Assessment of Vitellogenin Synthesis in Salvator merianae as a Biomarker of Exposure to Xenoestrogens in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Abstract

The expansion of agriculture and livestock in Argentina has significantly increased the use of pesticides, adversely impacting animal and human health. These chemical compounds, acting as xenoestrogens, can disrupt the reproductive physiology of wildlife. In this context, vitellogenin, a liver protein typically elevated in oviparous females during reproduction, can also be induced in males and immature females by exposure to xenoestrogens. The aim of this work was to study the production of vitellogenin in response to exogenous estrogens in male Salvator merianae lizards, a species widely distributed in Argentina. Eighteen adult tegus from the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán were used, distributed into three groups: males treated with 17 ?-estradiol, females in the vitellogenesis phase (positive control), and untreated males (negative control). Treated males received doses of 17 ?-estradiol every three days for two weeks, and blood samples were taken before and during treatment for analysis by SDS-PAGE, spectrophotometry, and immunohistochemistry. Results revealed a significant increase in triglyceride levels and the synthesis of a high molecular weight lipoprotein in treated males, a pattern similar to that observed in females during vitellogenesis and absent in negative controls. This pioneering study demonstrates the induction of hepatic vitellogenin in Salvator merianae males treated with estradiol, highlighting the potential utility of this species as a biomarker of environmental contamination by xenoestrogens.