Comparison of xenobiotic metabolism in phase I oxidation and phase II conjugation between rats and bird species

Characterisation of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity in sea turtle Chelonia mydas

Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes conjugate many lipophilic chemicals, such as drugs, environmental contaminants, and endogenous compounds, promoting their excretion. The complexity of UGT kinetics, and the location of enzyme active site in endoplasmic reticulum lumen, requires an accurate optimisation of enzyme assays.In the present study, we characterised UGT activity in liver microsomes of green turtles (Chelonia mydas), an endangered species. The conditions for measuring UGT activity were standardised through spectrofluorimetric methods, using the substrates 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) and uridine diphosphate glucuronic acid (UDPGA) at 30 °C and pH 7.4.The green turtles showed UGT activity at the saturating concentrations of substrates of 250 µM to 4-MU and 7 mM to UDPGA. The alamethicin, Brij^®58, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and magnesium increased UGT activity. The assay using alamethicin (22 µg per mg of protein), magnesium (1 mM), and BSA (0.25%) reached the highest V_max (1203 pmol·min^-1mg·protein^-1). Lithocholic acid and diclofenac inhibited UGT activity in green turtles.This study is the first report of UGT activity in the liver of green turtles and provides a base for future studies to understand the mechanisms of toxicity by exposure to contaminants in this charismatic species.

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in the Canadian environment: Exposure and effects on wildlife

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are ubiquitous in the environment. Wildlife (including fish) are chronically exposed to PACs through air, water, sediment, soil, and/or dietary routes. Exposures are highest near industrial or urban sites, such as aluminum smelters and oil sands mines, or near natural sources such as forest fires. This review assesses the exposure and toxicity of PACs to wildlife, with a focus on the Canadian environment. Most published field studies measured PAC concentrations in tissues of invertebrates, fish, and birds, with fewer studies of amphibians and mammals. In general, PAC concentrations measured in Canadian wildlife tissues were under the benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) guideline for human consumption. Health effects of PAC exposure include embryotoxicity, deformities, cardiotoxicity, DNA damage, changes to DNA methylation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and impaired reproduction. Much of the toxicity of PACs can be attributed to their bioavailability, and the extent to which certain PACs are transformed into more toxic metabolites by cytochrome P450 enzymes. As most mechanistic studies are limited to individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly BaP, research on other PACs and PAC-containing complex mixtures is required to understand the environmental significance of PAC exposure and toxicity. Additional work on responses to PACs in amphibians, reptiles, and semi-aquatic mammals, and development of molecular markers for early detection of biological responses to PACs would provide a stronger biological and ecological justification for regulating PAC emissions to protect Canadian wildlife.