Effect of an acute and chronic exposure to 17-alpha-ethylnilestradiol on the heart function of bullfrog tadpoles

Abstract

The decline of anurans populations worlwide indicates that their environment has been impacted by pollutants as xenoestrogens. This pollutant reaches water bodies mainly by domestic effluent and runoff of the syntetic estrogen, the 17-alpha-ethynilestradiol (EE2). EE2 is widely employed as a hormone therapy after menopause and to prevent pregnancy. The syntetic strogen is more persistent in aquatic environment than its natural correlates, being bioaccumulated and biomagnified. The aim of the presen work is to evaluate the effect of an acute (48h) and chronic (16 days) exposure to sublethal concentrations of EE2 (10 ng/L)over bullfrog tadpoles activity level, heart frequency, relative ventricular mass, and calcium management in the heart.