Persistence of benzo[a]pyrene--DNA adducts in hematopoietic tissues and blood of the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus

Susceptibility of polar cod (Boreogadus saida) to a model carcinogen

Studies that aim to characterise the susceptibility of the ecologically relevant and non-model fish polar cod (Boreogadus saida) to model carcinogens are required. Polar cod were exposed under laboratory conditions for six months to control, 0.03 μg BaP/g fish/week and 0.3 μg BaP/g fish/week dietary benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a reference carcinogen. The concentrations of the 3-OH-BaP bile metabolite and transcriptional responses of genes involved in DNA adduct recognition (xpc), helicase activity (xpd), DNA repair (xpf, rad51) and tumour suppression (tp53) were assessed after 0, 1, 3 and 6 months of exposure, alongside body condition indexes (gonadosomatic index, hepatosomatic index and condition factor). Micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities in blood and spleen, and liver histopathological endpoints were assessed at the end of the experiment. Fish grew steadily over the whole experiment and no mortality was recorded. The concentrations of 3-OH-BaP increased significantly after 1 month of exposure to the highest BaP concentration and after 6 months of exposure to all BaP concentrations showing the biotransformation of the mother compound. Nevertheless, no significant induction of gene transcripts involved in DNA damage repair or tumour suppression were observed at the selected sampling times. These results together with the absence of chromosomal damage in blood and spleen cells, the subtle increase in nuclear abnormalities observed in spleen cells and the low occurrence of foci of cellular alteration suggested that the exposure was below the threshold of observable effects. Taken together, the results showed that polar cod was not susceptible to carcinogenesis using the BaP exposure regime employed herein.

DNA adducts in marine fish as biological marker of genotoxicity in environmental monitoring: The way forward

DNA adducts in fish represent a very important genotoxicity endpoint in environmental monitoring, being a pre-mutagenic lesion that plays an essential role in the initiation of carcinogenesis. The analysis of DNA adducts is a challenging task due to the low concentration of the analyte. Methods are available to determine the presence of DNA adducts, although further knowledge is required to fully understand the nature of the adducts and responsible xenobiotics (i.e. position of adduct in DNA, most active xenobiotic and metabolite forms, structural information). At present, ³²P-postlabeling is the most used method that has the required sensitivity for DNA adduct analyses in both human health and environmental monitoring. Development of new mass spectrometry based methods for identifying DNA adducts in complex matrixes is now considered as a necessary mission in toxicology in order to gain the necessary information regarding adduct formation and facilitate tracking sources of contamination. Mass spectrometry therefore represents the future of DNA adduct detection, bringing along a series of challenges that the scientific community is facing at present.

AHR-related activities in a creosote-adapted population of adult atlantic killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, two decades post-EPA superfund status at the Atlantic Wood Site, Portsmouth, VA USA

Atlantic killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, are adapted to creosote-based PAHs at the US EPA Superfund site known as Atlantic Wood (AW) on the southern branch of the Elizabeth River, VA USA. Subsequent to the discovery of the AW population in the early 1990s, these fish were shown to be recalcitrant to CYP1A induction by PAHs under experimental conditions, and even to the time of this study, killifish embryos collected from the AW site are resistant to developmental deformities typically associated with exposure to PAHs in reference fish. Historically, however, 90 +% of the adult killifish at this site have proliferative hepatic lesions including cancer of varying severity. Several PAHs at this site are known to be ligands for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). In this study, AHR-related activities in AW fish collected between 2011 and 2013 were re-examined nearly 2 decades after first discovery. This study shows that CYP1A mRNA expression is three-fold higher in intestines of AW killifish compared to a reference population. Using immunohistochemistry, CYP1A staining in intestines was uniformly positive compared to negative staining in reference fish. Livers of AW killifish were examined by IHC to show that CYP1A and AHR2 protein expression reflect lesions-specific patterns, probably representing differences in intrinsic cellular physiology of the spectrum of proliferative lesions comprising the hepatocarcinogenic process. We also found that COX2 mRNA expression levels were higher in AW fish livers compared to those in the reference population, suggesting a state of chronic inflammation. Overall, these findings suggest that adult AW fish are responsive to AHR signaling, and do express CYP1A and AHR2 proteins in intestines at a level above what was observed in the reference population.

Are DNA-damaging effects induced by herbicide formulations (Roundup® and Garlon®) in fish transient and reversible upon cessation of exposure?

Owing to the seasonality of crop cultivation and subsequent periodic/seasonal application of herbicides, their input to the aquatic systems is typically intermittent. Consequently, exposure of fish to this type of contaminants can be short and followed by a period of permanence in non-contaminated areas. Thus, the assessment of genotoxic endpoints in fish after removal of the contamination source appears as a crucial step to improve the knowledge on the dynamics of herbicide genotoxicity, as well as to determine the actual magnitude of risk posed by these agrochemicals. Therefore, the present study intended to shed light on the ability of fish to recover from the DNA damage induced by short-term exposures to the herbicide formulations Roundup(®) (glyphosate-based) and Garlon(®) (triclopyr-based) upon the exposure cessation. European eel (Anguilla anguilla) was exposed to the above commercial formulations for 3 days, and allowed to recover for 1, 7 and 14 days (post-exposure period). The comet assay was used to identify the DNA damage in blood cells during both exposure and post-exposure periods. As an attempt to clarify the DNA damaging mechanisms involved, an extra-step including the incubation of the nucleotides with DNA lesion-specific repair enzyme was added to the standard comet. The genotoxic potential of both herbicides was confirmed, concerning the exposure period. In addition, the involvement of oxidative DNA damage on the action of Roundup(®) (pointed out as pyrimidine bases oxidation) was demonstrated, while for Garlon(®) this damaging mechanism was less evident. Fish exposed to Garlon(®), though presenting some evidence towards a tendency of recovery, did not achieve a complete restoration of DNA integrity. In what concerns to Roundup(®), a recovery was evident when considering non-specific DNA damage on day 14 post-exposure. In addition, this herbicide was able to induce a late oxidative DNA damage (day 14). Blood cells of A. anguilla exposed to Roundup(®) appeared to be more successful in repairing damage with a non-specific cause than that associated to base oxidation. Overall, the present findings highlighted the genetic hazard to fish associated to the addressed agrochemicals, reinforcing the hypothesis of long-lasting damage.

