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Wagenaars F, Cenijn P, Scholze M, Frädrich C, Renko K, Köhrle J, Hamers T. Screening for endocrine disrupting chemicals inhibiting monocarboxylate 8 (MCT8) transporter facilitated thyroid hormone transport using a modified nonradioactive assay. Toxicol In Vitro 2024; 96:105770. [PMID: 38151217 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Early neurodevelopmental processes are strictly dependent on spatial and temporally modulated of thyroid hormone (TH) availability and action. Thyroid hormone transmembrane transporters (THTMT) are critical for regulating the local concentrations of TH, namely thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-tri-iodothyronine (T3), in the brain. Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) is one of the most prominent THTMT. Genetically induced deficiencies in expression, function or localization of MCT8 are associated with irreversible and severe neurodevelopmental adversities. Due to the importance of MCT8 in brain development, studies addressing chemical interferences of MCT8 facilitated T3 uptake are a crucial step to identify TH system disrupting chemicals with this specific mode of action. Recently a non-radioactive in vitro assay has been developed to rapidly screen for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) acting upon MCT8 mediated transport. This study explored the use of an UV-light digestion step as an alternative for the original ammonium persulfate (APS) digestion step. The non-radioactive TH uptake assay, with the incorporated UV-light digestion step of TH, was then used to screen a set of 31 reference chemicals and environmentally relevant substances to detect inhibition of MCT8-depending T3 uptake. This alternative assay identified three novel MCT8 inhibitors: methylmercury, bisphenol-AF and bisphenol-Z and confirmed previously known MCT8 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Wagenaars
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-Life), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), De Boelelaan 1085, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Cenijn
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-Life), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), De Boelelaan 1085, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Scholze
- Brunel University London, Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Caroline Frädrich
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, Hessische Strasse 3-4, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kostja Renko
- German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Köhrle
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, Hessische Strasse 3-4, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo Hamers
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-Life), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), De Boelelaan 1085, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Lawrence KJ, Scholze M, Seixo J, Daley F, Al-Haddad E, Craenen K, Gillham C, Rake C, Peto J, Anderson R. M-FISH evaluation of chromosome aberrations to examine for historical exposure to ionising radiation due to participation at British nuclear test sites. J Radiol Prot 2024; 44:011501. [PMID: 38193305 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ad1743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Veterans of the British nuclear testing programme represent a population of ex-military personnel who had the potential to be exposed to ionising radiation through their participation at nuclear testing sites in the 1950s and 1960s. In the intervening years, members of this population have raised concerns about the status of their health and that of their descendants, as a consequence. Radiation dose estimates based on film badge measurements of external dose recorded at the time of the tests suggest any exposure to be limited for the majority of personnel, however, only ∼20% of personnel were monitored and no measurement for internalised exposure are on record. Here, to in-part address families concerns, we assay for chromosomal evidence of historical radiation exposure in a group of aged nuclear test (NT) veterans, using multiplexin situhybridisation (M-FISH), for comparison with a matched group of veterans who were not present at NT sites. In total, we analysed 9379 and 7698 metaphase cells using M-FISH (24-colour karyotyping) from 48 NT and 38 control veteran samples, representing veteran servicemen from the army, Royal Airforce and Royal Navy. We observed stable and unstable simple- and complex-type chromosome aberrations in both NT and control veterans' samples, however find no significant difference in yield of any chromosome aberration type between the two cohorts. We do observe higher average frequencies of complex chromosome aberrations in a very small subset of veterans previously identified as having a higher potential for radiation exposure, which may be indicative of internalised contamination to long-lived radionuclides from radiation fallout. By utilising recently published whole genome sequence analysis data of a sub-set of the same family groups, we examined for but found no relationship between paternal chromosome aberration burden, germline mutation frequency and self-reported concerns of adverse health in family members, suggesting that the previously reported health issues by participants in this study are unlikely to be associated with historical radiation exposure. We did observe a small number of families, representing both control and NT cohorts, showing a relationship between paternal chromosome aberrations and germline mutation sub-types which should be explored in future studies. In conclusion, we find no cytogenetic evidence of historical radiation exposure in the cohort of nuclear veterans sampled here, offering reassurance that attendance at NTs sites by the veterans sampled here, was not associated with significant levels of exposure to radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty Josephine Lawrence
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Scholze
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Jose Seixo
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Frances Daley
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Al-Haddad
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Kai Craenen
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Clare Gillham
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Rake
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Peto
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Rhona Anderson
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
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Kortenkamp A, Martin O, Iacovidou E, Scholze M. Drivers of divergent assessments of bisphenol-A hazards to semen quality by various European agencies, regulators and scientists. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 255:114293. [PMID: 37976583 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The downward revision of the bisphenol A (BPA) Health-based Guidance Value (HBGV) by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has led to disagreements with other regulatory agencies, among them the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). The BfR has recently published an alternative Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI), 1000-times higher than the EFSA HBGV of 0.2 ng/kg/d. While the EFSA value is defined in relation to immunotoxicity, the BfR alternative TDI is based on declines in sperm counts resulting from exposures in adulthood. Earlier, we had used semen quality deteriorations to estimate a BPA Reference Dose (RfD) of 3 ng/kg/d for use in mixture risk assessments of male reproductive health. We derived this estimate from animal studies of gestational BPA exposures which both EFSA and BfR viewed as irrelevant for human hazard characterisations. Here, we identify factors that drive these diverging views. We find that the fragmented, endpoint-oriented study evaluation system used by EFSA and BfR, with its emphasis on data that can support dose-response analyses, has obscured the overall BPA effect pattern relevant to male reproductive effects. This has led to a disregard for the effects of gestational BPA exposures. We also identify problems with the study evaluation schemes used by EFSA and BfR which leads to the omission of entire streams of evidence from consideration. The main driver of the diverging views of EFSA and BfR is the refusal by BfR to accept immunotoxic effects as the basis for establishing an HBGV. We find that switching from immunotoxicity to declines in semen quality as the basis for deriving a BPA TDI by deterministic or probabilistic approaches produces values in the range of 2.4-6.6 ng/kg/d, closer to the present EFSA HBGV of 0.2 ng/kg/d than the BfR TDI of 200 ng/kg/d. The proposed alternative BfR value is the result of value judgements which erred on the side of disregarding evidence that could have supported a lower TDI. The choices made in terms of selecting key studies and methods for dose-response analyses produced a TDI that comes close to doses shown to produce effects on semen quality in animal studies and in human studies of adult BPA exposures.
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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.
