VATNICK, Itzick; MADHOUN, Hareth; RAMESWARAN, Muthuramanan; BRODKIN, Marc; Widener University; Widener University; Widener University; Widener University: Atrazine is an Immune Disruptor in Northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens)

In the past few years we have reported that mild acid exposure (pH 5.5 for 10 days) causes high (70%) mortality in adult Rana pipiens. Acid exposed frogs experience a dramatic decrease in the ability to mount an experimentally induced inflammatory response. They exhibited a decrease in the number and phagocytic efficiency of peritoneal white blood cells; both represent components of the innate immune response. We completed an experiment in which atrazine exposure (21 ppb for 6 days) affected the innate immune response of adult Rana pipiens in similar ways to acid exposure. However, it does not appear that atrazine exposure caused mortality. Atrazine exposure suppressed the experimentally-induced (thioglycollate stimulated) recruitment of white blood cells to the peritoneal cavity to background (buffer) levels as well as decreased the phagocytic efficiency of these cells, similarly to acid exposure. We will also report the results of an experiment,in progress, designed to elucidate the minimal effective dose of atrazine exposure necessary to suppress the innate immune response in adult Rana pipiens.