Developmental exposure to a glyphosate based herbicide alters uterine organogenetic differentiation causing hyperplasia on prepubertal rats

MARLISE GUERRERO SCHIMPF, ; MARÍA MERCEDES MILESI; PAOLA INÉS INGARAMO,; MÓNICA MUÑOZ-DE-TORO; ENRIQUE H. LUQUE; JORGELINA VARAYOUD

Jornada; SETAC LatinAmerica 11thBiennal Meeting; 2015

Glyphosate based herbicides (GBH) are extensively used for agricultural purposes all over the world, which is closely associated with a constant increase in the use of transgenic glyphosate-resistant soybean single-cropping. Experimental studies performed in rodents have associated developmental exposure to GBH with male reproductive toxicity; however little is known regarding its effects on female reproductive system. This study investigates the effects of neonatal exposure to a GBH on uterine morphology, endometrial proliferation and expression of proteins that regulate uterine organogenetic differentiation in rats. Female pups received saline solution (control, C) or an environmental relevant dose of commercial formulation of glyphosate (GBH, 2 mg/kg) by s.c. injection in the nape of the neck every 48 h from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND7. The uterine expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERa), progesterone receptor (PR), Hoxa10, Wnt7a and Ki-67 was detected by immunohistochemistry on PND8 and PND21, to evaluate acute and short-term responses, respectively. The GBH-exposed animals showed epithelial hyperplasia (75% of animals on PND8 and 37.5% of animals on PND21). In addition, a higher cell proliferation was detected in epithelial cells (C: 28.34±1.30%; GBH: 41.28±2.45%, p