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Leighton GRM, Bishop JM, Camarero PR, Mateo R, O'Riain MJ, Serieys LEK. Poisoned chalice: Use of transformed landscapes associated with increased persistent organic pollutant concentrations and potential immune effects for an adaptable carnivore. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153581. [PMID: 35104517 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife around cities bioaccumulate multiple harmful environmental pollutants associated with human activities. Exposure severity can vary based on foraging behaviour and habitat use, which can be examined to elucidate exposure pathways. Carnivores can play vital roles in ecosystem stability but are particularly vulnerable to bioaccumulation of pollutants. Understanding the spatial and dietary predictors of these contaminants can inform pollutant control, and carnivores, at the top of food webs, can act as useful indicator species. We test for exposure to toxic organochlorines (OCs), including dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in a medium-sized felid, the caracal (Caracal caracal), across the peri-urban and agricultural landscapes of the city of Cape Town, South Africa. Concentrations in both blood (n = 69) and adipose tissue (n = 25) were analysed along with detailed spatial, dietary, demographic, and physiological data to assess OC sources and exposure risk. The analysis revealed widespread exposure of Cape Town's caracals to organochlorines: detection rate was 100% for PCBs and 83% for DDTs in blood, and 100% for both compounds in adipose. Caracals using human-transformed areas, such as vineyards and areas with higher human population and electrical transformer density, as well as wetland areas, had higher organochlorine burdens. These landscapes were also highly selected foraging areas, suggesting caracals are drawn into areas that co-incidentally increase their risk of exposure to these pollutants. Further, biomagnification potential was higher in individuals feeding on higher trophic level prey and on exotic prey. These findings point to bioaccumulation of OC toxicants and widespread exposure across local food webs. Additionally, we report possible physiological effects of exposure, including elevated white blood cell and platelet count, suggesting a degree of immunological response that may increase disease susceptibility. Cape Town's urban fringes likely represent a source of toxic chemicals for wildlife and require focused attention and action to ensure persistence of this adaptable mesocarnivore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R M Leighton
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Jacqueline M Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC - CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC - CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Laurel E K Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa; Panthera, NY, New York, USA
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Cable AB, Willcox EV, Leppanen C. Contaminant exposure as an additional stressor to bats affected by white-nose syndrome: current evidence and knowledge gaps. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:12-23. [PMID: 34625892 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02475-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bats are exposed to numerous threats including pollution and emerging diseases. In North America, the fungal disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused declines in many bat species. While the mechanisms of WNS have received considerable research attention, possible influences of contaminants have not. Herein, we review what is known about contaminant exposure and toxicity for four species whose populations have been severely affected by WNS (Myotis sodalis, M. septentrionalis, M. lucifugus, and Perimyotis subflavus) and identify temporal and spatial data gaps. We determine that there is limited information about the effects of contaminants on bats, and many compounds that have been detected in these bat species have yet to be evaluated for toxicity. The four species examined were exposed to a wide variety of contaminants; however, large spatial and knowledge gaps limit our ability to evaluate if contaminants contribute to species-level declines and if contaminant exposure exacerbates infection by WNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh B Cable
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA
| | - Emma V Willcox
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA.
| | - Christy Leppanen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 569 Dabney Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA
- The Center for Tobacco Products, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993-0002, USA
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3
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Sonne C, Siebert U, Gonnsen K, Desforges JP, Eulaers I, Persson S, Roos A, Bäcklin BM, Kauhala K, Tange Olsen M, Harding KC, Treu G, Galatius A, Andersen-Ranberg E, Gross S, Lakemeyer J, Lehnert K, Lam SS, Peng W, Dietz R. Health effects from contaminant exposure in Baltic Sea birds and marine mammals: A review. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 139:105725. [PMID: 32311628 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Here we review contaminant exposure and related health effects in six selected Baltic key species. Sentinel species included are common eider, white-tailed eagle, harbour porpoise, harbour seal, ringed seal and grey seal. The review represents the first attempt of summarizing available information and baseline data for these biomonitoring key species exposed to industrial hazardous substances focusing on anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs). There was only limited information available for white-tailed eagles and common eider while extensive information exist on POP exposure and health effects in the four marine mammal species. Here we report organ-tissue endpoints (pathologies) and multiple biomarkers used to evaluate health and exposure of key species to POPs, respectively, over the past several decades during which episodes of significant population declines have been reported. Our review shows that POP exposure affects the reproductive system and survival through immune suppression and endocrine disruption, which have led to population-level effects on seals and white-tailed eagles in the Baltic. It is notable that many legacy contaminants, which have been banned for decades, still appear to affect Baltic wildlife. With respect to common eiders, changes in food composition, quality and contaminant exposure seem to have population effects which need to be investigated further, especially during the incubation period where the birds fast. Since new industrial contaminants continuously leak into the environment, we recommend continued monitoring of them in sentinel species in the Baltic, identifying possible effects linked to climate change, and modelling of population level effects of contaminants and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China.
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
| | - Katharina Gonnsen
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Sara Persson
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Frescativägen 40, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Anna Roos
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Frescativägen 40, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Britt-Marie Bäcklin
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Frescativägen 40, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Kaarina Kauhala
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke. Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4 A, FI-20520 Turku, Finland.
