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Examination of the Physiological Effects of Ethylene Glycol Exposure on Muscle and Liver Tissue of the Leopard Frog, Rana pipiens
Author(s) -
Funk Alexander N,
Stabenau Erich K
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.874.4
Subject(s) - ethylene glycol , chemistry , ethylene , skeletal muscle , zoology , biochemistry , biology , medicine , food science , endocrinology , organic chemistry , catalysis
Newly developed and utilized industrial processes use anthropogenic agents that may adversely affect ecosystem biodiversity. Hydraulic fracturing technology involves the use of a fluid, composed of 98–99% water and 1–2% chemical additives, to break up shale reservoirs for access to natural gas and oil reserves. One of the chemical additives in fracturing fluid is ethylene glycol. To date, there is no information available of the effects of ethylene glycol exposure on aquatic organisms at concentrations used by the hydraulic fracturing industry (i.e., 0.14–15.8 mM). Therefore, the present study examined the physiological effects of ethylene glycol exposure on Leopard frogs, Rana pipiens . Frogs were exposed to control water or to water containing 5.7 mM ethylene glycol for five days. Ethylene glycol‐exposure significantly decreased the swimming time to exhaustion from 284.5±22.8 sec in control animals to 194.8±26.3 sec ( P ≤0.05, n=6 in each group). Moreover, contraction of isolated gastrocnemius muscles was significantly less in ethylene glycol‐exposed frogs at 3, 6, 12 and 24 V when compared to control animals. Mitochondrial membrane potential was also significantly decreased in ethylene glycol‐exposed frogs when compared to control animals, decreasing 40.1% and 42.4% in liver and muscle tissue, respectively. Culture of isolated satellite cells from skeletal muscle resulted in a dose‐dependent, ethylene glycol‐induced increase in cell proliferation and differentiation. Taken together, these data indicate that 5.7 mM ethylene glycol significantly reduced muscle and liver performance. Moreover, the activation and proliferation of the satellite cells when exposed to ethylene glycol suggests that the hydraulic fracturing agent is myotoxic to frog muscles. We believe that the agent is altering mitochondrial function by reducing the available ATP for cellular or organ system processes like cell volume regulation and muscle contraction. Support or Funding Information This research was supported by grants from Beta Beta Beta , the Bradley University Biology Department and the Bjorklund Endowment, and a Caterpillar Master's Fellowship to ANF.