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Proposed mechanism of atrazine action on amphibians

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posted on 2011-12-30, 18:07 authored by Tyrone B. Hayes, A. Ali Stuart, Magdalena Mendoza, Atif Collins, Nigel Noriega, Aaron Vonk, Gwynne Johnston, Roger Liu, Dzifa Kpodzo

Copyright information:

Taken from "Characterization of Atrazine-Induced Gonadal Malformations in African Clawed Frogs () and Comparisons with Effects of an Androgen Antagonist (Cyproterone Acetate) and Exogenous Estrogen (17β-Estradiol): Support for the Demasculinization/Feminization Hypothesis"

Environmental Health Perspectives 2006;114(S-1):134-141.

Published online 24 Jan 2006

PMCID:PMC1874169.

This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original DOI

The induction of aromatase results in a decrease in androgens (aromatase substrate) and a subsequent increase in estrogens (aromatase product). Atrazine thus demasculinizes (chemically castrates) and feminizes amphibians. Molecular and endocrine support for the proposed mechanism has been demonstrated in amphibians as well as all other vertebrate classes examined (see “Discussion”).