| | - Olwenn Martin
- University College London, Department of Arts and Science, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Iacovidou
- 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
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Keßel HE, Masjosthusmann S, Bartmann K, Blum J, Dönmez A, Förster N, Klose J, Mosig A, Pahl M, Leist M, Scholze M, Fritsche E. The impact of biostatistics on hazard characterization using in vitro developmental neurotoxicity assays. ALTEX 2023; 40:619-634. [PMID: 37422925 DOI: 10.14573/altex.2210171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
In chemical safety assessment, benchmark concentrations (BMC) and their associated uncertainty are needed for the toxicological evaluation of in vitro data sets. A BMC estimation is derived from concentration-response modelling and results from various statistical decisions, which depend on factors such as experimental design and assay endpoint features. In current data practice, the experimenter is often responsible for the data analysis and therefore relies on statistical software, often without being aware of the software default settings and how they can impact the outputs of data analysis. To provide more insight into how statistical decision-making can influence the outcomes of data analysis and interpretation, we have developed an automated platform that includes statistical methods for BMC estimation, a novel endpoint-specific hazard classification system, and routines that flag data sets that are outside the applicability domain for an automatic data evaluation. We used case studies on a large dataset produced by a developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) in vitro battery (DNT IVB). Here we focused on the BMC and its confidence interval (CI) estimation as well as on final hazard classification. We identified five crucial statistical decisions the experimenter must make during data analysis: choice of replicate averaging, response data normalization, regression modelling, BMC and CI estimation, and choice of benchmark response levels. The insights gained are intended to raise more awareness among experimenters on the importance of statistical decisions and methods but also to demonstrate how important fit-for-purpose, internationally harmonized and accepted data evaluation and analysis procedures are for objective hazard classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagen Eike Keßel
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Kristina Bartmann
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jonathan Blum
- In vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Arif Dönmez
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nils Förster
- Bioinformatics Group, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jördis Klose
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Axel Mosig
- Bioinformatics Group, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Melanie Pahl
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marcel Leist
- In vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept inaugurated by the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Ellen Fritsche
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Zwirner J, Ondruschka B, Scholze M, Thambyah A, Workman J, Hammer N, Niestrawska JA. Dynamic load response of human dura mater at different velocities. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 138:105617. [PMID: 36543085 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite of its assumed role to mitigate brain tissue response under dynamic loading conditions, the human dura mater is frequently neglected in computational and physical human head models. A reason for this is the lack of load-deformation data when the dura mater is loaded dynamically. To date, the biomechanical characterization of the human dura mater predominantly involved quasi-static testing setups. This study aimed to investigate the strain rate-dependent mechanical properties of the human dura mater comparing three different velocities of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 m/s. Samples were chosen in a perpendicular orientation to the visible main fiber direction on the samples' surface, which was mostly neglected in previous studies. The elastic modulus of dura mater significantly increased at higher velocities (5.16 [3.38; 7.27] MPa at 0.3 m/s versus 44.38 [35.30; 74.94] MPa at 0.7 m/s). Both the stretch at yield point λf (1.148 [1.137; 1.188] for 0.3 m/s, 1.062 [1.054; 1.066] for 0.5 m/s and 1.015 [1.012; 1.021] for 0.7 m/s) and stress at yield point σf of dura mater (519.14 [366.74; 707.99] kPa for 0.3 m/s versus 300.52 [245.31; 354.89] kPa at 0.7 m/s) significantly decreased with increasing velocities. Conclusively, increasing the load application velocity increases stiffness and decreases tensile strength as well as straining potential of human dura mater between 0.3 and 0.7 m/s. The elastic modulus of human dura mater should be adapted to the respective velocities in computational head impact simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zwirner
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Oral Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - B Ondruschka
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - M Scholze
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - A Thambyah
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - J Workman
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - N Hammer
- Department of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Fraunhofer IWU, Dresden, Germany
| | - J A Niestrawska
- Department of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
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Blum J, Masjosthusmann S, Bartmann K, Bendt F, Dolde X, Dönmez A, Förster N, Holzer AK, Hübenthal U, Keßel HE, Kilic S, Klose J, Pahl M, Stürzl LC, Mangas I, Terron A, Crofton KM, Scholze M, Mosig A, Leist M, Fritsche E. Establishment of a human cell-based in vitro battery to assess developmental neurotoxicity hazard of chemicals. Chemosphere 2023; 311:137035. [PMID: 36328314 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) is a major safety concern for all chemicals of the human exposome. However, DNT data from animal studies are available for only a small percentage of manufactured compounds. Test methods with a higher throughput than current regulatory guideline methods, and with improved human relevance are urgently needed. We therefore explored the feasibility of DNT hazard assessment based on new approach methods (NAMs). An in vitro battery (IVB) was assembled from ten individual NAMs that had been developed during the past years to probe effects of chemicals on various fundamental neurodevelopmental processes. All assays used human neural cells at different developmental stages. This allowed us to assess disturbances of: (i) proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPC); (ii) migration of neural crest cells, radial glia cells, neurons and oligodendrocytes; (iii) differentiation of NPC into neurons and oligodendrocytes; and (iv) neurite outgrowth of peripheral and central neurons. In parallel, cytotoxicity measures were obtained. The feasibility of concentration-dependent screening and of a reliable biostatistical processing of the complex multi-dimensional data was explored with a set of 120 test compounds, containing subsets of pre-defined positive and negative DNT compounds. The battery provided alerts (hit or borderline) for 24 of 28 known toxicants (82% sensitivity), and for none of the 17 negative controls. Based on the results from this screen project, strategies were developed on how IVB data may be used in the context of risk assessment scenarios employing integrated approaches for testing and assessment (IATA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Blum
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated By the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Stefan Masjosthusmann
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kristina Bartmann
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Farina Bendt
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Xenia Dolde
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated By the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Arif Dönmez
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nils Förster
- Bioinformatics Group, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anna-Katharina Holzer
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated By the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Ulrike Hübenthal
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hagen Eike Keßel
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sadiye Kilic
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated By the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jördis Klose
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Melanie Pahl
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lynn-Christin Stürzl
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Iris Mangas
- European Food Safety Authority, PREV Unit, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Terron
- European Food Safety Authority, PREV Unit, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment Health and Societies, Brunel University London, UK
| | - Axel Mosig
- Bioinformatics Group, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, Dept Inaugurated By the Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Ellen Fritsche
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany; Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Escher BI, Lamoree M, Antignac JP, Scholze M, Herzler M, Hamers T, Jensen TK, Audebert M, Busquet F, Maier D, Oelgeschläger M, Valente MJ, Boye H, Schmeisser S, Dervilly G, Piumatti M, Motteau S, König M, Renko K, Margalef M, Cariou R, Ma Y, Treschow AF, Kortenkamp A, Vinggaard AM. Mixture Risk Assessment of Complex Real-Life Mixtures-The PANORAMIX Project. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:ijerph192012990. [PMID: 36293571 PMCID: PMC9602166 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192012990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Humans are involuntarily exposed to hundreds of chemicals that either contaminate our environment and food or are added intentionally to our daily products. These complex mixtures of chemicals may pose a risk to human health. One of the goals of the European Union's Green Deal and zero-pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment is to tackle the existent gaps in chemical mixture risk assessment by providing scientific grounds that support the implementation of adequate regulatory measures within the EU. We suggest dealing with this challenge by: (1) characterising 'real-life' chemical mixtures and determining to what extent they are transferred from the environment to humans via food and water, and from the mother to the foetus; (2) establishing a high-throughput whole-mixture-based in vitro strategy for screening of real-life complex mixtures of organic chemicals extracted from humans using integrated chemical profiling (suspect screening) together with effect-directed analysis; (3) evaluating which human blood levels of chemical mixtures might be of concern for children's development; and (4) developing a web-based, ready-to-use interface that integrates hazard and exposure data to enable component-based mixture risk estimation. These concepts form the basis of the Green Deal project PANORAMIX, whose ultimate goal is to progress mixture risk assessment of chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate I. Escher
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, DE-04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Environmental Toxicology, Department of Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, DE-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marja Lamoree
- Department Environment & Health, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Martin Scholze
- Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, Environmental Sciences Division, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Matthias Herzler
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo Hamers
- Department Environment & Health, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tina Kold Jensen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Marc Audebert
- Toxalim, UMR1331, INRAE, 31027 Toulouse, France
- PrediTox, 31100 Toulouse, France
| | | | | | | | - Maria João Valente
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Henriette Boye
- Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Hospital for Children, Odense University Hospital, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Maria König
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, DE-04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Environmental Toxicology, Department of Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, DE-72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kostja Renko
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Margalef
- Department Environment & Health, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Yanying Ma
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, Environmental Sciences Division, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Anne Marie Vinggaard
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +45-35887549
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Vinggaard A, Lamoree M, Escher B, Antignac JP, Scholze M, Jensen T, Herzler M, Audebert M, Hamers T, Kortenkamp A, Busquet F, Piumatti M, Dervilly G, Valente M, Cariou R, Moteau S, Oelgeschläger M, Renko K, Schmeisser S, Maier D, Laursen L. P15-08 PANORAMIX: Providing risk assessments of complex real-life mixtures for the protection of Europe’s citizens and the environment. Toxicol Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2022.07.589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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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. Environ Int 2022; 165:107322. [PMID: 35691715 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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10
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Rake C, Gilham C, Scholze M, Bukasa L, Stephens J, Simpson J, Peto J, Anderson R. British nuclear test veteran family trios for the study of genetic risk. J Radiol Prot 2022; 42:021528. [PMID: 35726547 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ac6e10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The risk of radiation effects in children of individuals exposed to ionising radiation remains an ongoing concern for aged veterans of the British nuclear testing programme. The genetic and cytogenetic family trio (GCFT) study is the first study to obtain blood samples from a group of British nuclear test veterans and their families for the purposes of identifying genetic alterations in offspring as a consequence of historical paternal exposure to ionising radiation. In this report, we describe the processes for recruitment and sampling, and provide a general description of the study population recruited. In total, blood samples were received from 91 (49 test and 42 control) families representing veteran servicemen from the army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. This translated to an overall response rate of 14% (49/353) for test veterans and 4% (42/992) for control veterans (excluding responders known to be ineligible). Due to the lack of dose information available, test veterans were allocated to a three-point exposure rank. Thirty (61%) test veterans were ranked in the lower group. Nineteen (39%) of the 49 test veterans were classified in the mid (5 veterans; 10%)/high (14 veterans; 29%) exposure ranks and included 12 veterans previously identified as belonging to the special groups or listed in health physics documents. An increased number of test veteran families (20%), compared with control families (5%), self-reported offspring with congenital abnormalities (p= 0.03). Whether this observation in this small group is reflective of the entire UK test veteran cohort or whether it is selection bias requires further work. The cohort described here represent an important and unique family trio grouping whose participation is enabling genetic studies, as part of the GCFT study, to be carried out. The outcomes of these studies will be published elsewhere. ISRCTN Registry: 17461668.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Rake
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Clare Gilham
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Scholze
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Laurette Bukasa
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Jade Stephens
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Jayne Simpson
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Peto
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Rhona Anderson
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
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11
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Steel S, Pearcy Q, Li K, Scholze M, Zwirner J. The relationship between the pH value of a hydration solution and the biomechanical properties of Crosado-embalmed human iliotibial bands. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2022; 132:105266. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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12
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Kortenkamp A, Martin O, Ermler S, Baig A, Scholze M. Bisphenol A and declining semen quality: A systematic review to support the derivation of a reference dose for mixture risk assessments. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2022; 241:113942. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.113942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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13
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Zwirner J, Ondruschka B, Pregartner G, Berghold A, Scholze M, Hammer N. On the correlations of biomechanical properties of super-imposed temporal tissue layers and their age-, sex-, side- and post-mortem interval dependence. J Biomech 2021; 130:110847. [PMID: 34753030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Obtaining biomechanical properties of biological tissues for simulation purposes or graft developments is time and resource consuming. The number of samples required for biomechanical tests could be reduced if the load-deformation properties of a given tissue layer could be estimated from adjacent layers or if the biomechanical parameters were unaffected by age, bodyside, sex or post-mortem interval. This study investigates for the first time potential correlations of multiple super-imposed tissue layers using the temporal region of the human head as an area of broad interest in biomechanical modelling. Spearman correlations between biomechanical properties of the scalp, muscle fascia, muscle, bone and dura mater from up to 83 chemically unfixed cadavers were investigated. The association with age, sex and post-mortem interval was assessed. The results revealed sporadic correlations between the corresponding layers, such as the maximum force (r = 0.43) and ultimate tensile strength (r = 0.33) between scalp and muscle. Side- and age-dependence of the biomechanical properties were different between the tissue types. Strain at maximum force of fascia (r = -0.37) and elastic modulus of temporal muscle (r = 0.26) weakly correlated with post-mortem interval. Only strain at maximum force of scalp differed significantly between sexes. Uniaxial biomechanical properties of individual head tissue layers can thus not be estimated solely based on adjacent layers. Therefore, correlations between the tissues' biomechanical properties, anthropometric data and post-mortem interval need to be established independently for each layer. Sex seems not to be a relevant influencing factor for the passive tissue mechanics of the here investigated temporal head tissue layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zwirner
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - B Ondruschka
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - G Pregartner
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - A Berghold
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - M Scholze
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany; Institute of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - N Hammer
- Institute of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Leipzig, Germany; Fraunhofer IWU, Dresden, Germany.
