 µg/L), two ATZ (200 µg/L) and three ATZ (500 µg/L), 10 animals per group, for 90 days. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatinine levels increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the 200 and 500 μg/L groups but malondialdehyde only in the 500 μg/L group (p < 0.05). Histopathological observations of derangement, hypertrophy, vascular congestion and dilation, infiltration of inflammatory cells incursion, apoptosis and hepatocytes cell death were observed with atrazine exposure, mostly in the 500 μg/L group. Additionally, histochemical labelling of caspase-3 in the sinusoidal endothelium was observed in all the treated groups, indicating vascular compromise. Evaluation of renal histopathology revealed degradation and atrophy of the glomerulus, vacuolization, thick loop of Henle tubule epithelial cells devolution and dilation of the tubular lumen. Furthermore, expression of caspase-3 indicates glomerular and tubular apoptosis in atrazine-exposed animals. These findings infer that environmentally relevant atrazine doses (low or high) could induce hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in adult male Xenopus laevis frogs and potentially related aquatic organisms.

Ameliorative Effects of Amla (Emblica officinalis) Fruit Pulp Extract and Selenium on Dimethoate Induced Changes in Biochemical Parameters of Kidney in Rats

“…Elevated creatinine levels has been reported by other investigators after exposure to toxicants----Arsenic (Cardenas Gonzalez et al, 2016), Diazinon (Al-Attar and Abu Zeid, 2013), Aflatoxin and cypermethrin (Hussain et al, 2009), Mercury (Desai et al, 2021), Indoxacarb (Ali et al, 2018), Chromium (Abbas et al, 2016), Cadmium (Ivan et al, 2010), Sodium nitrite (Sanjari and Seyyed, 2021). In nonmammalian vertebrates also, toxicants elevate the creatinine levels--(i) Amphibians-Oxyfluorfen (Ghada et al, 2019), Atrazine (Sena et al, 2021); and (ii) Fishes -Bisphenol A (Akram et al, 2022), Malathion (Bharti and Rasool et al, 2021), Imidacloprid (Priya et al, 2012). No changes was noticed in cretinine levels after exposure of selenium and amla fruit pulp extract.…”

Mitigating effect of L-carnitine against atrazine-induced hepatotoxicity: histopathological and biochemical analyses in albino rats

“…This concurred with Lin et al ( 2016 ), who discovered central vein hyperemia, as well as hepatic sinusoids in quail exposed to different dosages of ATR, with increasing damage as the dosages increased. Furthermore, Sena et al ( 2021 ) discovered ballooning and congestion of liver cells in frog livers exposed to ATR, with exacerbation of the damage with higher ATR concentrations.…”

Special Issue on the Histopathology of Aquatic Animals

“…One group of authors published two manuscripts in this Special Issue from a single experiment in which an amphibian, Xenopus laevis, was exposed to atrazine, a frequently used herbicide (at least in the United States, since the European Union banned it) in a dose-dependent approach. The effects of exposure are evaluated on the histology of the heart and cerebellum [10] and liver and kidney [11]. Immunohistochemical markers were used on the same types of tissue, and the authors opted for caspase-3 in the liver and kidney and Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in the heart and cerebellum.…”