Developmental effects of embryonic exposure to toxaphene in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

A variety of organochlorine pesticides have been shown to adversely affect embryonic development. A number of abnormalities have been documented in alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from highly-contaminated Lake Apopka, FL, USA that are similar to the results of experimental studies exposing embryos to pesticides. In the current study, we exposed developing alligator embryos to varying concentrations of toxaphene, a broad-spectrum pesticide found in relatively high concentration in Lake Apopka alligator egg yolk. The toxaphene, dissolved in 50 microl of ethanol, was applied topically to the eggshell just prior to the sex-determining period of development. Shortly after hatching, we examined a number of morphological and physiological endpoints to determine the consequences of sub-lethal embryonic exposure to toxaphene. Our results indicate that toxaphene had little or no effect on the morphological endpoints examined including body mass (BM) and size, liver, thyroid, and gonad development. In addition, toxaphene failed to affect sexual differentiation, or in vitro thyroxin, testosterone (T), and estradiol production. However, male plasma T concentration was higher in animals treated with 10 and 0.01 microg toxaphene/kg (based on mean egg mass) than control males. Because in vitro T production was not different among control groups, we suggest the difference in plasma T could be due to differences in hypothalamic-pituitary stimulation of the gonad or hepatic steroid degradation. This study indicates that technical grade toxaphene, at the applied doses, does not induce the same developmental abnormalities associated with alligators living in Lake Apopka. Future studies should consider the effects of embryonic exposure to a mixture of chemicals, including toxaphene metabolites, on development in alligators to better evaluate the consequences of environmental contamination.