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The potential reproductive toxicity of tannery effluent to the estrous cycle and ovarian follicular dynamics of female Swiss mice

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Abstract

Although the toxic effects of tannery effluent (TE) on tanning-industry workers have been reported in many studies, its effects on females’ reproductive system are unknown. We aimed at evaluating the effects of direct contact with TE on the “emotional” status, estrous cycle (during 15 consecutive exposure days), and ovarian follicular dynamics of female Swiss mice at the end of the experiment to broaden the knowledge about the toxicity of this pollutant. The herein adopted exposure protocol simulated tanning-industry workers’ exposure to TE. The test animals were subjected to 45 exposure days, for 1 h a day, 5 days a week (from Monday to Friday). Based on the collected data, female mice exposed to TE recorded high anxiety index in the elevated plus maze test, although we did not observe changes in their estrous cycle. The smaller total and specific number of ovarian follicles (types 1 to 6) and the higher frequency of degenerating follicles (atresic) in female mice exposed to TE marked the folliculogenesis reduction in them. Therefore, our study was the first to provide evidences that the exposure to TE can cause reproduction issues in female mice, as well as the first experimental insight about the impact of unhealthy work activities in tanning industries on women’s reproductive system.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Brazilian National Council for Research (CNPq) (Brazilian research agency) (Proc. No 467801/2014-2) and to Instituto Federal Goiano for the financial support (Proc. No 23219000096/2018-93). Moreover, the authors are grateful to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil) and Fundação de Amaparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás (FAPEG, Brazil) for granting the scholarship to the student who developed the current study.

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  1. Biological Research Laboratory, Post-graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute—Urutaí Campus, Urutaí, GO, Brazil

    Raíssa de Oliveira Ferreira, Aline Sueli de Lima Rodrigues, Bruna de Oliveira Mendes, Carlos Mesak & Guilherme Malafaia

  2. Post-graduation Program in Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

    Abraão Tiago Batista Guimarães

  3. Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

    Thiago Lopes Rocha

  4. Laboratório de Pesquisas Biológicas, Instituto Federal Goiano—Campus Urutaí, Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2,5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO, CEP: 75790-000, Brazil

    Guilherme Malafaia

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  1. Raíssa de Oliveira Ferreira
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  2. Abraão Tiago Batista Guimarães
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de Oliveira Ferreira, R., Guimarães, A.T.B., Rocha, T.L. et al. The potential reproductive toxicity of tannery effluent to the estrous cycle and ovarian follicular dynamics of female Swiss mice. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 36355–36367 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3527-4

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