Neonatal exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide alters uterine adenogenesis in ewe lamb.

ALARCÓN R; MILESI MM; RIVERA OE; INGARAMO PI; MUÑOZ-DE-TORO M; LUQUE EH

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica, Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología y Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología

Glyphosate based herbicides (GBH) are one of the most extensively used pesticides in agriculture all over the world. Recently, we showed that a brief exposure to a GBH during the first week of life alters uterine development and induces epithelial hyperplasia in prepubertal rats, and causes post-implantation embryo loss at adulthood. This study investigates the effects of a brief postnatal exposure to a low dose of GBH on the differentiation of the prepubertal ewe lamb uterus. Ewe lambs (Frizone breed) were sc injected from postnatal day 1 (PND1) to PND14 with saline solution (vehicle) or 2 mg/Kg/day of a GBH (reference dose from EPA, USA). On PND45 ewe lambs were hysterectomized and uterine samples were paraffin-embedded or stored at -80°C until mRNA extraction. Cell proliferation was assessed in all uterine compartments by quantifying the expression of Ki-67 protein through immunohistochemistry (IHQ). We also determine the uterine expression of Forkhead box A2 (Foxa2) protein by IHQ, which is involved in the uterine gland development. RT-PCR was performed to evaluate the expression of IGF family genes related with the cell proliferation, i.e., insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IGF-2 and its receptor (IGF-1R). GBH treatment decreased the proliferation rate in the subepithelial stroma (7.7±0.9% vs C:12.2±1.5%, p