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Evolutionary Genomics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Karin C Harding
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 25 SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Gabriele Treu
- German Environment Agency, Section Chemicals, Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
| | - Anders Galatius
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Emilie Andersen-Ranberg
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health, Dyrlægevej 16, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Stephanie Gross
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
| | - Jan Lakemeyer
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
| | - Kristina Lehnert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China; Pyrolysis Technology Research Group, Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (Akuatrop) & Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (Bio-D Tropika), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, MY-21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Wanxi Peng
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou CN-450002, China
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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Schlüter-Vorberg L, Coors A. Impact of an immunosuppressive human pharmaceutical on the interaction of a bacterial parasite and its invertebrate host. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 206:91-101. [PMID: 30468978 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of pollutants and pathogens may result in altered and often enhanced effects of the chemical, the biotic stressor or both. These interaction effects cannot be reliably predicted from the toxicity of the chemical or the virulence of the pathogen alone. While standardized detection methods for immunotoxic effects of chemicals exist with regard to human health, employing host-resistance assays with vertebrates, such standardized test systems are completely lacking for invertebrate species and no guidance is available on how immunotoxic effects of a chemical in invertebrates could be definitively identified. In the present study, we investigated the impact of the immunosuppressive pharmaceutical cyclosporine A (CsA) on the invertebrate host-pathogen system Daphnia magna - Pasteuria ramosa. CsA is a calcineurin-inhibitor in vertebrates and also known to have antibiotic as well as antifungal properties. Juvenile D. magna were exposed to CsA for 21 days with or without additional pathogen challenge during the first 72 h of exposure. Long-term survival of the host D. magna was synergistically impacted by co-exposure to the chemical and the pathogen, expressed e.g. in significantly enhanced hazard ratios. Additionally, enhanced virulence of the pathogen upon chemical co-exposure was expressed in an increased proportion of infected hosts and an increased speed of Pasteuria-induced host sterilization. In contrast, effects on reproduction were additive in Pasteuria-challenged, but finally non-infected D. magna. The enhancing effects of CsA occurred at and below 3 μg/L, which was in the absence of the pathogen the lowest concentration significantly impacting the standard toxicity endpoint 'reproduction' in D. magna. Hence, the present study provides evidence that a pharmaceutical intended to suppress the human immune system can also suppress disease resistance of an aquatic invertebrate organism at otherwise non-toxic concentrations. Plausible ways of direct interactions of CsA with the host's immune system are discussed, e.g. interference with phagocytosis or Toll-like receptors. Experimental verification of such a direct interference would be warranted to support the strong evidence for immunotoxic activity of CsA in invertebrates. While it remains open whether CsA concentrations in the environment are high enough to trigger adverse effects in environmental organisms, our findings highlight the need to consider immunotoxicity in an environmental risk assessment, and to develop suitable standardized methods for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Schlüter-Vorberg
- ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Flörsheim/Main, Germany; Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Anja Coors
- ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Flörsheim/Main, Germany
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5
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Alava JJ, Cheung WWL, Ross PS, Sumaila UR. Climate change-contaminant interactions in marine food webs: Toward a conceptual framework. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3984-4001. [PMID: 28212462 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is reshaping the way in which contaminants move through the global environment, in large part by changing the chemistry of the oceans and affecting the physiology, health, and feeding ecology of marine biota. Climate change-associated impacts on structure and function of marine food webs, with consequent changes in contaminant transport, fate, and effects, are likely to have significant repercussions to those human populations that rely on fisheries resources for food, recreation, or culture. Published studies on climate change-contaminant interactions with a focus on food web bioaccumulation were systematically reviewed to explore how climate change and ocean acidification may impact contaminant levels in marine food webs. We propose here a conceptual framework to illustrate the impacts of climate change on contaminant accumulation in marine food webs, as well as the downstream consequences for ecosystem goods and services. The potential impacts on social and economic security for coastal communities that depend on fisheries for food are discussed. Climate change-contaminant interactions may alter the bioaccumulation of two priority contaminant classes: the fat-soluble persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as the protein-binding methylmercury (MeHg). These interactions include phenomena deemed to be either climate change dominant (i.e., climate change leads to an increase in contaminant exposure) or contaminant dominant (i.e., contamination leads to an increase in climate change susceptibility). We illustrate the pathways of climate change-contaminant interactions using case studies in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. The important role of ecological and food web modeling to inform decision-making in managing ecological and human health risks of chemical pollutants contamination under climate change is also highlighted. Finally, we identify the need to develop integrated policies that manage the ecological and socioeconomic risk of greenhouse gases and marine pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Alava
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - William W L Cheung
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Peter S Ross
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - U Rashid Sumaila
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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6
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Kleinert C, Lacaze E, Mounier M, De Guise S, Fournier M. Immunotoxic effects of single and combined pharmaceuticals exposure on a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) B lymphoma cell line. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 118:237-247. [PMID: 28262249 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The potential risk of pharmaceuticals in the environment to top-predators is still largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the immunotoxic effects of ten pharmaceuticals individually and as mixtures on a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) B lymphoma cell line. A significant reduction in lymphocyte transformation was observed following an exposure to 12,500μg/L 17α-ethinyl estradiol and 25,000μg/L naproxen. Exposure to 12,500μg/L 17α-ethinyl estradiol decreased the percentage of cell in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle while increasing the percentage of cells in the S phase. Carbamazepine exposure increased the amount of cells in the G2/M phase. Binary mixtures showed synergistic effects in lymphocyte transformation, cell cycle and apoptosis assays. Concentrations inducing toxic effects in the cell line were similar to those affecting fish in previous studies. A reduction of functional activities of the immune system may lead to altered host resistance to pathogens in free-ranging pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Kleinert
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Edifice 18, 531 blvd. des Prairies, Laval (QC) H7V 1B7, Canada.
| | - Emilie Lacaze
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Edifice 18, 531 blvd. des Prairies, Laval (QC) H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Méryl Mounier
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Edifice 18, 531 blvd. des Prairies, Laval (QC) H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Sylvain De Guise
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, U-3089, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Michel Fournier
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Edifice 18, 531 blvd. des Prairies, Laval (QC) H7V 1B7, Canada.
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7
