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Arnold C. From Canaries to Cats: Domestic Animals as Sentinels for Human Exposure Effects. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:112001. [PMID: 37966804 PMCID: PMC10650500 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
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Hegedus C, Andronie L, Uiuiu P, Jurco E, Lazar EA, Popescu S. Pets, Genuine Tools of Environmental Pollutant Detection. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2923. [PMID: 37760323 PMCID: PMC10525180 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In a shared environment, our companion animals became unintended sentinels for pollutant exposure consequences, developing even earlier similar conditions to humans. This review focused on the human-pet cohabitation in an environment we all share. Alongside other species, canine and feline companions are veritable models in human medical research. The latency period for showing chronic exposure effects to pollutants is just a few years in them, compared to considerably more, decades in humans. Comparing the serum values of people and their companion animals can, for example, indicate the degree of poisonous lead load we are exposed to and of other substances as well. We can find 2.4 times higher perfluorochemicals from stain- and grease-proof coatings in canine companions, 23 times higher values of flame retardants in cats, and 5 times more mercury compared to the average levels tested in humans. All these represent early warning signals. Taking these into account, together with the animal welfare orientation of today's society, finding non-invasive methods to detect the degree of environmental pollution in our animals becomes paramount, alongside the need to raise awareness of the risks carried by certain chemicals we knowingly use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Hegedus
- Department of Fundamental Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Luisa Andronie
- Department of Biophysics, Meteorology and Climatology, Faculty of Forestry and Cadastre, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Paul Uiuiu
- Department of Fundamental Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Eugen Jurco
- Department of Technological Sciences, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Eva Andrea Lazar
- Association for the Welfare of Horses, 725700 Vatra Dornei, Romania;
| | - Silvana Popescu
- Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
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Pocar P, Grieco V, Aidos L, Borromeo V. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Their Effects in Pet Dogs and Cats: An Overview. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030378. [PMID: 36766267 PMCID: PMC9913107 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, several pollutants classified as environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have become a matter of significant public health concern. Companion animals play a major role in human society, and pet ownership is substantially increasing worldwide. These intimate human-pet relationships imply sharing much of the same environment, thus including exposure to similar levels of EDCs in daily routine. Here, we review the current knowledge on the sources and routes of exposure to EDCs in domestic indoor and outdoor environments and discuss whether endocrine disruption is a health concern in pets. We summarize the phenomenon of endocrine disruption, providing examples of EDCs with a known impact on dog and cat health. Then, we propose an overview of the literature on the adverse effects of EDCs in domestic pets, with a special focus on the health of reproductive and thyroid systems. Finally, we explore the potential role of companion animals as unintentional sentinels of environmental exposure to EDCs and the implications for public health risk assessment in a "shared risk" scenario. Overall, this review supports the need for an integrated approach considering humans, animals, and the environment as a whole for a comprehensive assessment of the impact of EDCs on human and animal health.
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Mechanisms of Male Reproductive Toxicity of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214229. [PMID: 36430706 PMCID: PMC9693139 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are a group of flame retardants used in a variety of artificial materials. Despite being phased out in most industrial countries, they remain in the environment and human tissues due to their persistence, lipophilicity, and bioaccumulation. Populational and experimental studies demonstrate the male reproductive toxicity of PBDEs including increased incidence of genital malformations (hypospadias and cryptorchidism), altered weight of testes and other reproductive tissues, altered testes histology and transcriptome, decreased sperm production and sperm quality, altered epigenetic regulation of developmental genes in spermatozoa, and altered secretion of reproductive hormones. A broad range of mechanistic hypotheses of PBDE reproductive toxicity has been suggested. Among these hypotheses, oxidative stress, the disruption of estrogenic signaling, and mitochondria disruption are affected by PBDE concentrations much higher than concentrations found in human tissues, making them unlikely links between exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes in the general population. Robust evidence suggests that at environmentally relevant doses, PBDEs and their metabolites may affect male reproductive health via mechanisms including AR antagonism and the disruption of a complex network of metabolic signaling.
