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Dietary Exposure to Tebuconazole Affects Testicular and Epididymal Histomorphometry in Frugivorous Bats

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Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of a commercially recommended concentration (1 mL/L) of a fungicide tebuconazole (TBZ) on testicular and epididymal histomorphometry of Artibeus lituratus, following 7 and 30-day oral exposure. TBZ30 bats showed a reduction in the percentage of tubules and seminiferous epithelium, as well as a decrease in tubule and epithelium somatic indexes, and tubular diameter. Inversely, these animals showed increased percentage of intertubular compartment, Leydig cells and blood vessels. The volume of Leydig cells and their number per gram of testis also increased in TBZ30 bats. Alterations in epididymal morphometry were observed in all regions of the organ, with increase of ductal diameter in both exposure times. These results indicate that exposure to low concentration of TBZ resulted in testicular and epididymal morphometric changes in fruit bats, mainly at 30-day exposure, suggesting that functional alterations might be occurring in these organs and impacting reproductive capacity.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Master fellowship to MJON and DCM), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (APQ-02514-16 to MMN) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnlógico (448455/2014-5 to MMN; Postdoctoral fellowship 150333/2018-8 to ACFS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. P.H. Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil

    Mariana Machado-Neves, Mário J. O. Neto, Diane C. Miranda, Mariana M. Castro, Marcela N. Sertorio & Sérgio L. P. Matta

  2. Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Ana Cláudia F. Souza

  3. Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Túlio F. Carvalho & Mariella B. Freitas

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  1. Mariana Machado-Neves
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  2. Mário J. O. Neto
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  3. Diane C. Miranda
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  4. Ana Cláudia F. Souza
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  5. Mariana M. Castro
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  7. Túlio F. Carvalho
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  8. Sérgio L. P. Matta
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  9. Mariella B. Freitas
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Correspondence to Mariana Machado-Neves.

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Machado-Neves, M., Neto, M.J.O., Miranda, D.C. et al. Dietary Exposure to Tebuconazole Affects Testicular and Epididymal Histomorphometry in Frugivorous Bats. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 101, 197–204 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-018-2377-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-018-2377-6

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