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Rehberger K, Werner I, Hitzfeld B, Segner H, Baumann L. 20 Years of fish immunotoxicology - what we know and where we are. Crit Rev Toxicol 2017; 47:509-535. [PMID: 28425344 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2017.1288024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite frequent field observations of impaired immune response and increased disease incidence in contaminant-exposed wildlife populations, immunotoxic effects are rarely considered in ecotoxicological risk assessment. The aim of this study was to review the literature on immunotoxic effects of chemicals in fish to quantitatively evaluate (i) which experimental approaches were used to assess immunotoxic effects, (ii) whether immune markers exist to screen for potential immunotoxic activities of chemicals, and (iii) how predictive those parameters are for adverse alterations of fish immunocompetence and disease resistance. A total of 241 publications on fish immunotoxicity were quantitatively analyzed. The main conclusions included: (i) To date, fish immunotoxicology focused mainly on innate immune responses and immunosuppressive effects. (ii) In numerous studies, the experimental conditions are poorly documented, as for instance age or sex of the fish or the rationale for the selected exposure conditions is often missing. (iii) Although a broad variety of parameters were used to assess immunotoxicity, the rationale for the choice of measured parameters was often not given, remaining unclear how they link to the suspected immunotoxic mode of action of the chemicals. (iv) At the current state of knowledge, it is impossible to identify a set of immune parameters that could reliably screen for immunotoxic potentials of chemicals. (v) Similarly, in fish immunotoxicology there is insufficient understanding of how and when chemical-induced modulations of molecular/cellular immune changes relate to adverse alterations of fish immunocompetence, although this would be crucial to include immunotoxicity in ecotoxicological risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Rehberger
- a Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty , University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland
| | - Inge Werner
- b Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology , Dübendorf , Switzerland
| | | | - Helmut Segner
- a Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty , University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland
| | - Lisa Baumann
- a Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty , University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland
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8
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Mottaz H, Schönenberger R, Fischer S, Eggen RIL, Schirmer K, Groh KJ. Dose-dependent effects of morphine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation, and involvement of multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) transporters in LPS efflux in teleost fish. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 221:105-115. [PMID: 28010888 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Opioid drugs, such as morphine (MO), detected in aquatic environments worldwide, may harm fish due to their semi-persistence and ability to potently interact with molecular targets conserved across vertebrates. Here, we established a waterborne bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge assay with zebrafish embryos as a model to investigate chemically-induced disruption of the innate immune system, and used it to study the effects of MO exposure. Exposure to 1 mg/L MO resulted in pronounced immunosuppression, reflected in downregulation of several inflammation-related genes, including myd88, trif, traf6, p38, nfκb2, il-1β, il-8 and ccl34a. Fish exposed to 1 mg/L MO accumulated 11.7 ng/g (wet weight) of MO, a concentration comparable to that reported in blood of chronic drug abusers subject to higher infection rates. Surprisingly, exposure to lower MO concentrations (100 ng/L-100 μg/L) led to exacerbation of LPS-induced inflammation. Two ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters known to be involved in the xenobiotic efflux - abcb4 and abcc2, also known as multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) transporters - were downregulated at 100 ng/L MO. We hypothesized that ABC/MXR transporters could modulate the severity of inflammation by being involved in efflux of LPS, thus regulating its accumulation in the organism. Indeed, we could demonstrate that blocking of ABC/MXR transporters by an inhibitor, cyclosporine A, results in stronger inflammation, coinciding with higher LPS accumulation, as visualized with fluorescently labeled LPS. Our work demonstrates that MO can disrupt fish innate immune responses at environmentally relevant concentrations. We also provide evidence for a role of ABC/MXR transporters in LPS efflux in fish. These finding may be applicable across other taxa, as ABC transporters are evolutionary conserved. Since diverse environmentally present chemicals are known to interfere with ABC/MXR transporters' expression or activity, our discovery raises concerns about potential adverse effects of such compounds on the immune system responses in aquatic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Mottaz
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Rene Schönenberger
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Fischer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Rik I L Eggen
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; ETH Zürich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kristin Schirmer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; ETH Zürich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland; EPF Lausanne, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Ksenia J Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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9
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Davis NE, Death CE, Coulson G, Newby L, Hufschmid J. Interspecific variation in the diets of herbivores in an industrial environment: implications for exposure to fluoride emissions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:10165-10176. [PMID: 26873827 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6234-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric fluorides (gaseous and particulate) are deposited on, and absorbed by, vegetation. Ingested fluoride accumulates in calcified tissues of vertebrates, and if it is excessive, it may lead to dental and skeletal fluorosis. The prevalence, form and severity of the effects vary greatly between species. Foraging strategy can be an important determinant of fluoride exposure in herbivores, because foliar fluoride concentrations vary between plant species, for example, according to vertical and lateral position in the vegetation. We combined microhistological analysis of diet and analysis of foliar fluoride levels to examine interspecific variation in dietary fluoride exposure of macropodid marsupials (swamp wallaby Wallabia bicolor, red-necked wallaby Notamacropus rufogriseus and eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus), in the buffer zone of an aluminium smelter in Victoria, Australia. Dietary niche differentiation between species was evident. The swamp wallaby and the red-necked wallaby were browsers or mixed feeders, depending on the classification system used. The eastern grey kangaroo was a grazer, consuming almost entirely grasses. However, foliar fluoride did not vary significantly between the main plant groups consumed. Our results indicate that interspecific variation in diet at this site is unlikely to explain variation in fluoride exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi E Davis
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Clare E Death
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Graeme Coulson
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lora Newby
- Portland Aluminium, Quarry Rd, Portland, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jasmin Hufschmid
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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10
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Alava JJ, Ross PS, Gobas FAPC. Food Web Bioaccumulation Model for Resident Killer Whales from the Northeastern Pacific Ocean as a Tool for the Derivation of PBDE-Sediment Quality Guidelines. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2016; 70:155-168. [PMID: 26289814 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-015-0215-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Resident killer whale populations in the NE Pacific Ocean are at risk due to the accumulation of pollutants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). To assess the impact of PBDEs in water and sediments in killer whale critical habitat, we developed a food web bioaccumulation model. The model was designed to estimate PBDE concentrations in killer whales based on PBDE concentrations in sediments and the water column throughout a lifetime of exposure. Calculated and observed PBDE concentrations exceeded the only toxicity reference value available for PBDEs in marine mammals (1500 μg/kg lipid) in southern resident killer whales but not in northern resident killer whales. Temporal trends (1993-2006) for PBDEs observed in southern resident killer whales showed a doubling time of ≈5 years. If current sediment quality guidelines available in Canada for polychlorinated biphenyls are applied to PBDEs, it can be expected that PBDE concentrations in killer whales will exceed available toxicity reference values by a large margin. Model calculations suggest that a PBDE concentration in sediments of approximately 1.0 μg/kg dw produces PBDE concentrations in resident killer whales that are below the current toxicity reference value for 95 % of the population, with this value serving as a precautionary benchmark for a management-based approach to reducing PBDE health risks to killer whales. The food web bioaccumulation model may be a useful risk management tool in support of regulatory protection for killer whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Alava
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, PO Box 3232, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X8, Canada.
| | - Peter S Ross
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, PO Box 3232, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X8, Canada
| | - Frank A P C Gobas
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
