Gender‐specific histopathological response in guppies Poecilia reticulata exposed to glyphosate or its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid

• Published in: Journal of applied toxicology 2017-09, Vol.37 (9), p.1098-1107
• Main Authors: Antunes, Adriana Maria, Rocha, Thiago Lopes, Pires, Fernando Santiago, Freitas, Meire Alves, Leite, Vanessa Rafaela Milhomem Cruz, Arana, Sarah, Moreira, Paulo César, Sabóia‐Morais, Simone Maria Teixeira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Animals; aquatic toxicity; Assaying; Change detection; Chemicals; Collagen; Epithelium; Exposure; Female; Females; Fibers; Fish; Gender; gill; Gills; Gills - drug effects; Gills - metabolism; Glycine - analogs & derivatives; Glycine - toxicity; Glyphosate; Hepatocytes; herbicides; histological biomarkers; Inflammation; Isoxazoles - toxicity; Lamellae; Lethal Dose 50; Liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Male; Males; Nuclei; Organs; Poecilia - metabolism; Principal Component Analysis; Qualitative analysis; Regression analysis; Sensitivity analysis; Sex Factors; Steatosis; Studies; Tetrazoles - toxicity; Toxicity; Vacuoles; Water pollution effects
• ISSN: 0260-437X; 1099-1263
• DOI: 10.1002/jat.3461

Ecotoxicity of glyphosate (GLY) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) was investigated in guppies, Poecilia reticulata. We tested the effects of these chemicals on the gills and liver of both male and female guppies using qualitative and quantitative histopathological analyses associated with histopathological condition indexes. Both genders showed similar median lethal concentration (LC50) at 96 h for GLY (68.78 and 70.87 mg l−1) and AMPA (180 and 164.32 mg l−1). However, the histopathological assessment of both fish organs exposed to sublethal concentrations of GLY (35 mg l−1) and AMPA (82 mg l−1) for 96 h showed a tissue‐ and gender‐specific histopathological response. In both exposure assays, fish presented mainly progressive changes, such as proliferation of the interlamellar epithelium, partial and total fusion of secondary lamellae. The liver showed mainly regressive changes, such as steatosis, pyknotic nuclei and high distribution of collagen fibers. Unusually large hepatocytes as degenerated cells were also detected. Histopathological changes in gills were similar for the males and females, but the liver response was different between the genders. The hepatic inflammatory changes were more common in males. The increase in the area of hepatocyte vacuoles is gender dependent with higher values in the male compared to the female guppies exposed to GLY and AMPA. Multiparametric analysis indicated that the male guppies are more sensitive than females, particularly in the presence of AMPA. Our study shows that the histopathological assessment associated with gender‐specific response can be successfully used in ecotoxicological assessment of GLY and the metabolite AMPA. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Toxicity of glyphosate (GLY) and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were investigated in male and female guppies Poecilia reticulata. Both genders showed similar median lethal concentration (LC50) at 96 h for GLY (68.78 and 70.87 mg l−1) and for AMPA (180 and 164.32 mg l−1). However, exposure to the sublethal concentrations of GLY and AMPA induced histopathological changes in gills and liver in a gender‐specific pattern. Multiparametric analysis indicated that the male guppies have higher sensitivity, particularly after exposure to AMPA.