| Accession Number | 5001825 |
| Title | Reproductive performance and associated developmental and endocrinological effects |
| of polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclor 1242) on captive American kestrels (Falco |
| sparverius). |
| Project Description | The endocrine function (as both hormonal mimics and antagonists) of many environmental |
| contaminants has been emphasized recently, leading to the speculation that exposure to these |
| chemicals during early development could lead to functional impairment later in life. Particularly |
| important is the possibility that contaminants interfere with sex-steroid metabolism (estrogens |
| have been most widely studied), since when hormone levels are altered during critical stages of |
| embryonic and post-hatching development, the results can be abnormal maturation of the |
| reproductive tract, abnormal endocrine function and poor reproductive capability as mature |
| organisms. Certain PCB congeners have estrogenic activity; PCBs are highly lipophilic, mobilized |
| with fat during reproduction, and body burdens in reproductive adults are transferred to offspring in |
| the energy provisioned to the eggs. Using the breeding American kestrels at Patuxent as a model, |
| this study tests the hypothesis that trans-generational exposure to PCBs can impair later |
| reproductive performance of exposed offspring, and is associated with abnormal development of |
| the reproductive system and endocrine function in exposed offspring. It meets Patuxent objectives |
| in the areas of natural and human impacts on biological resources and will help develop indicators |
| of the status of biological resources that are exposed to these compounds. Cooperators include |
| Patuxent scientists Paula Henry, Barnett Rattner and Mark Melancon, and University of Maryland |
| professor Dr. Mary Ann Ottinger. Results will include morphological, histological and |
| endocrinological development of kestrel chicks exposed as embryos through PCBs deposited into |
| the egg, as well as a functional test of the reproductive ability of similarly exposed kestrels. |
| Keywords | development, endocrine disrupters, sex steroids, |
| Principal | John B French, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: john_b_french@usgs.gov; |
| Investigators |
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