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Desforges JPW, Sonne C, Levin M, Siebert U, De Guise S, Dietz R. Immunotoxic effects of environmental pollutants in marine mammals. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2016; 86:126-139. [PMID: 26590481 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Due to their marine ecology and life-history, marine mammals accumulate some of the highest levels of environmental contaminants of all wildlife. Given the increasing prevalence and severity of diseases in marine wildlife, it is imperative to understand how pollutants affect the immune system and consequently disease susceptibility. Advancements and adaptations of analytical techniques have facilitated marine mammal immunotoxicology research. Field studies, captive-feeding experiments and in vitro laboratory studies with marine mammals have associated exposure to environmental pollutants, most notable polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals, to alterations of both the innate and adaptive arms of immune systems, which include aspects of cellular and humoral immunity. For marine mammals, reported immunotoxicology endpoints fell into several major categories: immune tissue histopathology, haematology/circulating immune cell populations, functional immune assays (lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis, respiratory burst, and natural killer cell activity), immunoglobulin production, and cytokine gene expression. Lymphocyte proliferation is by far the most commonly used immune assay, with studies using different organic pollutants and metals predominantly reporting immunosuppressive effects despite the many differences in study design and animal life history. Using combined field and laboratory data, we determined effect threshold levels for suppression of lymphocyte proliferation to be between b0.001-10 ppm for PCBs, 0.002-1.3 ppm for Hg, 0.009-0.06 for MeHg, and 0.1-2.4 for cadmium in polar bears and several pinniped and cetacean species. Similarly, thresholds for suppression of phagocytosis were 0.6-1.4 and 0.08-1.9 ppm for PCBs and mercury, respectively. Although data are lacking for many important immune endpoints and mechanisms of specific immune alterations are not well understood, this review revealed a systemic suppression of immune function in marine mammals exposed to environmental contaminants. Exposure to immunotoxic contaminants may have significant population level consequences as a contributing factor to increasing anthropogenic stress in wildlife and infectious disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre W Desforges
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Milton Levin
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany
| | - Sylvain De Guise
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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12
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Arblaster J, Ikonomou MG, Gobas FAPC. Toward ecosystem-based sediment quality guidelines for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2015; 11:689-700. [PMID: 25810036 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
To investigate whether Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Canada and British Columbia achieve their objective of protecting ecosystems, we measured and compiled concentrations of PCB congeners in sediments, bivalves, crustaceans, fish, and marine mammals from 3 areas off the Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. The concentration data showed that whereas PCB concentrations in sediments were predominantly below the SQG of 20 µg/kg dry weight, large fractions of the PCB concentrations in fish and shellfish species exceeded the tissue residue guideline for the consumption of fish and shellfish by wildlife (i.e., 50 µg/kg wet weight [ww]) but were below the tissue residue guideline for the consumption of fish and shellfish by human populations (i.e., 2000 µg/kg ww). Also, PCB concentrations in marine mammals exceeded toxicity reference concentrations. The concentration data were used to develop species- and location-specific Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factors (BSAF = Cbiota /Csediment ), that were used to estimate PCB concentrations in wildlife species that may exist if the PCB concentration in sediments are equal to the SQGs. The results show that if the PCB concentration is equal to the SQGs, then PCB concentrations in most wildlife species can be expected to exceed the tissue residue guideline for the consumption of fish and shellfish by wildlife species and by humans, as well as toxicity reference concentrations for marine mammals. A methodology for developing SQGs for PCBs that are protective of the health of different wildlife species and human consumers of fish and shellfish from general Canadian and coastal First Nations populations was developed and applied. The proposed guidelines may provide useful guidance to establish SQGs for PCBs that can account for the ecological diversity in coastal environments and that better achieve the intent of the guidelines to protect ecosystems. The proposed methodology for guideline development may also be useful in the development of SQGs for other bioaccumulative substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Arblaster
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Present address: ENVIRON International, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Michael G Ikonomou
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences, Ocean Sciences Division, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Frank A P C Gobas
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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13
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Adams J, Speakman T, Zolman E, Mitchum G, Wirth E, Bossart GD, Fair PA. The relationship between land use and emerging and legacy contaminants in an Apex predator, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), from two adjacent estuarine watersheds. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2014; 135:346-353. [PMID: 25462684 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persistent organohalogen contaminant (POC) exposure is of concern in marine mammals due to the potential for adverse health effects. Studies have examined POCs in marine mammals on a regional scale; however, limited data exists on POC concentrations relative to land use and watersheds. OBJECTIVE Examine geographical variation of POC concentrations in bottlenose dolphins as it relates to land, and watershed, use. METHODS POC (PCBs, DDTs, and PBDEs) concentrations were measured in blubber of bottlenose dolphins (n= 40) sampled in estuarine waters near Charleston, SC. Photo-identification sighting histories were used to assess the dolphins' use of estuarine waters in two adjacent watersheds (Cooper Subbasin and Stono Subbasin) in the study area and to determine land use (developed, forested, agriculture, and wetland) associations. RESULTS Dolphins with ≥ 75% of their sightings in the Cooper Subbasin, which is characterized by a higher degree of developed land use, exhibited higher levels of PCBs, PBDEs, and total pesticides than those with ≥ 75% of their sightings in the Stono Subbasin. Observed differences were significant for ΣPBDEs and ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs ratio. Significant positive correlations were observed between ΣPBDEs and developed land use and between ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs and wetland land use. A significant negative correlation was observed between ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs and developed land use. CONCLUSION The spatial pattern of PBDEs and the ΣDDTs/ΣPCBs detected in dolphin blubber was shown to vary significantly with adjacent watersheds and land use associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Adams
- Ocean Associates, Inc. Under Contract to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Todd Speakman
- JHT, Inc. Under Contract to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Lab, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Eric Zolman
- JHT, Inc. Under Contract to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Lab, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Greg Mitchum
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Edward Wirth
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Gregory D Bossart
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution at Florida Atlantic University, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Ft. Pierce, FL 34946, USA; Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30313, USA
| | - Patricia A Fair
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
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Miller I, Serchi T, Murk AJ, Gutleb AC. The added value of proteomics for toxicological studies. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2014; 17:225-246. [PMID: 24828453 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2014.904730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Proteomics has the potential to elucidate complex patterns of toxic action attributed to its unique holistic a posteriori approach. In the case of toxic compounds for which the mechanism of action is not completely understood, a proteomic approach may provide valuable mechanistic insight. This review provides an overview of currently available proteomic techniques, including examples of their application in toxicological in vivo and in vitro studies. Future perspectives for a wider application of state-of-the-art proteomic techniques in the field of toxicology are discussed. The examples concern experiments with dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers as model compounds, as they exhibit a plethora of sublethal effects, of which some mechanisms were revealed via successful proteomic studies. Generally, this review shows the added value of including proteomics in a modern tool box for toxicological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Miller
- a Institute for Medical Biochemistry, Department for Biomedical Sciences , University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Vienna , Austria
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15
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Slooten E, Wang JY, Dungan SZ, Forney KA, Hung SK, Jefferson TA, Riehl KN, Rojas-Bracho L, Ross PS, Wee A, Winkler R, Yang SC, Chen CA. Impacts of fisheries on the Critically Endangered humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis population in the eastern Taiwan Strait. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2013. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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16
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Hickie BE, Cadieux MA, Riehl KN, Bossart GD, Alava JJ, Fair PA. Modeling PCB-bioaccumulation in the Bottlenose Dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ): estimating a dietary threshold concentration. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:12314-12324. [PMID: 24073853 DOI: 10.1021/es403166b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