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14
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Ramhøj L, Frädrich C, Svingen T, Scholze M, Wirth EK, Rijntjes E, Köhrle J, Kortenkamp A, Axelstad M. Testing for heterotopia formation in rats after developmental exposure to selected in vitro inhibitors of thyroperoxidase. Environ Pollut 2021; 283:117135. [PMID: 33892370 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The thyroperoxidase (TPO) enzyme is expressed by the thyroid follicular cells and is required for thyroid hormone synthesis. In turn, thyroid hormones are essential for brain development, thus inhibition of TPO in early life can have life-long consequences for brain function. If environmental chemicals with the capacity to inhibit TPO in vitro can also alter brain development in vivo through thyroid hormone dependent mechanisms, however, remains unknown. In this study we show that the in vitro TPO inhibiting pesticide amitrole alters neuronal migration and induces periventricular heterotopia; a thyroid hormone dependent brain malformation. Perinatal exposure to amitrole reduced pup serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations to less than 50% of control animals and this insufficiency led to heterotopia formation in the 16-day old pup's brain. Two other in vitro TPO inhibitors, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and cyanamide, caused reproductive toxicity and had only minor sporadic effects on the thyroid hormone system; consequently, they did not cause heterotopia. This is the first demonstration of an environmental chemical causing heterotopia, a brain malformation until now only reported for rodent studies with the anti-thyroid drugs propylthiouracil and methimazole. Our results highlight that certain TPO-inhibiting environmental chemicals can alter brain development through thyroid hormone dependent mechanisms. Improved understanding of the effects on the brain as well as the conditions under which chemicals can perturb brain development will be key to protect human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Ramhøj
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Caroline Frädrich
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Terje Svingen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Martin Scholze
- Division of Environmental Studies, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Eva K Wirth
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 10115, Berlin, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Germany
| | - Eddy Rijntjes
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Köhrle
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Division of Environmental Studies, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Marta Axelstad
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark.
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15
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Draskau MK, Rosenmai AK, Scholze M, Pedersen M, Boberg J, Christiansen S, Svingen T. Human-relevant concentrations of the antifungal drug clotrimazole disrupt maternal and fetal steroid hormone profiles in rats. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2021; 422:115554. [PMID: 33910022 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Clotrimazole is a non-prescription and broad-spectrum antifungal drug sold under brand names such as Canesten® and Lotrimin®. It is used to treat different types of fungal infections, from oral thrush to athlete's foot and vaginal mycosis. The level of exposure to clotrimazole is uncertain, as the exact usage amongst self-medicating patients is unclear. Recent studies have raised potential concern about the unsupervised use of clotrimazole during pregnancy, especially since it is a potent inhibitor of CYP enzymes of the steroidogenesis pathway. To address some of these concerns, we have assessed the effects of intrauterine exposure to clotrimazole on developing rat fetuses. By exposing pregnant rats to clotrimazole 25 or 75 mg/kg bw/day during gestation days 7-21, we obtained internal fetal concentrations close to those observed in humans. These in vivo data are in strong agreement with our physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBK)-modelled levels. At these doses, we observed no obvious morphological changes to the reproductive system, nor shorter male anogenital distance; a well-established morphometric marker for anti-androgenic effects in male offspring. However, steroid hormone profiles were significantly affected in both maternal and fetal plasma, in particular pronounced suppression of estrogens was seen. In fetal testes, marked up-concentration of hydroxyprogesterone was observed, which indicates a specific action on steroidogenesis. Since systemic clotrimazole is rapidly metabolized in humans, relevant exposure levels may not in itself cause adverse changes to the reproductive systems. Its capacity to significantly alter steroid hormone concentrations, however, suggests that clotrimazole should be used with caution during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Kam Draskau
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Anna Kjerstine Rosenmai
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Martin Scholze
- Division of Environmental Studies, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Mikael Pedersen
- Research Group for Analytical Food Chemistry, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Julie Boberg
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Sofie Christiansen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Terje Svingen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark.
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16
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Martin O, Scholze M, Ermler S, McPhie J, Bopp SK, Kienzler A, Parissis N, Kortenkamp A. Ten years of research on synergisms and antagonisms in chemical mixtures: A systematic review and quantitative reappraisal of mixture studies. Environ Int 2021; 146:106206. [PMID: 33120228 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several reviews of synergisms and antagonisms in chemical mixtures have concluded that synergisms are relatively rare. However, these reviews focused on mixtures composed of specific groups of chemicals, such as pesticides or metals and on toxicity endpoints mostly relevant to ecotoxicology. Doubts remain whether these findings can be generalised. A systematic review not restricted to specific chemical mixtures and including mammalian and human toxicity endpoints is missing. OBJECTIVES We conducted a systematic review and quantitative reappraisal of 10 years' of experimental mixture studies to investigate the frequency and reliability of evaluations of mixture effects as synergistic or antagonistic. Unlike previous reviews, we did not limit our efforts to certain groups of chemicals or specific toxicity outcomes and covered mixture studies relevant to ecotoxicology and human/mammalian toxicology published between 2007 and 2017. DATA SOURCES, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA We undertook searches for peer-reviewed articles in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, GreenFile, ScienceDirect and Toxline and included studies of controlled exposures of environmental chemical pollutants, defined as unintentional exposures leading to unintended effects. Studies with viruses, prions or therapeutic agents were excluded, as were records with missing details on chemicals' identities, toxicities, doses, or concentrations. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS To examine the internal validity of studies we developed a risk-of-bias tool tailored to mixture toxicology. For a subset of 388 entries that claimed synergisms or antagonisms, we conducted a quantitative reappraisal of authors' evaluations by deriving ratios of predicted and observed effective mixture doses (concentrations). RESULTS Our searches produced an inventory of 1220 mixture experiments which we subjected to subgroup analyses. Approximately two thirds of studies did not incorporate more than 2 components. Most experiments relied on low-cost assays with readily quantifiable endpoints. Important toxicity outcomes of relevance for human risk assessment (e.g. carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity) were rarely addressed. The proportion of studies that declared additivity, synergism or antagonisms was approximately equal (one quarter each); the remaining quarter arrived at different evaluations. About half of the 1220 entries were rated as "definitely" or "probably" low risk of bias. Strikingly, relatively few claims of synergistic or antagonistic effects stood up to scrutiny in terms of deviations from expected additivity that exceed the boundaries of acceptable between-study variability. In most cases, the observed mixture doses were not more than two-fold higher or lower than the predicted additive doses. Twenty percent of the entries (N = 78) reported synergisms in excess of that degree of deviation. Our efforts of pinpointing specific factors that predispose to synergistic interactions confirmed previous concerns about the synergistic potential of combinations of triazine, azole and pyrethroid pesticides at environmentally relevant doses. New evidence of synergisms with endocrine disrupting chemicals and metal compounds such as chromium (VI) and nickel in combination with cadmium has emerged. CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These specific cases of synergisms apart, our results confirm the utility of default application of the dose (concentration) addition concept for predictive assessments of simultaneous exposures to multiple chemicals. However, this strategy must be complemented by an awareness of the synergistic potential of specific classes of chemicals. Our conclusions only apply to the chemical space captured in published mixture studies which is biased towards relatively well-researched chemicals. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER The final protocol was published on the open-access repository Zenodo and attributed the following digital object identifier, doi: https://doi.org//10.5281/zenodo.1319759 (https://zenodo.org/record/1319759#.XXIzdy7dsqM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Olwenn Martin
- Brunel University London, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Scholze
- Brunel University London, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Sibylle Ermler
- Brunel University London, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne McPhie
- Brunel University London, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | | | - Aude Kienzler
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | | | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Brunel University London, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.
