# Mechanisms of atrazine endocrine disruption

> **NIH NIH R03** · PURDUE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $71,805

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a broad group of chemicals resulting in a myriad of adverse health
effects. Most research to date has focused on the downstream target systems and adverse health outcomes
affected by EDC exposure, but there is now increasing evidence for neuroendocrine primary targets. With the
hypothalamus serving as the central regulator of multiple endocrine axes, a multitude of different specific
adverse health outcomes may be observed for EDCs that target the neuroendocrine system. Atrazine, an
EDC, is the second most commonly used agricultural herbicide in the United States and is the most common
contaminant in potable water supplies. Atrazine is regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
at a concentration of 3 parts per billion (ppb; µg/L) in drinking water, but concentrations above this regulatory
limit are often reported. Laboratory and epidemiology studies report various endocrine disrupting and
neurological adverse impacts. Most findings are focused along the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, but
studies also observe interference with the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal
axes. Overall, studies support that atrazine influences multiple endocrine axes and the hypothesis of a
hypothalamic toxicity target, but the mechanisms are not yet clearly elucidated and warrant further research. In
addition, there are conflicting reports of the endocrine disrupting effects of atrazine near the current US EPA
maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 3 ppb. Our studies using the zebrafish model system show that an
embryonic atrazine exposure at concentrations ranging from 1/10X to 10X the current US EPA MCL resulted in
expression alterations in genes associated with neurological and reproductive system development and
function, cell cycle, and carcinogenesis; deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) involved with neuronal
differentiation and maturation and cancer; global hypomethylation; and altered head length in larvae.
Furthermore, we observed a decrease in spawning success in adults with an embryonic atrazine exposure.
These adult females also had an increase in ovarian progesterone and follicular atresia and a decrease in a
serotonin metabolite and serotonin turnover in the brain. Alterations in genes associated with distinct molecular
pathways of the endocrine and central nervous systems were observed in brain tissue of the adult females and
males. These studies support an embryonic atrazine exposure is sufficient to result in later in life adverse
health outcomes associated with multiple endocrine axes. The CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS of this study is that
the neuroendocrine system is the target of atrazine endocrine disruption. We seek to define the mechanisms of
toxicity of an embryonic atrazine exposure that would explain the observed molecular and functional outcomes
of past studies on multiple endocrine axes. We will evaluate several neuroendocrine endpoints during
embr...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9895294
- **Project number:** 1R03ES030545-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** PURDUE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer L. Freeman
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $71,805
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-01-15 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9895294

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9895294, Mechanisms of atrazine endocrine disruption (1R03ES030545-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9895294. Licensed CC0.

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