An individually based (IB) model to predict PCB concentrations in the bottlenose dolphin population of Charleston, SC, USA, was developed with the aim to gain a better understanding of the bioaccumulation behavior and health risk of dietary PCBs across the population and their prey. PCB concentrations predicted in male and female bottlenose dolphin were in good agreement with observed tissue concentrations corroborating the reliability of the model performance and its utility in gaining a more complete view of risk. The modeled cumulative distribution of ΣPCB concentrations for the population with a breakdown into juvenile, adult male, and female subclasses ranged from 3600 to 144,400 ng/g lipid with 66% to >80% of the population exceeding the established threshold for adverse health effects of 17,000 ng/g lipid. The model estimated that a dietary PCB concentration not exceeding 5.1 ng/g wet wt would be required to reach a condition where 95% of the population would have tissue levels below the health effect threshold. The IB model for PCBs in bottlenose dolphins provides a novel approach to estimating the maximum acceptable dietary concentration for PCBs, a central and important factor to protect these apex predators. The model also enables effective prediction of concentrations in dolphins from fish contaminant surveys which are logistically easier and less costly to collect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan E Hickie
- Environmental and Resource Studies Program and Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University , Peterborough, Ontario K9J7B8, Canada
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17
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Dupont A, Siebert U, Covaci A, Weijs L, Eppe G, Debier C, De Pauw-Gillet MC, Das K. Relationships between in vitro lymphoproliferative responses and levels of contaminants in blood of free-ranging adult harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from the North Sea. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 142-143:210-220. [PMID: 24051082 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2013.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Revised: 08/18/2013] [Accepted: 08/24/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In vitro culture of peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) is currently used in toxicological studies of marine mammals. However, blood cells of wild individuals are exposed in vivo to environmental contaminants before being isolated and exposed to contaminants in vitro. The aim of this study was to highlight potential relationships between blood contaminant levels and in vitro peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation in free-ranging adult harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from the North Sea. Blood samples of 18 individuals were analyzed for trace elements (Fe, Zn, Se, Cu, Hg, Pb, Cd) and persistent organic contaminants and metabolites (ΣPCBs, ΣHO-PCBs, ΣPBDEs, 2-MeO-BDE68 and 6-MeO-BDE47, ΣDDXs, hexachlorobenzene, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, pentachlorophenol and tribromoanisole). The same samples were used to determine the haematology profiles, cell numbers and viability, as well as the in vitro ConA-induced lymphocyte proliferation expressed as a stimulation index (SI). Correlation tests (Bravais-Pearson) and Principal Component Analysis with multiple regression revealed no statistically significant relationship between the lymphocyte SI and the contaminants studied. However, the number of lymphocytes per millilitre of whole blood appeared to be negatively correlated to pentachlorophenol (r=-0.63, p=0.005). In adult harbour seals, the interindividual variations of in vitro lymphocyte proliferation did not appear to be directly linked to pollutant levels present in the blood, and it is likely that other factors such as age, life history, or physiological parameters have an influence. In a general manner, experiments with in vitro immune cell cultures of wild marine mammals should be designed so as to minimize confounding factors in which case they remain a valuable tool to study pollutant effects in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Dupont
- Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE Center, University of Liège, B6c, allée de la chimie 3, B-4000 Liège (Sart-Tilman), Belgium
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18
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Alava JJ, Ross PS, Lachmuth C, Ford JKB, Hickie BE, Gobas FAPC. Habitat-based PCB environmental quality criteria for the protection of endangered killer whales (Orcinus orca). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:12655-12663. [PMID: 23098163 DOI: 10.1021/es303062q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The development of an area-based polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) food-web bioaccumulation model enabled a critical evaluation of the efficacy of sediment quality criteria and prey tissue residue guidelines in protecting fish-eating resident killer whales of British Columbia and adjacent waters. Model-predicted and observed PCB concentrations in resident killer whales and Chinook salmon were in good agreement, supporting the model's application for risk assessment and criteria development. Model application shows that PCB concentrations in the sediments from the resident killer whale's Critical Habitats and entire foraging range leads to PCB concentrations in most killer whales that exceed PCB toxicity threshold concentrations reported for marine mammals. Results further indicate that current PCB sediment quality and prey tissue residue criteria for fish-eating wildlife are not protective of killer whales and are not appropriate for assessing risks of PCB-contaminated sediments to high trophic level biota. We present a novel methodology for deriving sediment quality criteria and tissue residue guidelines that protect biota of high trophic levels under various PCB management scenarios. PCB concentrations in sediments and in prey that are deemed protective of resident killer whale health are much lower than current criteria values, underscoring the extreme vulnerability of high trophic level marine mammals to persistent and bioaccumulative contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Alava
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
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Doniol-Valcroze T, Lesage V, Giard J, Michaud R. Challenges in marine mammal habitat modelling: evidence of multiple foraging habitats from the identification of feeding events in blue whales. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2012. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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20
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Vanden Berghe M, Mat A, Arriola A, Polain S, Stekke V, Thomé JP, Gaspart F, Pomeroy P, Larondelle Y, Debier C. Relationships between vitamin A and PCBs in grey seal mothers and pups during lactation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2010; 158:1570-1575. [PMID: 20064681 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2009] [Revised: 12/05/2009] [Accepted: 12/08/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A previous study has shown a simultaneous increase of vitamin A and PCBs in grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) milk at late lactation (Debier et al., 2004). Here we sought to understand this unexpected relationship by comparing the dynamics of vitamin A and PCBs in the different tissue compartments of transfer. Lactating grey seals and their pups were sampled longitudinally in Scotland during the 2006 breeding season. As blubber reserves decreased, concentrations of vitamin A and PCBs increased during lactation in the inner layer of maternal blubber. A concomitant rise was observed in milk and consequently in the serum of suckling pups. The similar dynamics of vitamin A and PCBs in milk and inner blubber suggest a common mechanism of mobilisation from maternal body stores and transfer into the milk. A panel data analysis highlighted a negative impact of PCBs in milk and pup serum on vitamin A status in pup serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Vanden Berghe
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Unité de biochimie de la nutrition, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2/8, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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21
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Van Bressem MF, Santos MCDO, Oshima JEDF. Skin diseases in Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Paranaguá estuary, Brazil: a possible indicator of a compromised marine environment. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2009; 67:63-68. [PMID: 19101029 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2008.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2008] [Revised: 10/30/2008] [Accepted: 11/01/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We report on the presence of lobomycosis-like disease (LLD) and nodular skin disease (NSD) in a community of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) inhabiting the biologically and chemically contaminated Paranaguá estuary (Brazil) and on their absence in the community living in the cleaner Cananéia estuary. Prevalence rates of LLD and NSD were 3.9% and 12.6%, respectively, in 103 photo-identified (PI) dolphins from the Paranaguá estuary in the period 2006-2007. Adults and calves were affected. Lobomycosis-like lesions may be extensive and form large plaques. Skin nodules were sometimes ulcerated and associated with cutaneous traumas suggesting that traumatic injuries may play a role in the pathogenesis of this condition. In two adult dolphins, NSD evoked the beginning of LLD. In 1996-2007 none of the 200 PI Cananéia S. guianensis had LLD or NSD, a highly significant difference. Interestingly, these dolphins were reported to harbour relatively low concentrations of organochlorines. LLD and NSD are possibly indicators of environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M-F Van Bressem
- Cetacean Conservation Medicine Group (CMED), Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research (CEPEC), Museo de Delfines, Pucusana, Lima 20, Peru.
