Usefulness of RTL-W1 and OLCAB-e3 fish cell lines and multiple endpoint measurements for toxicity evaluation of unknown or complex mixture of chemicals

Water-accommodated fractions of heavy and light oils impact DNA integrity, embryonic development, and immune system of Japanese medaka at early life stages

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants generally found in complex mixtures. PAHs are known to cause pleiotropic effects on living organisms, including developmental defects, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity and immunotoxicity, and endocrine disruptions. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of oils in two life stages of the Japanese medaka, larvae and juveniles. The deleterious effects of an acute exposure of 48 h to two WAFs from Arabian light crude oil (LO) and refined oil from Erika (HO) were analyzed in both stages. Relevant endpoints, including ethoxy resorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, DNA damage (Comet assay), photomotor response, and sensitivity to nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infection, were investigated. Larvae exposed to both oil WAFs displayed a significant induction of EROD activity, DNA damage, and developmental anomalies, but no behavioral changes. Deleterious effects were significantly increased following exposure to 1 and 10 μg/L of LO WAFs and 10 μg/L of HO WAFs. Larval infection to NNV induced fish mortality and sharply reduced reaction to light stimulation. Co-exposure to WAFs and NNV increased the mortality rate, suggesting an impact of WAFs on fish defense capacities. WAF toxicity on juveniles was only observed following the NNV challenge, with a higher sensitivity to HO WAFs than to LO WAFs. This study highlighted that environmentally realistic exposure to oil WAFs containing different compositions and concentrations of oil generated high adverse effects, especially in the larval stage. This kind of multi-marker approach is particularly relevant to characterize the toxicity fingerprint of environmental mixtures of hydrocarbons and PAHs.

Toxicity evaluation of water-accommodated fraction of heavy and light oils on the rainbow trout fish cell line RTL-W1

Fish are currently used models for the toxicity assessment of chemicals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Alternative methods including fish cell lines are currently used to provide fast and reliable results on the toxic properties of chemicals while respecting ethical concerns about animal testing. The Rainbow trout liver cell line RTLW1 was used to analyze the effects of two water-accommodated fractions from two crude oils: Arabian Light crude oil (LO) and refined oil from Erika (HO). Several toxicity endpoints were assessed in this study, including cytotoxicity, EROD activity, DNA damage (comet and micronucleus assays), and ROS production. RTL-W1 cells were exposed for 24 h at two or three dilutions of WAF at 1000 µg/L (0.1% (1 μg/L), 1% (10 μg/L), and 10% (100 μg/L)) for cytotoxicity and EROD activity and 1% and 10% for ROS production and genotoxicity). Exposure of RTL-W1 cells to LO WAF induced a significant increase of EROD activity and ROS production and altered DNA integrity as revealed by both the comet assay and the micronucleus test for 10 µg/L of LO. On the other hand, HO WAF exhibited limited toxic effects except for an EROD induction for 1% WAF dilution. These results confirmed the usefulness of RTL-W1 cells for in vitro toxicological assessment of chemical mixtures.

Polystyrene nanoplastics as an ecotoxicological hazard: cellular and transcriptomic evidences on marine and freshwater in vitro teleost models

The contamination of marine and freshwater environments by nanoplastics is considered a global threat for aquatic biota. Taking into account the most recent concentration range estimates reported globally and recognizing a knowledge gap in polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) ecotoxicology, the present work investigated the harmful effects of 20 nm and 80 nm PS-NPs, at increasing biological complexity, on the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss RTG-2 and gilthead seabream Sparus aurata SAF-1 cell lines. Twenty nm PS-NPs exerted a greater cytotoxicity than 80 nm ones and SAF-1 were approximately 4-fold more vulnerable to PS-NPs than RTG-2. The engagement of PS-NPs with plasma membranes was accompanied by discernible uptake patterns and morphological alterations along with a nuclear translocation already within a 30-min exposure. Cells were structurally damaged only by the 20 nm PS-NPs in a time-dependent manner as indicated by distinctive features of the execution phase of the apoptotic cell death mechanism such as cell shrinkage, plasma membrane blebbing, translocation of phosphatidylserine to the outer leaflet of the cell membrane and DNA fragmentation. At last, functional analyses unveiled marked transcriptional impairment at both sublethal and lethal doses of 20 nm PS-NPs, with the latter impacting the "Steroid biosynthesis", "TGF-beta signaling pathway", "ECM-receptor interaction", "Focal adhesion", "Regulation of actin cytoskeleton" and "Protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum" pathways. Overall, a distinct ecotoxicological hazard of PS-NPs at environmentally relevant concentrations was thoroughly characterized on two piscine cell lines. The effects were demonstrated to depend on size, exposure time and model, emphasizing the need for a comparative evaluation of endpoints between freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Development of fish liver PLHC-1 spheroids and its applicability to investigate the toxicity of plastic additives