Bioindicators of immune function in creosote-adapted estuarine killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus

Several populations of the estuarine killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, also known as the mummichog, exhibit characteristics of adaptation to priority pollutants. One such population of mummichog inhabits the Elizabeth River in Virginia at the Atlantic Wood site (AW), a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site heavily contaminated with creosote containing a mixture of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Although PAHs are known to be immunotoxic in experimental animals, resident AW mummichogs seem to thrive. Mummichogs from the AW site and a reference site were subsequently examined over a 2-yr period for total immunoglobin (IgM), as well as circulating antibody levels against 5 ubiquitous marine bacteria. Expression profiles of circulating and lymphoid lysozyme and lymphoid cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were also examined. Compared to relatively high total IgM and specific antibody responses in reference fish, AW mummichogs had lower circulating IgM and lower specific antibody levels against all bacteria examined, however they had higher levels of circulating lysozyme. Lymphoid cells in the AW mummichogs also expressed higher levels of lysozyme, as well as COX-2, which may indicate a state of macrophage activation. Elevated COX-2 levels may be associated with enhanced metabolism of PAHs through cooxidation-peroxidase pathways. Additional studies attempted to immunize AW mummichogs reared in uncontaminated water to compare their antibody responses to that of reference fish. AW mummichogs did not survive 40 d post culture, while reference fish thrived. Our findings suggest that the chemical environment at the AW site may be vicariously enhancing components of innate immunity, probably through oxidative stress pathways, in resident mummichogs, while actively suppressing humoral immune responses.

Response of integrated biomarkers of fish (Lateolabrax japonicus) exposed to benzo[a]pyrene and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate

Fish Lateolabrax japonicus were exposed to 0.1 and 1mg/L of anion surfactant sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and to 2 and 20 microg/L of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) for 6, 12, and 18 days, with control and solvent control groups. Liver antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), and glutathione S-transferase (GST), were determined; brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and liver inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activities were also measured. The results indicated that (1) L. japonicus avoided oxidative damage through antioxidant systems; (2) SOD, GPx, and GSH were induced, and GST was inhibited and then induced by B[a]P exposure; and (3) CAT, GPx, and AChE were induced while iNOS was inhibited, and GST was induced and then inhibited by SDBS stress in experimental period.

In vivo and in vitro inhibition of CYP1A-dependent activity in Fundulus heteroclitus by the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon fluoranthene

Certainpolynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) induce CYP1A-dependent enzyme activities. Because PAHs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, and some are aryl hydrocarbon agonists, CYP1A has been used as a biomarker for PAH exposure. However, PAHs exist in the environment in complex mixtures that may confound biomarker results. In in vitro studies, the PAH fluoranthene (FL) failed to increase or enhance CYP1A1-dependent ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in cells, but rather inhibited activities induced by AhR agonists such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and benzo(k)fluoranthene. In order to determine the in vivo effects of FL on CYP1A and DNA adduct levels, Fundulus heteroclitus were given single ip injections of either BaP (5 mg/kg), BaP + FL (5 mg/kg each), BaP + FL (5 and 50 mg/kg, respectively), FL (5 mg/kg), FL (50 mg/kg), or corn oil control. BaP-treated fish had liver microsome EROD activities significantly higher than controls, whereas FL-treated fish were not different from controls. EROD activities in BaP + FL cotreatments were significantly lower compared to fish treated with BaP alone. When FL was incubated with BaP-induced microsomes, the IC50 for inhibition of EROD activity was 1.4 x 10(-5) M FL. Kinetic studies indicated a significant noncompetitive component to the FL inhibition. When fish were treated with [(14)C]FL, the concentration of radiolabel associated with microsomal preparations was four orders of magnitude lower than the IC50. Therefore, the presence of FL or a FL metabolite was insufficient to account for the inhibition by a kinetic mechanism. In contrast to cell studies, CYP1A immunoreactive protein was significantly decreased in vivo by FL cotreatment, indicating that FL may inhibit EROD activity by down-regulating the CYP1A protein. A covalent interaction of [(14)C]FL with CYP1A was not detected. Total (32)P-postlabeled DNA adducts were not significantly changed by cotreatment of FL and BaP; however, cotreatment with 50 mg/kg FL decreased one adduct and increased another significantly. Because FL and perhaps other inhibitory PAHs, co-occur in the environment with CYP1A inducers, CYP1A-dependent bioassays may cause an underestimation of PAH exposures.