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22
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Frouin H, Lebeuf M, Saint-Louis R, Hammill M, Pelletier E, Fournier M. Toxic effects of tributyltin and its metabolites on harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) immune cells in vitro. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2008; 90:243-251. [PMID: 18937985 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2008.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2008] [Revised: 09/01/2008] [Accepted: 09/05/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The widespread environmental contamination, bioaccumulation and endocrine disruptor effects of butyltins (BTs) to wildlife are well documented. Although suspected, potential effects of BTs exposure on the immune system of marine mammals have been little investigated. In this study, we assessed the effects of tributyltin (TBT) and its dealkylated metabolites dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) on the immune responses of harbour seals. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from pup and adult harbour seals were exposed in vitro to varying concentrations of BTs. DBT resulted in a significant decrease at 100 and 200 nM of phagocytotic activity and reduced significantly phagocytic efficiency at 200 nM in adult seals. There was no effect in phagocytosis with TBT and MBT. In pups, the highest concentration (200 nM) of DBT inhibited phagocytic efficiency. A reduction of tumor-killing capacity of adult natural killer (NK) cells occurred when leukocytes were incubated in vitro with 50 nM DBT and 200 nM TBT for 24h. In adult seals, T-lymphocyte proliferation was significantly suppressed when the cells were exposed to 200 nM TBT and 100 nM DBT. In pups, the proliferative response increased after an exposure to 100 nM TBT and 50 nM DBT, but decreased with 200 nM TBT and 100 nM DBT. The immune functions were more affected by BTs exposure in adults than in pups, suggesting that other unsuspected mechanisms could trigger immune parameters in pups. The toxic potential of BTs followed the order of DBT>TBT>MBT. BT concentrations of harbour seal pups from the St. Lawrence Estuary (Bic National Park) ranged between 0.1-0.4 ng Sn/g wet weight (ww) and 1.2-13.4 ng Sn/g ww in blood and blubber, respectively. For these animals, DBT concentrations were consistently below the quantification limit of 0.04 ng Sn/g ww in blood and 0.2 ng Sn/g ww in blubber. Results suggest that concentrations measured in pups are considered too low to induce toxic effects to their immune system during first days of life. However, based on our in vitro results, we hypothesize that BTs, and DBT in particular, could pose a serious threat to the immune functions in free-ranging harbour seal adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héloïse Frouin
- Institut National de Recherche Scientifique - Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Quebec H7V 1B7, Canada.
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Riu A, Cravedi JP, Debrauwer L, Garcia A, Canlet C, Jouanin I, Zalko D. Disposition and metabolic profiling of [14C]-decabromodiphenyl ether in pregnant Wistar rats. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2008; 34:318-29. [PMID: 17481732 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2007.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Fully brominated diphenyl ether, decabromodiphenyl ether (DBDE), is one of the most widely used brominated flame retardants worldwide. Little data is available about the metabolic fate of DBDE in animal models and nothing at all about the extent of foetal exposure. In this work, pregnant Wistar rats were force-fed with 99.8% pure [14C]-DBDE over 96 h at a late stage of gestation (days 16 to 19). More than 19% of the administered dose was recovered in tissues and carcasses, demonstrating efficient absorption of DBDE despite its high molecular weight and low solubility. The highest concentrations of DBDE residues were found in endocrine glands (adrenals, ovaries) and in the liver, with lower values recorded for fat. In all tissue extracts, most of the radioactivity was associated with unchanged DBDE. The use of high-grade purity [14C]-DBDE allowed quantification of several metabolites present both in maternal tissues and in foetuses. These biotransformation products accounted for 9-27% of the extractable radioactivity in tissues and 14% of that in foetuses. Three nona-BDEs and one octa-BDE were identified by LC-APPI/MS. The unequivocal characterisation of a hydroxylated octa-BDE isolated from liver was confirmed by NMR. In rat, the main metabolic pathways of DBDE are debromination and oxidation. DBDE, and very likely most of its metabolites, are able to cross the placental barrier in rat. Metabolic profiles, obtained in vivo for the first time, demonstrated the presence of DBDE and major biotransformation products in endocrine glands as well as in foetuses. The biological activity of these metabolites still needs to be assessed in order to better understand the potential toxicity of DBDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Riu
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1089 Xénobiotiques, 180 chemin de Tournefeuille, BP3, 31931 Toulouse cedex 9, France
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Assunção MGL, Miller KA, Dangerfield NJ, Bandiera SM, Ross PS. Cytochrome P450 1A expression and organochlorine contaminants in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina): evaluating a biopsy approach. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2007; 145:256-64. [PMID: 17289438 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2006.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2006] [Revised: 12/22/2006] [Accepted: 12/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported in vivo induction of cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) by beta-naphthoflavone in skin and liver biopsies of captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi). The present study evaluated CYP1A expression (immunoblot analysis and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity-EROD) in harbour seals using two study designs: i) skin and liver biopsies from 20 harbour seal pups captured from coastal British Columbia (BC, Canada) and temporarily housed in captivity; and ii) skin biopsies from 42 free-ranging harbour seals captured and sampled on-site in multiple locations in BC and Washington State (USA). Toxic Equivalency Quotients (TEQs) were calculated for polychlorinated biphenyl, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, and polychlorinated dibenzofuran residues measured in blubber from a subset of study animals (n=30). CYP1A data from the seal pups held temporarily in captivity show that CYP1A protein levels were greater in liver than skin and that CYP1A protein and EROD activity were correlated in skin and liver. However, analysis of free-ranging seals from different sites revealed that blubber organochlorine TEQ values did not correlate with skin CYP1A levels. CYP1A protein levels and EROD activities in skin of seal pups from the BC locations and from Puget Sound were relatively low, possibly reflecting contaminant levels that were not high enough to elicit a response, a small sample size, or methodological limitations. Our results show that CYP1A measurements in skin show promise as a biomarker of contaminant exposure, but that refinements to techniques and a larger sample size are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta G L Assunção
- Marine Environmental Quality Section, Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, P.O. Box 6000, 9860 West Saanich Road, Sidney, BC, Canada
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Iwanowicz LR, Lerner DT, Blazer VS, McCormick SD. Aqueous exposure to Aroclor 1254 modulates the mitogenic response of Atlantic salmon anterior kidney T-cells: indications of short- and long-term immunomodulation. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2005; 72:305-14. [PMID: 15848250 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2005.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2004] [Revised: 01/07/2005] [Accepted: 01/18/2005] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exist as persistent organic pollutants in numerous river systems in the United States. Unfortunately, some of these rivers are sites of active Atlantic salmon restoration programs, and polychlorinated biphenyls have been implicated as ancillary factors contributing to failed salmon restoration. Here, we investigate the immediate and chronic effects of intermediate duration aqueous PCB exposure (1 or 10 microgL-1 Aroclor 1254) on the mitogen-stimulated lymphoproliferative response of Atlantic salmon anterior kidney leukocytes (AKLs). A short-term study was designed to examine immunomodulation in Atlantic salmon smolts immediately following 21 days of aqueous exposure, while a long-term study evaluated chronic impacts in the mitogen response in parr 15 months post-exposure as larvae. The proliferative response of AKLs to the mitogens concanavalin A (CON A), phytohemaglutinnin-P (PHA-P), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and lipopolysaccharide were used as an indice of immunomodulation. The proliferative response to the T-cell mitogens CON A and PHA-P was significantly increased in the 10 microgL-1 group (n=10; P=0.043 and 0.002, respectively) immediately following exposure of smolts. Additionally, The PHA-P response was significantly increased in the 1 microgL-1 exposure group (n=10, P=0.036). In fish treated as larvae and tested 15 months later, the PHA-P sensitive populations exhibited elevated proliferation in the 1 and 10 microgL-1 groups (n=12, P<0.04) relative to the vehicle control while the PWM response was significantly increased (n=12, P=0.036) only in the 10 microgL-1 treated groups. These results demonstrate an immunomodulatory effect of PCBs on T-cell mitogen sensitive populations of lymphocytes in Atlantic salmon as well as long-term immunomodulation in PHA-P and PWM sensitive populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Iwanowicz