Fish liver cell lines are valuable tools to understand the toxicity of chemicals in aquatic vertebrates. While conventional 2D cell cultures grown in monolayers are well established, they fail to emulate toxic gradients and cellular functions as in in-vivo conditions. To overcome these limitations, this work focuses on the development of Poeciliopsis lucida (PLHC-1) spheroids as a testing platform to evaluate the toxicity of a mixture of plastic additives. The growth of spheroids was monitored over a period of 30 days, and spheroids 2-8 days old and sized between 150 and 250 µm were considered optimal for conducting toxicity tests due to their excellent viability and metabolic activity. Eight-day-old spheroids were selected for lipidomic characterization. Compared to 2D-cells, the lipidome of spheroids was relatively enriched in highly unsaturated phosphatidylcholines (PCs), sphingosines (SPBs), sphingomyelins (SMs) and cholesterol esters (CEs). When exposed to a mixture of plastic additives, spheroids were less responsive in terms of decreased cell viability and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but were more sensitive than cells growing in monolayers for lipidomic responses. The lipid profile of 3D-spheroids was similar to a liver-like phenotype and it was strongly modulated by exposure to plastic additives. The development of PLHC-1 spheroids represents an important step towards the application of more realistic in-vitro methods in aquatic toxicity studies.

Biotests in Cyanobacterial Toxicity Assessment-Efficient Enough or Not?

Cyanobacteria are a diverse group of organisms known for producing highly potent cyanotoxins that pose a threat to human, animal, and environmental health. These toxins have varying chemical structures and toxicity mechanisms and several toxin classes can be present simultaneously, making it difficult to assess their toxic effects using physico-chemical methods, even when the producing organism and its abundance are identified. To address these challenges, alternative organisms among aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates are being explored as more assays evolve and diverge from the initially established and routinely used mouse bioassay. However, detecting cyanotoxins in complex environmental samples and characterizing their toxic modes of action remain major challenges. This review provides a systematic overview of the use of some of these alternative models and their responses to harmful cyanobacterial metabolites. It also assesses the general usefulness, sensitivity, and efficiency of these models in investigating the mechanisms of cyanotoxicity expressed at different levels of biological organization. From the reported findings, it is clear that cyanotoxin testing requires a multi-level approach. While studying changes at the whole-organism level is essential, as the complexities of whole organisms are still beyond the reach of in vitro methodologies, understanding cyanotoxicity at the molecular and biochemical levels is necessary for meaningful toxicity evaluations. Further research is needed to refine and optimize bioassays for cyanotoxicity testing, which includes developing standardized protocols and identifying novel model organisms for improved understanding of the mechanisms with fewer ethical concerns. In vitro models and computational modeling can complement vertebrate bioassays and reduce animal use, leading to better risk assessment and characterization of cyanotoxins.

