Toxic Effects on Thyroid Gland of Male Adult Lizards (Podarcis siculus) in Contact with PolyChlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)‐Contaminated Soil

Abstract

Skin exposure is considered a potentially significant but little‐studied pathway for Poly‐ Chlorinated Biphenyls uptake in terrestrial reptiles. In this study, a native Italian lizard, Podarcis siculus, was exposed to PCBs‐contaminated soil for 120 days. Tissues distribution of PCBs, thyroid hormone levels, and thyroid histo‐physiopathology were examined. The accumulation of PCBs in skin, plasma, liver, kidney, and brain were highest at 120 days. The alteration of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels after different concentrations and times to exposure of PCBs was ac-companied by the changes in the hormones involved in the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐thyroid (HPT) axis, namely Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (TRH) and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). Moreover, hepatic levels of deiodinase II (5′ORDII) and content of T3 were positively correlated to exposure to PCBs. These results indicated that in lizards, PCBs exposure through the skin has the potential to disrupt the thyroid endocrine system. Overall, the observed results indicate that PCBs could be associated with changes in thyroid homeostasis in these reptiles, through direct interactions with the metabolism of T4 and T3 through the HPT axis or indirect interactions with peripheral deiodination.