- Department of Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Levin M, Morsey B, Mori C, Nambiar PR, De Guise S. PCBs and TCDD, alone and in mixtures, modulate marine mammal but not B6C3F1 mouse leukocyte phagocytosis. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2005; 68:635-56. [PMID: 15901092 DOI: 10.1080/15287390590921766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence has supported the general hypothesis that organochlorines (OC) can produce immunotoxic effects in marine mammals. One important innate defense mechanism is phagocytosis, the ability of cells to ingest extracellular macromolecules. The present study is aimed at characterizing the immunomodulatory potential of mixtures of OCs on phagocytosis compared to that of individual compounds in different species of marine mammals and mice, the traditional model to study mammalian immunotoxicity. The ability of peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes to engulf fluorescent microspheres was evaluated using flow cytometry. The immunomodulatory effects of three non-coplanar polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, 138, 153, 180, one coplanar PCB, 169, as well as 2,3,7,8-TCDD, and all possible mixtures (26) were tested upon in vitro exposure. All species were not equally sensitive to the adverse effects of OCs on either neutrophils or monocytes phagocytosis. With the exception of harbor seals, all mixtures that significantly modulated neutrophil or monocyte phagocytosis contained at least one non-coplanar PCB. Regression analysis revealed that the non-coplanar congeners, more than the coplanar congeners, explained the variability in phagocytosis. Dendrograms revealed that phylogeny could not predict immunotoxicity. The currently used toxic equivalency (TEQ) approach and the traditional mouse model both failed to predict experimentally induced immunomodulatory effects in marine mammals tested, leading us to question the reliability of both TEQs and mouse model in risk assessment of OC mixtures. Testing the relative sensitivity to immunomodulatory effects of contaminants and contaminant mixtures between different species of marine mammals may have important implications for risk assessment as well as conservation and management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milton Levin
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA.
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27
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Stentiford GD, Feist SW. A histopathological survey of shore crab (Carcinus maenas) and brown shrimp (Crangon crangon) from six estuaries in the United Kingdom. J Invertebr Pathol 2005; 88:136-46. [PMID: 15766930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2005.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2004] [Revised: 10/13/2004] [Accepted: 01/03/2005] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Invertebrates show considerable potential as sentinel organisms for the monitoring of the health status of aquatic systems. They are generally small, abundant, relatively sessile, and may readily bioaccumulate toxins. Cascade-like stress responses can occur following acute or chronic exposures to contaminated environments and as such, the overall health status of individuals within those environments, both in terms of histopathological lesions and the presence of infecting organisms, may ultimately reflect the general health status of these sites. The current study provides baseline multi-organ histopathological data for two common crustacean species, the shore crab (Carcinus maenas) and the brown shrimp (Crangon crangon) collected from six UK estuarine sites. Changes in the metabolic condition of crustaceans from these sites (measured in terms of connective tissue storage cell status) were interpreted in relation to other health measures (including parasite load and the presence of microbial pathogens). The relative ease at which a holistic assessment of health can be made using histopathology and the suitability of these species as environmental sentinels provide support for the inclusion of crustaceans as indicators of aquatic environmental health. Studies linking disease status to burdens of industrial contamination in these environments are now required.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D Stentiford
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK.
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Beckmen KB, Blake JE, Ylitalo GM, Stott JL, O'Hara TM. Organochlorine contaminant exposure and associations with hematological and humoral immune functional assays with dam age as a factor in free-ranging northern fur seal pups (Callorhinus ursinus). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2003; 46:594-606. [PMID: 12735957 DOI: 10.1016/s0025-326x(03)00039-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Potential effects of organochlorine contaminant (OC) exposure on humoral immune function and health of free-ranging northern fur seals were investigated. Forty-two "neonates" were captured for blood sample collection and re-sampled as "pups" 29-51 days later. OCs were extracted from whole blood to identify polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and chlorinated pesticides by high performance liquid chromatography. Humoral immune function was assessed by antibody responses to vaccination and immunoglobulin concentrations. Additional health status indicators included leukocyte counts and haptoglobin concentrations. Mean OC concentrations were higher in neonates than at recapture. Neonates of young dams had higher mean OC concentrations than neonates of older dams. A higher proportion of old dam's pups developed a twofold or greater increase in antigen-specific antibodies compared to young dam's pups. Higher OC exposure and poor immune responses in first-born pups may indicate a higher risk of secondary morbidity and mortality than pups of multiparous dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberlee B Beckmen
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
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Mos L, Ross PS, McIntosh D, Raverty S. Canine distemper virus in river otters in British Columbia as an emergent risk for coastal pinnipeds. Vet Rec 2003; 152:237-9. [PMID: 12625539 DOI: 10.1136/vr.152.8.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L Mos
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, 9860 West Saanich Road, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
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Mos L, Ross PS. Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal (Phoca vitulina): a tissue-based biomarker approach. CAN J ZOOL 2002. [DOI: 10.1139/z02-152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin A is a nutrient essential to all mammals for growth and development, as well as for the maintenance of reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems. Environmental contaminant-related disruption of vitamin A has been observed in many wildlife species and can therefore be used as a biomarker of toxic effects. However, the natural processes regulating vitamin A uptake, storage, and distribution among compartments are poorly understood in marine mammals. In this study, 20 young healthy harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) were captured to establish a compartment-based model providing a foundation for a mechanistic understanding of vitamin A physiology and disruption. Vitamin A (retinol, retinyl palmitate, and (or) retinoic acid) was quantified in blood plasma and in biopsy samples of liver, blubber, and skin. Although the highest concentrations of vitamin A were found in liver, blubber represents a more important storage depot, with an estimated 66% of the total retinoid content of the compartments measured. We suggest that vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal has evolved to deal with high vitamin A availability during a short nursing period and to sustain growth during the postweaning fast. Positive correlations in vitamin A concentrations among liver, blubber, and skin support the use of less invasive biopsy sampling of just blubber or skin, which can provide physiologically relevant information in biomarker studies of free-ranging marine mammals.