Cytotoxicity of three graphene-related materials in rainbow trout primary hepatocytes is not associated to cellular internalization

As a consequence of increasing production and use of graphene-related materials (GRM), their release into the aquatic environment is likely to be expected. Development of appropriate model systems to assess their potential toxicity toward aquatic organisms is undoubtedly needed. Of particular relevance are primary cultures of fish hepatocytes, since they maintain similar functionalities as those of the original tissue. Isolated hepatocytes from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to ranges of concentrations of different forms of GRM, two graphene oxides (GO) of sheet-like structure and one tubular-shaped carbon nanofiber (CNF) in the presence or absence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 24 and 72 h. Metabolic activity, cell membrane integrity, lysosomal function, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and interaction with cytochrome P450 1 A enzyme were assessed by using AlamarBlue, 5-carboxyfluorescein diacetate-acetoxymethyl ester, neutral red uptake, dichlorofluorescein and 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) assays, respectively. In the presence of FBS, GO affected metabolic activity and cell membrane integrity more than CNF, whilst absence of serum further reduced cell viability in GRM-exposed cells. GRM did not alter lysosomal function nor did it induce ROS formation or EROD activity. Intracellular uptake was observed only in the case of CNF when incubated without FBS. Primary hepatocytes from rainbow trout appear to be a suitable model to screen for cytotoxicity and to reveal any interaction with GRM. Results emphasize the role of serum proteins in the toxicological responses following exposure to GRM with important implications for the environmental risk assessment of these nanomaterials.

Evaluation of cyanobacterial toxicity using different biotests and protein phosphatase inhibition assay

Cyanobacteria are prolific producers of numerous toxic compounds, among which microcystins (hepatotoxins) are the most frequently found. Cyanobacterial bloom in freshwaters is an increasing problem, and there is still a need for rapid and reliable methods for the detection of toxic cyanobacterial samples. In the present study, the toxicity of crude extracts of 11 cyanobacterial strains from different genera has been assessed on two cell lines (human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) liver-derived RTL-W1 cells), crustaceans (Daphnia magna and Artemia salina), and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, as well as by protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) inhibition assay and ELISA test to determine whether the toxicity could be due to the presence of hepatotoxins/microcystins. All the tested strains exhibited toxicity on HepG2 cell line (IC₅₀ from 35 to 702 μg mL^-1), including Arthrospira (Spirulina) strains, while toxicity against the RTL-W1 cells was detected only in the positive reference Microcystis PCC 7806 and Nostoc 2S9B. Tested strains expressed higher toxicity to D. magna and zebrafish embryos in comparison to A. salina, whereby Nostoc LC1B and Nostoc S8 belonged to the most toxic strains. The PP1-inhibiting compounds have been detected by PP1 assay only in four strains (Microcystis PCC 7806, Oscillatoria K3, Nostoc LC1B, and Nostoc S8), indicating that their toxic potency can be attributed to these compounds. On the other hand, very low levels of microcystins, as confirmed by ELISA, were insufficient to explain toxicity and different toxic potencies of tested cyanobacteria. Results presented in this study suggested HepG2 cell line as a particularly suitable model for cyanobacterial toxicity assessment. In addition, they highlight terrestrial cyanobacterial strains as potent producers of toxic compounds.

Nanoplastics impact on marine biota: A review

Emerging contaminants, such as nanoplastics, are gaining a vast interest within the scientific community. Most of the plastic debris found in the marine environment originates from land-based sources, and once in the marine environment, plastic can be degraded into smaller fragments. Nanoplastics are considered to fall within the definition of other nanoparticles (1-100 nm in size) and may be divided into primary or secondary nanoplastics. Primary nanoplastics are those that enter the environment in their original small size associated with specific applications and consumer products, whilst secondary nanoplastics are a consequence of macro/microplastic degradation. The formation of nanoplastics changes the physical-chemical characteristics of the particle, thus at a nanoscale, it is expected that the strength, conductivity, and reactivity of the nanoparticles will differ substantially from macro/micro-sized particles. To date, the toxicity nanoplastics may pursue on marine biota is still scarce. Herein, a review of the available data on the effects of different polymer types of nanoplastics specific to marine biota is accounted for.

