Harmful Effects on African Clawed Frog （Xenopus laevis） Reproduction as Expression of High Water Phosphates Levels

作     者：Marco Campolo Francesca Spano Maddalena Iannaccone 

作者机构：Zoo delle Maitine Contrada delle Maitine 1 Pesco Sannita Benevento 82020 Italy Centro Veterinario Einaudi Via N. Colajanni 23A Bari 70125 Italy Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche lstituto di Biofisica Via de Marini 6 Genoa 16149 Italy Centro Veterinario I1Mondo Degli Animali Esotici Via S. Martino 67/r Genoa 16131 Italy 

出 版 物：《Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology(A)》 (农业科学与技术（A）)

年 卷 期：2015年第5卷第7期

页      面：632-638页

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 090502[农学-动物营养与饲料科学] 07[理学] 0905[农学-畜牧学] 09[农学] 071002[理学-动物学] 

主　　题：Xenopus laevis water phosphates level oocytes' quality. 

摘      要：Amphibians are considered as reliable indicators of environmental quality. In Europe, a general decline of amphibians population parallels a worldwide decline, and some of the factors which are thought to be responsible to this decline are habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, disease and decreasing water quality. Recent investigations suggest that these eutrophic conditions may be associated with frog reproduction problems. Water quality criteria settled for the different species of amphibians do not currently exist, but in the present paper, the authors report their observation about water phosphate concentrations in association with hipofertility in African clawed frogs （Xenopus laevis）. The study considered two different groups of African clawed frog showing hypofertility （22 patients） hosted in captivity. The animals were visited, and the filtration systems functionality and the water quality were checked, i.e., temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphates, hardness and alkalinity. In the first group, it was decided to perform ultrasound scans, parasitological tests on fecal samples, and microscopical/macroscopical examination, as well as microbiological analysis on collected oocytes. In the second group, only fecal samples were collected in order to perform parasitologiacal exams. No pathological findings were showed by veterinary tests. Water changes were carried out in both facilities and after two months, the fertility in African clawed frogs improved, evidencing the involvement of phosphates values in the onset of the problem and even more in its resolution. More studies are needed to further define this correlation.