A quantitative study of the androtrophic effect (imposex) of an organotin and other metal compounds on females of an ampullariids snail.

GIRAUD-BILLOUD M, VEGA ISRAEL A, CARRION AM, CASTRO-VAZQUEZ A.

San Luis

Congreso; XXVII Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2009

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Some metals such as tributyltin (TBT) but no other compounds are known to induce development of male-like penis in females (“imposex”) in neogastropod species. The architaenioglossan ampullariid snail Pomacea canaliculata differs from neogastropods in that females normally bear rudimentary homologues of male copulatory organs. In the current study, we have quantitatively assessed the androtrophic potential of metal levels on or below the maximum concentrations allowed in drinking water by government regulations: tin, 22 ng/L (as TBT), mercury, 2 μg/L (as HgCl2),arsenic, 10 μg/L (as AsO4Na3) and uranium (as UO2). For such purpose,either none or one of those metal compounds were added to the artificial aquarium water and the animals were exposed for 30 days, and sacrificed at 4, 5, 6 or 7 months old. Only the organotin had a definite trophic action on the female copulatory organs as shown by a significant increase in penis length and in the “vas deferens sequence index” (a usual measure of imposex) in the 4, 5 and 6 month old females (P