Interacting Effects of Tributyltin oxide (TBTO) and Diethylstilbestrol (DES) on the African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis
Persistent URL
Author(s)
Burton, Andrew
Date Issued
April 5, 2010
Abstract
The effects of organotin compounds on the endocrine system of amphibians are still largely unknown. However, recent research suggests that tributyltin may have the potential to block, at environmentally relevant concentrations, xenobiotic estrogens in amphibian models (Micael et al., 2007; Santos et al., 2006). This study was undertaken in order to examine the effects of exposure to binary mixtures of tributyltin oxide (TBTO) and the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) on sexually mature male Xenopus laevis. The frogs were injected with no (untreated control), 0.667 mg TBTO, 0.667 mg DES, and 0.667 mg TBTO + 0.667 mg DES, and left for an exposure period of 10 days. Frogs treated with tributyltin oxide alone exhibited concentrations of vitellogenin similar to that of the untreated controls. DES treatments elevated vitellogenin concentrations above those of controls and those treated with TBTO. Treatment with both TBTO + DES resulted in vitellogenin concentrations intermediate to those of the other groups. These results suggest that tributyltin antagonistically inhibits the vitellogenin expression of diethylstilbestrol, possibly through the involvement of P450 aromatase or the suppression of gene expression.
Honors
Biology, 2010
First Reader(s)
Rankin, Susan
Other Reader(s)
Ostrofsky, Milton L.
Department
Biology
Type of Publication
Senior Project Paper
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Name
2009_10_Burton_Tributyltin.pdf
Description
Senior Project
Size
265.46 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
a2300846c7f9f932689a82c3882f171b