How Lead Messes with Tadpoles' Growth and Health

Lead is a dangerous poison found in many water bodies. It's not good for any living thing, but we don't know much about how it affects amphibians like frogs. Scientists decided to study this by looking at the fat and liver changes in Rana chensinensis tadpoles when exposed to lead. They tested two different amounts of lead: a small dose (20 micrograms per liter) and a larger dose (200 micrograms per liter). The results were interesting. In the smaller dose group, a type of fat called phosphatidylcholine (PC) went down. This might be because lead damages the tadpoles' cell membranes. But in the larger dose group, PC levels went up. This is confusing and needs more study. The scientists also looked at the tadpoles' livers. They found that lead exposure changed how some genes worked. These genes are usually involved in fighting infections. For example, in the smaller dose group, genes like FB, C3, and MHC-II were more active. In the larger dose group, the gene C3AR1 was more active. This suggests that lead might make tadpoles more likely to get sick. Lead also caused physical problems. Tadpoles exposed to lead had more fat droplets in their livers and were smaller when they grew into frogs. This could make them more likely to die. This study is the first to look at how lead affects fat and liver genes in tadpoles. It gives us a better idea of how lead poisoning works in amphibians.