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Scholze M, Taxvig C, Kortenkamp A, Boberg J, Christiansen S, Svingen T, Lauschke K, Frandsen H, Ermler S, Hermann SS, Pedersen M, Lykkeberg AK, Axelstad M, Vinggaard AM. Quantitative in Vitro to in Vivo Extrapolation (QIVIVE) for Predicting Reduced Anogenital Distance Produced by Anti-Androgenic Pesticides in a Rodent Model for Male Reproductive Disorders. Environ Health Perspect 2020; 128:117005. [PMID: 33236927 PMCID: PMC7687371 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many pesticides can antagonize the androgen receptor (AR) or inhibit androgen synthesis in vitro but their potential to cause reproductive toxicity related to disruption of androgen action during fetal life is difficult to predict. Currently no approaches for using in vitro data to anticipate such in vivo effects exist. Prioritization schemes that limit unnecessary in vivo testing are urgently needed. OBJECTIVES The aim was to develop a quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (QIVIVE) approach for predicting in vivo anti-androgenicity arising from gestational exposures and manifesting as a shortened anogenital distance (AGD) in male rats. METHODS We built a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBK) model to simulate concentrations of chemicals in the fetus resulting from maternal dosing. The predicted fetal levels were compared with analytically determined concentrations, and these were judged against in vitro active concentrations for AR antagonism and androgen synthesis suppression. RESULTS We first evaluated our model by using in vitro and in vivo anti-androgenic data for procymidone, vinclozolin, and linuron. Our PBK model described the measured fetal concentrations of parent compounds and metabolites quite accurately (within a factor of five). We applied the model to nine current-use pesticides, all with in vitro evidence for anti-androgenicity but missing in vivo data. Seven pesticides (fludioxonil, cyprodinil, dimethomorph, imazalil, quinoxyfen, fenhexamid, o-phenylphenol) were predicted to produce a shortened AGD in male pups, whereas two (λ-cyhalothrin, pyrimethanil) were anticipated to be inactive. We tested these expectations for fludioxonil, cyprodinil, and dimethomorph and observed shortened AGD in male pups after gestational exposure. The measured fetal concentrations agreed well with PBK-modeled predictions. DISCUSSION Our QIVIVE model newly identified fludioxonil, cyprodinil, and dimethomorph as in vivo anti-androgens. With the examples investigated, our approach shows great promise for predicting in vivo anti-androgenicity (i.e., AGD shortening) for chemicals with in vitro activity and for minimizing unnecessary in vivo testing. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6774.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Camilla Taxvig
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Julie Boberg
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sofie Christiansen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Terje Svingen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Karin Lauschke
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Henrik Frandsen
- Research Group for Analytical Food Chemistry, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sibylle Ermler
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Susan Strange Hermann
- Research Group for Analytical Food Chemistry, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mikael Pedersen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anne Kruse Lykkeberg
- Research Group for Analytical Food Chemistry, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marta Axelstad
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anne Marie Vinggaard
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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18
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Thompson RL, Broquet G, Gerbig C, Koch T, Lang M, Monteil G, Munassar S, Nickless A, Scholze M, Ramonet M, Karstens U, van Schaik E, Wu Z, Rödenbeck C. Changes in net ecosystem exchange over Europe during the 2018 drought based on atmospheric observations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190512. [PMID: 32892731 PMCID: PMC7485096 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2018 drought was one of the worst European droughts of the twenty-first century in terms of its severity, extent and duration. The effects of the drought could be seen in a reduction in harvest yields in parts of Europe, as well as an unprecedented browning of vegetation in summer. Here, we quantify the effect of the drought on net ecosystem exchange (NEE) using five independent regional atmospheric inversion frameworks. Using a network of atmospheric CO2 mole fraction observations, we estimate NEE with at least monthly and 0.5° × 0.5° resolution for 2009–2018. We find that the annual NEE in 2018 was likely more positive (less CO2 uptake) in the temperate region of Europe by 0.09 ± 0.06 Pg C yr−1 (mean ± s.d.) compared to the mean of the last 10 years of −0.08 ± 0.17 Pg C yr−1, making the region close to carbon neutral in 2018. Similarly, we find a positive annual NEE anomaly for the northern region of Europe of 0.02 ± 0.02 Pg C yr−1 compared the 10-year mean of −0.04 ± 0.05 Pg C yr−1. In both regions, this was largely owing to a reduction in the summer CO2 uptake. The positive NEE anomalies coincided spatially and temporally with negative anomalies in soil water. These anomalies were exceptional for the 10-year period of our study. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Impacts of the 2018 severe drought and heatwave in Europe: from site to continental scale’.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Thompson
- ATMOS, NILU - Norsk Institutt for Luftforskning, Kjeller, Norway
| | - G Broquet
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - C Gerbig
- Biogeochemical Signals, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - T Koch
- Biogeochemical Signals, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.,Meteorologisches Observatorium Hohenpeissenberg, Deutscher Wetterdienst, Germany
| | - M Lang
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - G Monteil
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - S Munassar
- Biogeochemical Signals, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - A Nickless
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - M Scholze
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - M Ramonet
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - U Karstens
- ICOS Carbon Portal, Lund University, Sweden
| | - E van Schaik
- Meteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Z Wu
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - C Rödenbeck
- Biogeochemical Signals, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
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Christiansen S, Axelstad M, Scholze M, Johansson HKL, Hass U, Mandrup K, Frandsen HL, Frederiksen H, Isling LK, Boberg J. Grouping of endocrine disrupting chemicals for mixture risk assessment - Evidence from a rat study. Environ Int 2020; 142:105870. [PMID: 32593051 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals may contribute to the rising incidence of hormone-related diseases in humans. Real-life mixtures are complex, comprised of chemicals with mixed modes of action, and essential knowledge is often lacking on how to group such chemicals into cumulative assessment groups, which is an essential prerequisite to conduct a chemical mixture risk assessment. We investigated if mixtures of chemicals with diverse endocrine modes of action can cause mixture effects on hormone sensitive endpoints in developing and adult rat offspring after perinatal exposure. Wistar rats were exposed during pregnancy and lactation simultaneously to either bisphenol A and butylparaben (Emix), diethylhexyl phthalate and procymidone (Amix), or a mixture of all four substances (Totalmix). In male offspring, the anogenital distance was significantly reduced and nipple retention increased in animals exposed to Amix and Totalmix, and the mixture effects were well approximated by the dose addition model. The combination of Amix and Emix responded with more marked changes on these and other endocrine-sensitive endpoints than each binary mixture on its own. Sperm counts were reduced by all exposures. These experimental outcomes suggest that the grouping of chemicals for mixture risk assessment should be based on common health outcomes rather than only similar modes or mechanisms of action. Mechanistic-based approaches such as the concept of Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) can provide important guidance if both the information on shared target tissues and the information on shared mode/mechanism of action are taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Christiansen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark.