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Hsiao ZH, Li L, Yu X, Yin L. Characterization of primary canine Sertoli cells as a model to test male reproductive toxicant. Toxicol In Vitro 2022; 84:105452. [PMID: 35931286 PMCID: PMC10351342 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2022.105452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Sertoli cells play critical roles in regulating spermatogenesis and testis development by providing structural and nutritional support. This study aimed to develop a standard protocol for canine Sertoli cell isolation and culture; and characterize its biological features, functionality, and application of compound toxicity testing. Canine testicles were received from the neuter clinic, and three-step of enzymatic digestion was applied to isolate Sertoli cells. We characterized the growth and purity of Sertoli cells with the expression of SOX9, GATA4, and Clusterin. In addition, we selected cadmium as a model toxicant to evaluate the toxic responses in the newly established Sertoli cells using High-content Analysis (HCA). With our optimized protocol, the purity of isolated Sertoli cells was above 95%, as determined with Sertoli cell-specific protein markers of SOX9 and GATA4. More importantly, primary Sertoli cell populations could be expanded rapidly in vitro, passaged (up to seven), and cryopreserved. The HCA-based assay revealed that cadmium at 1 μM induced both disruptions of cytoskeletal and DNA damage responses. Furthermore, we established an HCA assay with the newly isolated and optimized culture of canine Sertoli cells to evaluate the epigenetic markers of histone modification. We found cadmium-induced differential changes in histone modifications H3Me3K9, H3Me3K36, H4Me3K20, and H4acK5. In summary, we have established the standardized protocol to produce canine Sertoli cells with Sertoli cell-specific phenotype. The isolation and expansion of large quantities of canine Sertoli cells will provide broad applications in studying male infertility, reproductive toxicology, testicular cancer, and cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoey Hsuan Hsiao
- Reprotox Biotech LLC, 800 Bradbury, Drive, SE, Science &Technology Park, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States of America
| | - Lu Li
- Reprotox Biotech LLC, 800 Bradbury, Drive, SE, Science &Technology Park, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States of America
| | - Xiaozhong Yu
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States of America
| | - Lei Yin
- Reprotox Biotech LLC, 800 Bradbury, Drive, SE, Science &Technology Park, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States of America.
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Kortenkamp A, Scholze M, Ermler S, Priskorn L, Jørgensen N, Andersson AM, Frederiksen H. Combined exposures to bisphenols, polychlorinated dioxins, paracetamol, and phthalates as drivers of deteriorating semen quality. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 165:107322. [PMID: 35691715 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Semen quality in men continues to decline in Western countries, but the contours of the issue remain obscure, in relation to contributing chemicals. OBJECTIVES To obtain more clarity about the chemicals that drive the deterioration of semen quality, we conducted a mixture risk assessment based on European exposures. METHODS We included chemicals capable of affecting semen quality after prenatal exposures, among them androgen receptor antagonists, substances that disrupt prostaglandin signalling, suppress testosterone synthesis, inhibit steroidogenic enzymes or activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. We employed the Hazard Index approach (HI), based on risk quotients of exposures in Europe and reference doses for reductions in semen quality. By summing up the risk quotients of the 29 chemicals included in the assessment we examined fold-exceedances of "acceptable" mixture exposures relative to an index value of 1. For bisphenols A, F, S, phthalates DEHP, DnBP, BBzP, DiNP, n-butyl paraben and paracetamol we relied on biomonitoring studies in which these 9 chemicals were measured together in the same subjects. This allowed us to construct personalised Hazard Indices. RESULTS Highly exposed subjects experienced combined exposures to the 9 chemicals that exceeded the index value of 1 by more than 100-fold; the median was a 17-fold exceedance. Accounting for median background exposures to the remaining 20 chemicals added a Hazard Index of 1.39. Bisphenol A made the largest contribution to the HI, followed by polychlorinated dioxins, bisphenols S and F and DEHP. Eliminating bisphenol A alone would still leave unacceptably high mixture risks. Paracetamol is also a driver of mixture risks among subjects using the drug. CONCLUSIONS Tolerable exposures to substances associated with deteriorations of semen quality are exceeded by a large margin. Bisphenols, polychlorinated dioxins, phthalates and analgesics drive these risks. Dedicated efforts towards lowering exposures to these substances are necessary to mitigate risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kortenkamp
- Brunel University London, Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.
| | - Martin Scholze
- Brunel University London, Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Sibylle Ermler
- Brunel University London, Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Lærke Priskorn
- Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Department of Growth and Reproduction, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark; International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Jørgensen
- Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Department of Growth and Reproduction, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark; International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna-Maria Andersson
- Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Department of Growth and Reproduction, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark; International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Department of Growth and Reproduction, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark; International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark
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