A glyphosate-based herbicide induces sub-lethal effects in early life stages and liver cell line of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

Most pesticides used in agriculture end up in the aquatic environment through runoff and leaching of treated crops. One of the most commonly used herbicides is glyphosate. This compound or its metabolites are frequently detected in surface water in Europe. In the present study, in vivo and in vitro studies were carried out using the early life stages of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and the cell line RTL-W1 (a liver cell line from rainbow trout) to characterize the toxic effects of glyphosate at environmentally-realistic concentrations. Both studies were performed using the commercial formulation Roundup® GT Max, and technical-grade glyphosate for the in vitro study. Eyed-stage embryos were exposed for 3 weeks to sub-lethal concentrations (0.1 and 1 mg/L) of glyphosate using Roundup. Numerous toxicity endpoints were recorded such as survival, hatching success, larval biometry, developmental abnormalities, swimming activity, genotoxicity (formamidopyrimidine DNA-glycosylase Fpg-modified comet assay), lipid peroxidation (TBARS), protein carbonyls and target gene transcription. Concentrations neither affected embryonic or larval survival nor increased developmental abnormalities. However, a significant decrease was observed in the head size of larvae exposed to 1 mg/L of glyphosate. In addition, a significant increase in mobility was observed for larvae exposed to glyphosate at 0.1 mg/L. TBARS levels were significantly decreased on larvae exposed to 1 mg/L (a.i.), and cat and cox1 genes were differently transcribed from controls. DNA damage was detected by the Fpg-modified comet assay in RTL-W1 cell line exposed to the technical-grade glyphosate and Roundup formulation. The results suggest that chronic exposure to glyphosate, at environmental concentrations, could represent a potential risk for early life stages of fish.

Polystyrene nanoplastics alter the cytotoxicity of human pharmaceuticals on marine fish cell lines

There is an increasing concern on the consequences of the presence of micro(nano)plastics to marine organisms. The present study aimed to provide information on the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) to fish cells alone and combined with human pharmaceuticals, other emerging contaminants, using as biological models marine fish cell lines SAF-1 and DLB-1. Cells were exposed for 24 h to 100 nm PSNPs, starting at 0.001 up to 10 mg/L, to assess effects on viability and activity of catalase (antioxidant defense) and glutathione S-transferases (phase II biotransformation and antioxidant defense). The viability of cells was also evaluated after exposure to human pharmaceuticals alone and combined with PSNPs. Overall, PSNPs failed to be cytotoxic but data proved their ability to alter the toxicity of human pharmaceuticals. DLB-1 was the most sensitive cell line to PSNPs. Data support the use of marine fish cell lines in the study of the effects of micro(nano)plastics.

Applicability of in vitro methods in evaluating the biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fish: Advances and challenges

The biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the biochemical mechanisms involved in such process continue to be intensively studied in the fields of environmental science and toxicology. The investigation of PAH biotransformation in fish is fundamental to understand how piscine species cope with PAH exposure, as these compounds are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems and impact different levels of biological organization. New approaches are continuously developed in the field of ecotoxicology, allowing live animal testing to be combined with and, in some cases, replaced with novel in vitro systems. Many in vitro techniques have been developed and effectively applied in the investigation of the biochemical pathways driving the biotransformation of PAH in fish. In vitro experimentation has been fundamental in the advancement of not only understanding PAH-mediated toxicity, but also in highlighting suitable cell-based models for such investigations. Therefore, the present review highlights the value and applicability of in vitro systems for PAH biotransformation studies, and provides up-to-date information on the use of in vitro fish models in the evaluation of PAH biotransformation, common biomarkers, and challenges encountered when developing and applying such systems.

Toxicity assessment of pollutants sorbed on environmental sample microplastics collected on beaches: Part I-adverse effects on fish cell line