| | - Marta Axelstad
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Quad North, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Hanna K L Johansson
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Ulla Hass
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Karen Mandrup
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Henrik Lauritz Frandsen
- Research Group for Analytical Food Chemistry, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise Krag Isling
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Julie Boberg
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 202, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
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20
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Zwirner J, Ondruschka B, Scholze M, Schulze-Tanzil G, Hammer N. Mechanical properties of native and acellular temporal muscle fascia for surgical reconstruction and computational modelling purposes. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2020; 108:103833. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.103833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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21
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Zwirner J, Ondruschka B, Scholze M, Hammer N. Passive load-deformation properties of human temporal muscle. J Biomech 2020; 106:109829. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.109829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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22
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Lupu D, Andersson P, Bornehag CG, Demeneix B, Fritsche E, Gennings C, Lichtensteiger W, Leist M, Leonards PEG, Ponsonby AL, Scholze M, Testa G, Tresguerres JAF, Westerink RHS, Zalc B, Rüegg J. The ENDpoiNTs Project: Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors Linked to Developmental Neurotoxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113978. [PMID: 32492937 PMCID: PMC7312023 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitous exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has caused serious concerns about the ability of these chemicals to affect neurodevelopment, among others. Since endocrine disruption (ED)-induced developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) is hardly covered by the chemical testing tools that are currently in regulatory use, the Horizon 2020 research and innovation action ENDpoiNTs has been launched to fill the scientific and methodological gaps related to the assessment of this type of chemical toxicity. The ENDpoiNTs project will generate new knowledge about ED-induced DNT and aims to develop and improve in vitro, in vivo, and in silico models pertaining to ED-linked DNT outcomes for chemical testing. This will be achieved by establishing correlative and causal links between known and novel neurodevelopmental endpoints and endocrine pathways through integration of molecular, cellular, and organismal data from in vitro and in vivo models. Based on this knowledge, the project aims to provide adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for ED-induced DNT and to develop and integrate new testing tools with high relevance for human health into European and international regulatory frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Lupu
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Patrik Andersson
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden;
| | | | - Barbara Demeneix
- Evolution of Endocrine Regulations UMR 7221, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Ellen Fritsche
- IUF—Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Chris Gennings
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
| | | | - Marcel Leist
- In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany;
| | - Pim E. G. Leonards
- Department Environment and Health, Vrije University, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Anne-Louise Ponsonby
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia;
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK;
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy;
| | - Jesus A. F. Tresguerres
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Remco H. S. Westerink
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Bernard Zalc
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, ICM-GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75651 Paris, France;
| | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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23
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Kortenkamp A, Axelstad M, Baig AH, Bergman Å, Bornehag CG, Cenijn P, Christiansen S, Demeneix B, Derakhshan A, Fini JB, Frädrich C, Hamers T, Hellwig L, Köhrle J, Korevaar TI, Lindberg J, Martin O, Meima ME, Mergenthaler P, Nikolov N, Du Pasquier D, Peeters RP, Platzack B, Ramhøj L, Remaud S, Renko K, Scholze M, Stachelscheid H, Svingen T, Wagenaars F, Wedebye EB, Zoeller RT. Removing Critical Gaps in Chemical Test Methods by Developing New Assays for the Identification of Thyroid Hormone System-Disrupting Chemicals-The ATHENA Project. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3123. [PMID: 32354186 PMCID: PMC7247692 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The test methods that currently exist for the identification of thyroid hormone system-disrupting chemicals are woefully inadequate. There are currently no internationally validated in vitro assays, and test methods that can capture the consequences of diminished or enhanced thyroid hormone action on the developing brain are missing entirely. These gaps put the public at risk and risk assessors in a difficult position. Decisions about the status of chemicals as thyroid hormone system disruptors currently are based on inadequate toxicity data. The ATHENA project (Assays for the identification of Thyroid Hormone axis-disrupting chemicals: Elaborating Novel Assessment strategies) has been conceived to address these gaps. The project will develop new test methods for the disruption of thyroid hormone transport across biological barriers such as the blood-brain and blood-placenta barriers. It will also devise methods for the disruption of the downstream effects on the brain. ATHENA will deliver a testing strategy based on those elements of the thyroid hormone system that, when disrupted, could have the greatest impact on diminished or enhanced thyroid hormone action and therefore should be targeted through effective testing. To further enhance the impact of the ATHENA test method developments, the project will develop concepts for better international collaboration and development in the area of thyroid hormone system disruptor identification and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Marta Axelstad
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Asma H. Baig
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Åke Bergman
- School of Science and Technology, Orebro University, SE-701 82 Orebro, Sweden
| | | | - Peter Cenijn
- Department of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, VUA, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sofie Christiansen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Barbara Demeneix
- Unité PhyMA Laboratory, Adaptation du Vivant, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS 7, rue Cuvier, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Arash Derakhshan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Baptiste Fini
- Unité PhyMA Laboratory, Adaptation du Vivant, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS 7, rue Cuvier, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Caroline Frädrich
- Department of Experimental Endocrinology, Charitė - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo Hamers
- Department of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, VUA, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lina Hellwig
- Dept. of Experimental Neurology, Dept. of Neurology, Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
- Charité-BIH Centrum Therapy and Research, BIH Stem Cell Core Facility, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Köhrle
- Department of Experimental Endocrinology, Charitė - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim I.M. Korevaar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johan Lindberg
- Department of C4hemical Process and Pharmaceutical Development, Research Institutes Sweden, RISE, SE-151 36 Sodertalje, Sweden
| | - Olwenn Martin
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Marcel E. Meima
- Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philipp Mergenthaler
- Dept. of Experimental Neurology, Dept. of Neurology, Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, D-10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolai Nikolov
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Robin P. Peeters
- Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Erasmus Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bjorn Platzack
- Department of C4hemical Process and Pharmaceutical Development, Research Institutes Sweden, RISE, SE-151 36 Sodertalje, Sweden
| | - Louise Ramhøj
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sylvie Remaud
- Unité PhyMA Laboratory, Adaptation du Vivant, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS 7, rue Cuvier, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Kostja Renko
- Department of Experimental Endocrinology, Charitė - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Harald Stachelscheid
- Charité-BIH Centrum Therapy and Research, BIH Stem Cell Core Facility, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13353 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, D-10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Terje Svingen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fabian Wagenaars
- Department of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, VUA, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Bay Wedebye
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - R. Thomas Zoeller
- School of Science and Technology, Orebro University, SE-701 82 Orebro, Sweden
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24
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Hamers T, Kortenkamp A, Scholze M, Molenaar D, Cenijn PH, Weiss JM. Transthyretin-Binding Activity of Complex Mixtures Representing the Composition of Thyroid-Hormone Disrupting Contaminants in House Dust and Human Serum. Environ Health Perspect 2020; 128:17015. [PMID: 32003587 PMCID: PMC7015555 DOI: 10.1289/ehp5911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND House dust contains many organic contaminants that can compete with the thyroid hormone (TH) thyroxine (T 4 ) for binding to transthyretin (TTR). How these contaminants work together at levels found in humans and how displacement from TTR in vitro relates to in vivo T 4 -TTR binding is unknown. OBJECTIVES Our aims were to determine the TTR-binding potency for contaminant mixtures as found in house dust, maternal serum, and infant serum; to study whether the TTR-binding potency of the mixtures follows the principle of concentration addition; and to extrapolate the in vitro TTR-binding potency to in vivo inhibition levels of T 4 -TTR binding in maternal and infant serum. METHODS Twenty-five contaminants were tested for their in vitro capacity to compete for TTR-binding with a fluorescent FITC-T 4 probe. Three mixtures were reconstituted proportionally to median concentrations for these chemicals in house dust, maternal serum, or infant serum from Nordic countries. Measured concentration-response curves were compared with concentration-response curves predicted by concentration addition. For each reconstituted serum mixture, its inhibitor-TTR dissociation constant (K i ) was used to estimate inhibition levels of T 4 -TTR binding in human blood. RESULTS The TTR-binding potency of the mixtures was well predicted by concentration addition. The ∼ 20 % inhibition in FITC-T 4 binding observed for the mixtures reflecting median concentrations in maternal and infant serum was extrapolated to 1.3% inhibition of T 4 -TTR binding in maternal and 1.5% in infant blood. For nontested mixtures reflecting high-end serum concentrations, these estimates were 6.2% and 4.9%, respectively. DISCUSSION The relatively low estimated inhibition levels at median exposure levels may explain why no relationship between exposure to TTR-binding compounds and circulating T 4 levels in humans has been reported, so far. We hypothesize, however, that 1.3% inhibition of T 4 -TTR binding may ultimately be decisive for reaching a status of maternal hypothyroidism or hypothyroxinemia associated with impaired neurodevelopment in children. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5911.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Hamers
- Department of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London, UK
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London, UK
| | - Douwe Molenaar
- Department of Systems Bioinformatics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Peter H. Cenijn
- Department of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jana M. Weiss
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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25
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Serra H, Scholze M, Altenburger R, Busch W, Budzinski H, Brion F, Aït-Aïssa S. Combined effects of environmental xeno-estrogens within multi-component mixtures: Comparison of in vitro human- and zebrafish-based estrogenicity bioassays. Chemosphere 2019; 227:334-344. [PMID: 30999174 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.04.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Some recent studies showed that in vitro bioassays based on fish or human estrogen receptor (ER) activation may have distinct responses to environmental samples, highlighting the need to better understand bioassay-specific ER response to environmental mixtures. For this purpose, we investigated a 12-compound mixture in two mixture ratios (M1 and M2) on zebrafish (zf) liver cells stably expressing zfERα (ZELHα cells) or zfERβ2 (ZELHβ2 cells) and on human ER-reporter gene (MELN) cells. The mixture included the well-known ER ligands bisphenol A (BPA) and genistein (GEN), and other compounds representatives of a freshwater background contamination. In this context, the study aimed at assessing the robustness of concentration addition (CA) model and the potential confounding influence of other chemicals by testing subgroups of ER activators, ER inhibitors or ER activators and inhibitors combined. Individual chemical testing showed a higher prevalence of ER inhibitors in zebrafish than human cells (e.g. propiconazole), and some chemicals inhibited zfER but activated hER response (e.g. benzo(a)pyrene, triphenylphosphate). The estrogenic activity of M1 and M2 was well predicted by CA in MELN cells, whereas it was significantly lower than predicted in ZELHβ2 cells, contrasting with the additive effects observed for BPA and GEN binary mixtures. When testing the subgroups of ER activators and inhibitors combined, the deviation from additivity in ZELHβ2 cells was caused by zebrafish-specific inhibiting chemicals. This study provides novel information on the ability of environmental pollutants to interfere with zfER signalling and shows that non-estrogenic chemicals can influence the response to a mixture of xeno-estrogens in a bioassay-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Serra
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des risques (INERIS), Unité Ecotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR-I 02 SEBIO, 60550, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France; UMR-CNRS EPOC/LPTC, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France
| | | | - Rolf Altenburger
- UFZ- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wibke Busch
- UFZ- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - François Brion
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des risques (INERIS), Unité Ecotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR-I 02 SEBIO, 60550, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Selim Aït-Aïssa
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des risques (INERIS), Unité Ecotoxicologie in vitro et in vivo, UMR-I 02 SEBIO, 60550, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France.
