SHAH, PJ*; WESTMORELAND, KL; PHILLIPS, JD; SCOTT, NA; HORTIN, SM; SOMELY, BL; POWELL, LD; PROPPER, CR; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University: The Effects of the Common Pesticide Endosulfan on Behavior and the Stress Response in Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana)

Environmental pollutants such as pesticides are known to disrupt reproduction, but less is known about the effects of these xenobiotics on the stress system. Endosulfan, a common pesticide, was used in this study to determine if it impacts behavior, plasma corticosterone (B) levels, or interrenal steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) levels in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). Animals were exposed to either 0ppb or 5ppb endosulfan for 14 days. During the experimental period an activity test was performed on day 10 and a feeding test was performed on day 12. On day 14 the animals in both treatment groups received either an intraparitoneal injection of 10 ug ACTH/100 ul Ringers or saline (100 ul) and were sacrificed 15 minutes post-injection. Plasma, gonads and interrenals were collected. The gonads and liver were also weighed at that time. There were no significant differences between treatments in overall activity or in any component of feeding behavior (total success in catching crickets, totals attempts in catching a cricket, or latency time to catching a cricket). There were also no significant differences between treatments in condition factor or in liver/body weight (p > 0.12). A corticosterone ELISA will be used to determine the corticosterone levels in the plasma and Western blots will be used to measure SF-1 levels in the interrenals. The results suggest that a 14 day exposure to low doses of endosulfan have little impact on behavior.