Microplastics (MPs), are tiny plastic fragments from 1 μm to 5 mm generally found in the aquatic environment which can be easily ingested by organisms and may cause chronic physical but also toxicological effects. Toxicological assays on fish cell lines are commonly used as an alternative tool to provide fast and reliable assessment of the toxic and ecotoxic properties of chemicals or mixtures. Rainbow trout liver cell line (RTLW-1) was used to evaluate the toxicity of pollutants sorbed to MPs sampled in sandy beaches from different islands around the world during the first Race for Water Odyssey in 2015. The collected MPs were analyzed for polymer composition and associated persistent organic pollutants: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). In addition, DMSO-extracts from virgin MPs, MPs artificially coated with B[a]P and environmental MPs were analyzed with different bioassays: MTT reduction assay (MTT), ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) assay and comet assay. Microplastics from sand beaches were dominated by polyethylene, followed by polypropylene fragments with variable proportions. Organic pollutants found on plastic from beach sampling was PAHs (2-71 ng g^-1). Samples from Bermuda (Somerset Long Bay) and Hawaii (Makapu'u) showed the highest concentration of PAHs and DDT respectively. No toxicity was observed for virgin microplastics. No cytotoxicity was observed on cells exposed to MP extract. However, EROD activity was induced and differently modulated depending on the MPs locations suggesting presence of different pollutants or additives in extract. DNA damage was observed after exposure to four microplastics samples on the six tested. Modification of EROD activity level and DNA damage rate highlight MPs extract toxicity on fish cell line.

Comparative biomarker responses in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to benzo[a]pyrene and challenged with betanodavirus at three different life stages

It is now well documented that several contaminants can modulate the fish immune system, leading to disrupted host resistance against pathogens and increased incidence of disease. Since fish are usually co-exposed to chemicals and pathogens in the natural environment, analysis of the immunotoxic effects of pollutants is particularly relevant. The authorities in the European Union have recommended the development of toxicity assays on cell cultures and embryos, as an alternative to testing in vertebrates. This is why in our study, a fish immune challenge assay was developed for the early life stages of Japanese medaka to evaluate and compare the relevance of new biomarkers. Fish were exposed to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a model pollutant, for 8days at the embryonic stage, or for 48h at the larvae and juvenile stages, and fish were infected with betanodavirus by bath-challenge of 10⁶TCID₅₀/mL. Biometric changes and induction of malformations were observed after embryonic exposure. DNA damage and induction of EROD activity were recorded at the end of all chemical exposures. Viral infection increased the mortality rate significantly and disturbed the behavior of fish after light stimulation. While BaP exposure increased swimming speed, betanodavirus infection slowed swimming activity. In larvae co-exposed to BaP and the virus, the viral titer in the whole body was higher than in fish infected only with the virus. This study highlighted the sensitivity and usefulness of the immune challenge assay on the early life stages of Japanese medaka to evaluate the toxic effects of pollutants.

A test battery for assessing the ecotoxic effects of textile dyes

The textile dyeing industry is one of the main sectors contributing to environmental pollution, due to the generation of large amounts of wastewater loaded with dyes (ca. 2-50% of the initial amount of dyes used in the dye baths is lost), causing severe impacts on human health and the environment. In this context, an ecotoxicity testing battery was used to assess the acute toxicity and genotoxicity of the textile dyes Direct Black 38 (DB38; azo dye) and Reactive Blue 15 (RB15; copper phthalocyanine dye) on different trophic levels. Thus these dyes were tested using the following assays: Filter paper contact test with earthworms (Eisenia foetida); seed germination and root elongation toxicity test (Cucumis sativus, Lactuca sativa and Lycopersicon esculentum); acute immobilization test (Daphnia magna and Artemia salina); and the Comet assay with the rainbow trout gonad-2 cell fish line (RTG-2) and D. magna. Neither phytotoxicity nor significant effects on the survival of E. foetida were observed after exposure to DB38 and RB15. Both dyes were classified as relatively non-toxic to D. magna (LC₅₀ > 100 mg/L), but DB38 was moderately toxic to A. salina with a LC₅₀ of 20.7 mg/L. DB38 and RB15 induced significant effects on the DNA of D. magna but only DB38 caused direct (alkaline comet assay) and oxidative (hOGG1-modified alkaline comet assay) damage to RTG-2 cells in hormetic responses. Therefore, the present results emphasize that a test battery approach of bioassays representing multiple trophic levels is fundamental in predicting the toxicity of textile dyes, aside from providing the information required to define their safe levels for living organisms in the environment.