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26
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Ramhøj L, Hass U, Boberg J, Scholze M, Christiansen S, Nielsen F, Axelstad M. Perfluorohexane Sulfonate (PFHxS) and a Mixture of Endocrine Disrupters Reduce Thyroxine Levels and Cause Antiandrogenic Effects in Rats. Toxicol Sci 2019. [PMID: 29518214 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The developmental toxicity of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) is largely unknown despite widespread environmental contamination and presence in human serum, tissues and milk. To thoroughly investigate PFHxS toxicity in developing rats and to mimic a realistic human exposure situation, we examined a low dose close to human relevant PFHxS exposure, and combined the dose-response studies of PFHxS with a fixed dose of 12 environmentally relevant endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDmix). Two reproductive toxicity studies in time-mated Wistar rats exposed throughout gestation and lactation were performed. Study 1 included control, two doses of PFHxS, and two doses of PFHxS + EDmix (n = 5-7). Study 2 included control, 0.05, 5, or 25 mg/kg body weight/day PFHxS, EDmix-only, 0.05, 5, or 25 mg PFHxS/kg plus EDmix (n = 13-20). PFHxS caused no overt toxicity in dams and offspring but decreased male pup birth weight and slightly increased liver weights at high doses and in combination with the EDmix. A marked effect on T4 levels was seen in both dams and offspring, with significant reductions from 5 mg/kg/day. The EDmix caused antiandrogenic effects in male offspring, manifested as slight decreases in anogenital distance, increased nipple retention and reductions of the weight of epididymides, ventral prostrate, and vesicular seminalis. PFHxS can induce developmental toxicity and in addition results of the co-exposure studies indicated that PFHxS and the EDmix potentiate the effect of each other on various endpoints, despite their different modes of action. Hence, risk assessment may underestimate toxicity when mixture toxicity and background exposures are not taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Ramhøj
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ulla Hass
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Julie Boberg
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Sofie Christiansen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Marta Axelstad
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
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Altenburger R, Scholze M, Busch W, Escher BI, Jakobs G, Krauss M, Krüger J, Neale PA, Ait-Aissa S, Almeida AC, Seiler TB, Brion F, Hilscherová K, Hollert H, Novák J, Schlichting R, Serra H, Shao Y, Tindall A, Tollefsen KE, Umbuzeiro G, Williams TD, Kortenkamp A. Mixture effects in samples of multiple contaminants - An inter-laboratory study with manifold bioassays. Environ Int 2018; 114:95-106. [PMID: 29499452 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Chemicals in the environment occur in mixtures rather than as individual entities. Environmental quality monitoring thus faces the challenge to comprehensively assess a multitude of contaminants and potential adverse effects. Effect-based methods have been suggested as complements to chemical analytical characterisation of complex pollution patterns. The regularly observed discrepancy between chemical and biological assessments of adverse effects due to contaminants in the field may be either due to unidentified contaminants or result from interactions of compounds in mixtures. Here, we present an interlaboratory study where individual compounds and their mixtures were investigated by extensive concentration-effect analysis using 19 different bioassays. The assay panel consisted of 5 whole organism assays measuring apical effects and 14 cell- and organism-based bioassays with more specific effect observations. Twelve organic water pollutants of diverse structure and unique known modes of action were studied individually and as mixtures mirroring exposure scenarios in freshwaters. We compared the observed mixture effects against component-based mixture effect predictions derived from additivity expectations (assumption of non-interaction). Most of the assays detected the mixture response of the active components as predicted even against a background of other inactive contaminants. When none of the mixture components showed any activity by themselves then the mixture also was without effects. The mixture effects observed using apical endpoints fell in the middle of a prediction window defined by the additivity predictions for concentration addition and independent action, reflecting well the diversity of the anticipated modes of action. In one case, an unexpectedly reduced solubility of one of the mixture components led to mixture responses that fell short of the predictions of both additivity mixture models. The majority of the specific cell- and organism-based endpoints produced mixture responses in agreement with the additivity expectation of concentration addition. Exceptionally, expected (additive) mixture response did not occur due to masking effects such as general toxicity from other compounds. Generally, deviations from an additivity expectation could be explained due to experimental factors, specific limitations of the effect endpoint or masking side effects such as cytotoxicity in in vitro assays. The majority of bioassays were able to quantitatively detect the predicted non-interactive, additive combined effect of the specifically bioactive compounds against a background of complex mixture of other chemicals in the sample. This supports the use of a combination of chemical and bioanalytical monitoring tools for the identification of chemicals that drive a specific mixture effect. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a panel of bioassays can provide a diverse profile of effect responses to a complex contaminated sample. This could be extended towards representing mixture adverse outcome pathways. Our findings support the ongoing development of bioanalytical tools for (i) compiling comprehensive effect-based batteries for water quality assessment, (ii) designing tailored surveillance methods to safeguard specific water uses, and (iii) devising strategies for effect-based diagnosis of complex contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Altenburger
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Wibke Busch
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Beate I Escher
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Environmental Toxicology, Center for Applied Geoscience, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gianina Jakobs
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Janet Krüger
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Selim Ait-Aissa
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques INERIS, Unité d'Ecotoxicologie, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Ana Catarina Almeida
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research NIVA, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - François Brion
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques INERIS, Unité d'Ecotoxicologie, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Klára Hilscherová
- Masaryk University, Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Henner Hollert
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jiří Novák
- Masaryk University, Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rita Schlichting
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hélène Serra
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques INERIS, Unité d'Ecotoxicologie, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Ying Shao
- Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Andrew Tindall
- WatchFrog, Bâtiment Genavenir 3, 1 rue Pierre Fontaine, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research NIVA, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Gisela Umbuzeiro
- Faculdade de Tecnologia, FT-UNICAMP, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Limeira, SP 13484-332, Brazil
| | - Tim D Williams
- School of Biosciences, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
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Thrupp TJ, Runnalls TJ, Scholze M, Kugathas S, Kortenkamp A, Sumpter JP. The consequences of exposure to mixtures of chemicals: Something from 'nothing' and 'a lot from a little' when fish are exposed to steroid hormones. Sci Total Environ 2018; 619-620:1482-1492. [PMID: 29734624 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Ill-defined, multi-component mixtures of steroidal pharmaceuticals are present in the aquatic environment. Fish are extremely sensitive to some of these steroids. It is important to know how fish respond to these mixtures, and from that knowledge develop methodology that enables accurate prediction of those responses. To provide some of the data required to reach this objective, pairs of fish were first exposed to five different synthetic steroidal pharmaceuticals (one estrogen, EE2; one androgen, trenbolone; one glucocorticoid, beclomethasone dipropionate; and two progestogens, desogestrel and levonorgestrel) and concentration-response data on egg production obtained. Based on those concentration-response relationships, a five component mixture was designed and tested twice. Very similar effects were observed in the two experiments. The mixture inhibited egg production in an additive manner predicted better by the model of Independent Action than that of Concentration Addition. Our data provide a reference case for independent action in an in vivo model. A significant combined effect was observed when each steroidal pharmaceutical in the mixture was present at a concentration which on its own would produce no statistically significant effect (something from 'nothing'). Further, when each component was present in the mixture at a concentration expected to inhibit egg production by between 18% (Beclomethasone diproprionate) and 40% (trenbolone), this mixture almost completely inhibited egg production: a phenomenon we term 'a lot from a little'. The results from this proof-of-principle study suggest that multiple steroids present in the aquatic environment can be analysed for their potential combined environmental risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara J Thrupp
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Tamsin J Runnalls
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Subramaniam Kugathas
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - John P Sumpter
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK.