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Van Loveren H, Ross PS, Osterhaus AD, Vos JG. Contaminant-induced immunosuppression and mass mortalities among harbor seals. Toxicol Lett 2000; 112-113:319-24. [PMID: 10720747 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-4274(99)00198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Virus-associated mass mortalities among seals inhabiting northwestern Europe have generated an interest in immunotoxicology in this species. A morbillivirus has been isolated from victims, but a contribution of immunotoxic contaminants to the severity of the outbreaks could not be ruled out. Fish-eating seals occupy high trophic levels in the aquatic food chain, and accumulate high levels of contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Such chemicals have been found to be immunotoxic at low doses in studies of laboratory animals. We carried out an immunotoxicological study, in which captive harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) were fed herring from either relatively uncontaminated sites of the Atlantic Ocean, or from the highly contaminated Baltic Sea. In this report we summarize the contaminant-related immunosuppression observed in the captive group of seals fed herring from the Baltic Sea. In addition, we describe two parallel studies, in which laboratory rats are exposed as adults or perinatally to the contaminants in the Baltic Sea herring, exhibiting immunotoxicity. On the basis of these studies we conclude that complex mixtures of environmental contaminants including PCBs, PCDFs, and PCDDs may represent a real immunotoxic risk to free-ranging seals.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Van Loveren
- Laboratory for Pathology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
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Fournier M, Dégas V, Colborn T, Omara FO, Denizeau F, Potworowski EF, Brousseau P. Immunosuppression in mice fed on diets containing beluga whale blubber from the St Lawrence estuary and the Arctic populations. Toxicol Lett 2000; 112-113:311-7. [PMID: 10720746 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-4274(99)00241-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In order to assess the immunotoxic potential of naturally relevant mixtures of PCBs and other organohalogens, C57Bl/6 mice were fed on diets in which lipids were replaced by blubber of beluga whales from the highly contaminated population of the Saint-Lawrence River, and the less contaminated population from the Arctic. Different ratios of blubber from both sources were mixed in order to allow a dose-response study. Mice were fed for a period of 90 days at the end of which their immunological status was monitored. For general parameters such as body weight, weight of the spleen and the thymus no significant effect of diets were observed. The immunological endpoints such as the blastic transformation of splenocytes and the spleen NK cell activity were not significantly affected by any of the diets compared to control diets. While the different cell subpopulations of peripheral blood and thymus were not affected by the diets, a significant decrease was noted in the CD8+ T cell population in the spleen of mice fed with most of the diets containing beluga blubber. Moreover, the ability of splenic cells to elicit humoral response against sheep red blood cells as well as the potential of peritoneal macrophages to perform phagocytosis were suppressed by all diets containing beluga blubbers. In summary, there was no differences between the groups fed with a blubber diet with low and high organochlorine contamination. However, a clear immunosuppression was demonstrated when these groups were compared to the group fed with beef oil. Despite the fact that we cannot exclude a possible contribution of the fatty acid composition of the beluga blubber to the immunosupression, these results suggest the sensitivity of mouse immune system towards organohalogens, and point out the toxic potential of contaminant mixtures as found in the less contaminated Arctic population.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fournier
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier Santé Humaine. 245 Hymus Boulevard, Point-Claire, Canada.
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Vos JG, Dybing E, Greim HA, Ladefoged O, Lambré C, Tarazona JV, Brandt I, Vethaak AD. Health effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on wildlife, with special reference to the European situation. Crit Rev Toxicol 2000; 30:71-133. [PMID: 10680769 DOI: 10.1080/10408440091159176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 439] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Many wildlife species may be exposed to biologically active concentrations of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. There is strong evidence obtained from laboratory studies showing the potential of several environmental chemicals to cause endocrine disruption at environmentally realistic exposure levels. In wildlife populations, associations have been reported between reproductive and developmental effects and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In the aquatic environment, effects have been observed in mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and mollusks from Europe, North America, and other areas. The observed abnormalities vary from subtle changes to permanent alterations, including disturbed sex differentiation with feminized or masculinized sex organs, changed sexual behavior, and altered immune function. For most reported effects in wildlife, however, the evidence for a causal link with endocrine disruption is weak or nonexisting. Crucial in establishing causal evidence for chemical-induced wildlife effects appeared semifield or laboratory studies using the wildlife species of concern. Impaired reproduction and development causally linked to endocrine-disrupting chemicals are well documented in a number of species and have resulted in local or regional population changes. These include: Masculinization (imposex) in female marine snails by tributyltin, a biocide used in antifouling paints, is probably the clearest case of endocrine disruption caused by an environmental chemical. The dogwhelk is particularly sensitive, and imposex has resulted in decline or extinction of local populations worldwide, including coastal areas all over Europe and the open North Sea. DDE-induced egg-shell thinning in birds has caused severe population declines in a number of raptor species in Europe and North America. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals have adversely affected a variety of fish species. In the vicinity of certain sources (e.g., effluents of water treatment plants) and in the most contaminated areas is this exposure causally linked with the effects on reproductive organs that could have implications for fish populations. However, there is also a more widespread occurrence of endocrine disruption in fish in the U.K., where estrogenic effects have been demonstrated in freshwater systems, in estuaries, and in coastal areas. In mammals, the best evidence comes from the-field studies on Baltic gray and ringed seals, and from the Dutch semifield studies on harbor seals, where both reproduction and immune functions have been impaired by PCBs in the food chain. Reproduction effects resulted in population declines, whereas impaired immune function has likely contributed to the mass mortalities due to morbillivirus infections. Distorted sex organ development and function in alligators has been related to a major pesticide spill into a lake in Florida, U.S.A. The observed estrogenic/antiandrogenic effects in this reptile have been causally linked in experimental studies with alligator eggs to the DDT complex. Although most observed effects currently reported concern heavily polluted areas, endocrine disruption is a potential global problem. This is exemplified by the widespread occurrence of imposex in marine snails and the recent findings of high levels of persistent potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals in several marine mammalian species inhabiting oceanic waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Vos
- National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Chou HY, Peng TY, Chang SJ, Hsu YL, Wu JL. Effect of heavy metal stressors and salinity shock on the susceptibility of grouper (Epinephelus sp.) to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus. Virus Res 1999; 63:121-9. [PMID: 10509723 DOI: 10.1016/s0168-1702(99)00065-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, attempts were made to clarify the effect of heavy metal stressors and salinity shock on the disease susceptibility of grouper fry (Epinephelus sp.) to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) infection. Zinc, cadmium and copper (5 ppm ZnCl2, 3 ppm CdCl2 and 1 ppm CuCl2) were used to treat groupers before and after virus infection. Cumulative mortalities in the experimental groups were 96-100% within 42 days. Only 5-15% mortalities were observed in most of the groups that were exposed to either heavy metals or virus infection alone. Subsequently, virus was re-isolated from the experimentally infected groupers, and copper concentration was measured in fish that had been exposed to CuCl2. We also investigated the effect of salinity shock (i.e. an abrupt change of salinity level from 33 ppt to either 40 ppt or 20 ppt) on susceptibility of grouper to IPNV. Similar results were obtained, mortalities of groupers in the experimental groups reached 80-100%. The results of the present study suggest that an IPN virus with only low pathogenicity could cause high mortality in groupers when combined with environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Y Chou
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, ROC.
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