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Axelstad M, Hass U, Scholze M, Christiansen S, Kortenkamp A, Boberg J. EDC IMPACT: Reduced sperm counts in rats exposed to human relevant mixtures of endocrine disrupters. Endocr Connect 2018; 7:139-148. [PMID: 29203468 PMCID: PMC5776667 DOI: 10.1530/ec-17-0307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Human semen quality is declining in many parts of the world, but the causes are ill defined. In rodents, impaired sperm production can be seen with early life exposure to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, but the effects of combined exposures are not properly investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of early exposure to the painkiller paracetamol and mixtures of human relevant endocrine-disrupting chemicals in rats. One mixture contained four estrogenic compounds; another contained eight anti-androgenic environmental chemicals and a third mixture contained estrogens, anti-androgens and paracetamol. All exposures were administered by oral gavage to time-mated Wistar dams rats (n = 16-20) throughout gestation and lactation. In the postnatal period, testicular histology was affected by the total mixture, and at the end of weaning, male testis weights were significantly increased by paracetamol and the high doses of the total and the anti-androgenic mixture, compared to controls. In all dose groups, epididymal sperm counts were reduced several months after end of exposure, i.e. at 10 months of age. Interestingly, the same pattern of effects was seen for paracetamol as for mixtures with diverse modes of action. Reduced sperm count was seen at a dose level reflecting human therapeutic exposure to paracetamol. Environmental chemical mixtures affected sperm count at the lowest mixture dose indicating an insufficient margin of safety for the most exposed humans. This causes concern for exposure of pregnant women to paracetamol as well as environmental endocrine disrupters.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Axelstad
- Technical University of DenmarkNational Food Institute, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - U Hass
- Technical University of DenmarkNational Food Institute, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - S Christiansen
- Technical University of DenmarkNational Food Institute, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - J Boberg
- Technical University of DenmarkNational Food Institute, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Gaudriault P, Mazaud-Guittot S, Lavoué V, Coiffec I, Lesné L, Dejucq-Rainsford N, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A, Jégou B. Endocrine Disruption in Human Fetal Testis Explants by Individual and Combined Exposures to Selected Pharmaceuticals, Pesticides, and Environmental Pollutants. Environ Health Perspect 2017; 125:087004. [PMID: 28796631 PMCID: PMC5783658 DOI: 10.1289/ehp1014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous chemicals are capable of disrupting androgen production, but the possibility that they might act together to produce effects greater than those of the most effective component in the mixture has not been studied directly in human tissues. Suppression of androgen synthesis in fetal life has been associated with testis maldescent, malformations of the genitalia at birth, and poor semen quality later in life. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to investigate whether chemicals can act together to disrupt androgen production in human fetal testis explants and to evaluate the importance of mixture effects when characterizing the hazard of individual chemicals. METHODS We used an organotypic culture system of human fetal testes explants called FEtal Gonad Assay (FEGA) with tissue obtained at 10 and 12 gestational wk (GW 10-12), to screen 27 chemicals individually for their possible anti-androgenic effect. Based on the results of the screen, we selected 11 compounds and tested them as mixtures. RESULTS We evaluated mixtures composed of four and eight antiandrogens that contained the pharmaceuticals ketoconazole and theophylline and several previously untested chemicals, such as the pesticides imazalil and propiconazole. Mixtures of antiandrogens can suppress testosterone synthesis in human fetal testicular explants to an extent greater than that seen with individual chemicals. This revealed itself as a shift towards lower doses in the dose-response curves of individual antiandrogens that became more pronounced as the number of components increased from four to eight. CONCLUSIONS Our results with the FEGA provide the foundations of a predictive human mixture risk assessment approach for anti-androgenic exposures in fetal life. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Gaudriault
- IRSET INSERM UMR1085 , Rennes, France
- Université de Rennes 1 , Rennes, France
| | | | - Vincent Lavoué
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Rennes, Service Gynécologie et Obstétrique , Rennes, France
| | - Isabelle Coiffec
- IRSET INSERM UMR1085 , Rennes, France
- Université de Rennes 1 , Rennes, France
| | - Laurianne Lesné
- IRSET INSERM UMR1085 , Rennes, France
- Université de Rennes 1 , Rennes, France
| | | | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London , Uxbridge, UK
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London , Uxbridge, UK
| | - Bernard Jégou
- IRSET INSERM UMR1085 , Rennes, France
- Université de Rennes 1 , Rennes, France
- Ecole des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), School of Public Health , Rennes, France
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Huerta B, Margiotta-Casaluci L, Rodríguez-Mozaz S, Scholze M, Winter MJ, Barceló D, Sumpter JP. Anti-anxiety drugs and fish behavior: Establishing the link between internal concentrations of oxazepam and behavioral effects. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016; 35:2782-2790. [PMID: 27061599 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Psychoactive drugs are frequently detected in the aquatic environment. The evolutionary conservation of the molecular targets of these drugs in fish suggests that they may elicit mode of action-mediated effects in fish as they do in humans, and the key open question is at what exposure concentrations these effects might occur. In the present study, the authors investigated the uptake and tissue distribution of the benzodiazepine oxazepam in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) after 28 d of waterborne exposure to 0.8 μg L-1 , 4.7 μg L-1 , and 30.6 μg L-1 . Successively, they explored the relationship between the internal concentrations of oxazepam and the effects on fish exploratory behavior quantified by performing 2 types of behavioral tests, the novel tank diving test and the shelter-seeking test. The highest internal concentrations of oxazepam were found in brain, followed by plasma and liver, whereas muscle presented the lowest values. Average concentrations measured in the plasma of fish from the 3 exposure groups were, respectively, 8.7 ± 5.7 μg L-1 , 30.3 ± 16.1 μg L-1 , and 98.8 ± 72.9 μg L-1 . Significant correlations between plasma and tissue concentrations of oxazepam were found in all 3 groups. Exposure of fish to 30.6 µg L-1 in water produced plasma concentrations within or just below the human therapeutic plasma concentration (HT PC) range in many individuals. Statistically significant behavioral effects in the novel tank diving test were observed in fish exposed to 4.7 μg L-1 . In this group, plasma concentrations of oxazepam were approximately one-third of the lowest HT PC value. No significant effects were observed in fish exposed to the lowest and highest concentrations. The significance of these results is discussed in the context of the species-specific behavior of fathead minnow and existing knowledge of oxazepam pharmacology. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2782-2790. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Huerta
- Catalan Institute for Water Research, H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
- London Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci
- London Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz
- Catalan Institute for Water Research, H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Martin Scholze
- London Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Winter
- Biosciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Damià Barceló
- Catalan Institute for Water Research, H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Girona, Spain
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA CSIC, Jordi Girona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - John P Sumpter
- London Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London, United Kingdom
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Kugathas S, Audouze K, Ermler S, Orton F, Rosivatz E, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A. Effects of Common Pesticides on Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) Inhibition in SC5 Mouse Sertoli Cells, Evidence of Binding at the COX-2 Active Site, and Implications for Endocrine Disruption. Environ Health Perspect 2016; 124:452-459. [PMID: 26359731 PMCID: PMC4829986 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are concerns that diminished prostaglandin action in fetal life could increase the risk of congenital malformations. Many endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been found to suppress prostaglandin synthesis, but to our knowledge, pesticides have never been tested for these effects. OBJECTIVES We assessed the ability of pesticides that are commonly used in the European Union to suppress prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) synthesis. METHODS Changes in PGD2 secretion in juvenile mouse Sertoli cells (SC5 cells) were measured using an ELISA. Coincubation with arachidonic acid (AA) was conducted to determine the site of action in the PGD2 synthetic pathway. Molecular modeling studies were performed to assess whether pesticides identified as PGD2-active could serve as ligands of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) binding pocket. RESULTS The pesticides boscalid, chlorpropham, cypermethrin, cyprodinil, fenhexamid, fludioxonil, imazalil (enilconazole), imidacloprid, iprodione, linuron, methiocarb, o-phenylphenol, pirimiphos-methyl, pyrimethanil, and tebuconazole suppressed PGD2 production. Strikingly, some of these substances-o-phenylphenol, cypermethrin, cyprodinil, linuron, and imazalil (enilconazole)-showed potencies (IC50) in the range between 175 and 1,500 nM, similar to those of analgesics intended to block COX enzymes. Supplementation with AA failed to reverse this effect, suggesting that the sites of action of these pesticides are COX enzymes. The molecular modeling studies revealed that the COX-2 binding pocket can accommodate most of the pesticides shown to suppress PGD2 synthesis. Some of these pesticides are also capable of antagonizing the androgen receptor. CONCLUSIONS Chemicals with structural features more varied than previously thought can suppress PGD2 synthesis. Our findings signal a need for in vivo studies to establish the extent of endocrine-disrupting effects that might arise from simultaneous interference with PGD2 signaling and androgen action. CITATION Kugathas S, Audouze K, Ermler S, Orton F, Rosivatz E, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A. 2016. Effects of common pesticides on prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) inhibition in SC5 mouse Sertoli cells, evidence of binding at the COX-2 active site, and implications for endocrine disruption. Environ Health Perspect 124:452-459; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409544.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramaniam Kugathas
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Karine Audouze
- Molécules Thérapeutiques in silico, Université Paris Diderot-Inserm UMR-S973, Paris, France
| | - Sibylle Ermler
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Frances Orton
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Erika Rosivatz
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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Runnalls TJ, Beresford N, Kugathas S, Margiotta-Casaluci L, Scholze M, Scott AP, Sumpter JP. From single chemicals to mixtures--reproductive effects of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol on the fathead minnow. Aquat Toxicol 2015; 169:152-167. [PMID: 26551686 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Revised: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The aquatic environment is polluted with thousands of chemicals. It is currently unclear which of these pose a significant threat to aquatic biota. The typical exposure scenario is now represented by a widespread blanket of contamination composed of myriads of individual pollutants-each typically present at a low concentration. The synthetic steroids, 17α-ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel, have been widely reported to be present in the aquatic environment in the low ng to sub-ng/l range. They are widely used in contraceptive formulations, both individually and in combination. Our research employed the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) 21 day 'pair-breeding' assay to assess reproductive output when pairs of fish were exposed to the single chemicals at low environmentally relevant concentrations, and then to a binary mixture of them. A variety of endpoints were assessed, including egg production, which was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by both the individual chemicals and the mixture. Significant, sex specific effects were also seen with both chemicals, at differing levels of biological organisation. Plasma concentrations of EE2 and levonorgestrel were predicted and in the case of levonorgestrel measured, and compared with the human therapeutic plasma concentrations (Read-Across approach) to support the interpretation of the results. A novel quantitative method was developed for the data analysis, which ensured a suitable endpoint for the comparative mixture assessment. This approach compares the reproductive performance from individual pairs of fish during chemical exposure to its pre-treatment performance. The responses from the empirical mixture study were compared to predictions derived from the single substance data. We hypothesised combined responses which were best described by the concept of concentration addition, and found no clear indications against this additivity expectation. However, the effect profiles support the current knowledge that both compounds act in different ways to reduce egg production in fish, and suggest that probably response addition (also called Independent action) is the more appropriate mixture model in this case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamsin J Runnalls
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB83PH, UK.
| | - Nicola Beresford
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB83PH, UK
| | - Subramaniam Kugathas
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB83PH, UK
| | - Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB83PH, UK
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB83PH, UK
| | - Alexander P Scott
- CEFAS Weymouth Laboratory, Barrack Road, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8UB, UK
| | - John P Sumpter
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB83PH, UK
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34
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Evans RM, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A. Examining the feasibility of mixture risk assessment: A case study using a tiered approach with data of 67 pesticides from the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). Food Chem Toxicol 2015; 84:260-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2015.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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35
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Arrebola JP, Molina-Molina JM, Fernández MF, Sáenz JM, Amaya E, Indiveri P, Hill EM, Scholze M, Orton F, Kortenkamp A, Olea N. A novel biomarker for anti-androgenic activity in placenta reveals risks of urogenital malformations. Reproduction 2015; 149:605-13. [PMID: 25784770 DOI: 10.1530/rep-14-0525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that the rise in male reproductive disorders over recent decades may at least be partially attributable to environmental factors, including chemical exposures, but observed associations with single chemicals were rather weak. The aim of this case-control study was to explore the relationship between exposure to mixtures of (anti-)androgenic chemicals during pregnancy and the risk of cryptorchidism and/or hypospadias in offspring, using the total effective xenobiotic burden of anti-androgens (TEXB-AA) as a biomarker. A subsample of 29 cases (16 of cryptorchidism, 12 of hypospadias, and one of both disorders) and 60 healthy controls was nested in a cohort of male newborns recruited between October 2000 and July 2002. The (anti-)androgenic activity of placenta samples collected at delivery was assessed using TEXB-AA biomarker, combined with a bioassay-directed fractionation protocol that separated endogenous hormones from most (anti-)androgenic chemicals by normal-phase HPLC. The bioassay measures the androgen-induced luciferase activity and the inhibition of this pathway by (anti-)androgens. First, we collected 27 HPLC fractions in each placenta extract, which were all tested in the bioassay. The multivariable statistical analyses indicated a statistically significant positive dose-response association between the potent anti-androgenic activity of the HPLC fraction collected during minutes 1-2 (F2) and the risk of malformations (odds ratio: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.04-5.23). This study represents a novel approach for the estimation of combined effects of the total anti-androgenic load and the associations suggest an effect of environmental pollutants on the development of fetal reproductive tract.Free Spanish abstract: A Spanish translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/149/6/605/suppl/DC1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Arrebola
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - José M Molina-Molina
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Mariana F Fernández
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Jose M Sáenz
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Esperanza Amaya
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Paolo Indiveri
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Hill
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Martin Scholze
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Frances Orton
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Nicolás Olea
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADASan Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, SpainCIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)Madrid, SpainSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UKInstitute of the EnvironmentHealth and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKBiosciencesCollege of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
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36
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Green C, Brian J, Kanda R, Scholze M, Williams R, Jobling S. Environmental concentrations of anti-androgenic pharmaceuticals do not impact sexual disruption in fish alone or in combination with steroid oestrogens. Aquat Toxicol 2015; 160:117-127. [PMID: 25630045 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Revised: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Sexual disruption in wild fish has been linked to the contamination of river systems with steroid oestrogens, including the pharmaceutical 17α-ethinylestradiol, originating from domestic wastewaters. As analytical chemistry has advanced, more compounds derived from the human use of pharmaceuticals have been identified in the environment and questions have arisen as to whether these additional pharmaceuticals may also impact sexual disruption in fish. Indeed, pharmaceutical anti-androgens have been shown to induce such effects under laboratory conditions. These are of particular interest since anti-androgenic biological activity has been identified in the aquatic environment and is potentially implicated in sexual disruption alone and in combination with steroid oestrogens. Consequently, predictive modelling was employed to determine the concentrations of two anti-androgenic human pharmaceuticals, bicalutamide and cyproterone acetate, in UK sewage effluents and river catchments and their combined impacts on sexual disruption were then assessed in two fish models. Crucially, fish were also exposed to the anti-androgens in combination with steroid oestrogens to determine whether they had any additional impact on oestrogen induced feminisation. Modelling predicted that the anti-androgenic pharmaceuticals were likely to be widespread in UK river catchments. However, their concentrations were not sufficient to induce significant responses in plasma vitellogenin concentrations, secondary sexual characteristics or gross indices in male fathead minnow or intersex in Japanese medaka alone or in combination with steroid oestrogens. However, environmentally relevant mixtures of oestrone, 17β-oestradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol did induce vitellogenin and intersex, supporting their role in sexual disruption in wild fish populations. Unexpectedly, a male dominated sex ratio (100% in controls) was induced in medaka and the potential cause and implications are briefly discussed, highlighting the potential of non-chemical modes of action on this endpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Green
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK.
| | - Jayne Brian
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Rakesh Kanda
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Richard Williams
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Susan Jobling
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK
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37
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Stein J, Mogk S, Mudogo CN, Sommer BP, Scholze M, Meiwes A, Huber M, Gray A, Duszenko M. Drug development against sleeping sickness: old wine in new bottles? Curr Med Chem 2014; 21:1713-27. [PMID: 24251577 DOI: 10.2174/0929867320666131119121636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2012] [Revised: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Atoxyl, the first medicinal drug against human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, was applied more than 100 years ago. Ever since, the search for more effective, more specific and less toxic drugs continued, leading to a set of compounds currently in use against this devastating disease. Unfortunately, none of these medicines fulfill modern pharmaceutical requirements and may be considered as therapeutic ultima ratio due to the many, often severe side effects. Starting with a historic overview on drug development against HAT, we present a selection of trypanosome specific pathways and enzymes considered as highly potent druggable targets. In addition, we describe cellular mechanisms the parasite uses for differentiation and cell density regulation and present our considerations how interference with these steps, elementary for life cycle progression and infection, may lead to new aspects of drug development. Finally we refer to our recent work about CNS infection that offers novel insights in how trypanosomes hide in an immune privileged area to establish a chronic state of the disease, thereby considering new ways for drug application. Depressingly, HAT specific drug development has failed over the last 30 years to produce better suited medicine. However, unraveling of parasite-specific pathways and cellular behavior together with the ability to produce high resolution structures of essential parasite proteins by X-ray crystallography, leads us to the optimistic view that development of an ultimate drug to eradicate sleeping sickness from the globe might just be around the corner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - M Duszenko
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tubingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 4, 72076 Tubingen, Germany.
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38
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Orton F, Baynes A, Clare F, Duffus ALJ, Larroze S, Scholze M, Garner TWJ. Body size, nuptial pad size and hormone levels: potential non-destructive biomarkers of reproductive health in wild toads (Bufo bufo). Ecotoxicology 2014; 23:1359-1365. [PMID: 24935780 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-014-1261-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians are declining and fertility/fecundity are major drivers of population stability. The development of non-destructive methods to assess reproductive health are needed as destructive measures are fundamentally at odds with conservation goals for declining species. We investigated the utility of body size, nuptial pad size and forelimb width as non-destructive biomarkers of internal reproductive physiology, by analysing correlations with commonly used destructive methods in adult male toads (Bufo bufo) from a low human impact and a high human impact site. Principal component analyses revealed that size was the most important variable for explaining inter-individual differences in other measured endpoints, both non-destructive and destructive, except for hormone levels and nuptial pad, which were independent of size. Toads from the LI and the HI site differed in almost all of the measured endpoints; this was largely driven by the significantly smaller size of toads from the HI site. Correlational analyses within sites revealed that size was correlated with several reproductive endpoints in toads from the HI site but not the LI site, indicating a possible limiting effect of size on reproductive physiology. Intersex was observed in 33% of toads from the HI site and incidence was not related to any other measured endpoint. In conclusion, we provide evidence that size is associated with reproductive physiology and that nuptial pad/hormone levels have potential as additional markers due to their independence from size. We also show that human activities can have a negative effect on reproductive physiology of the common toad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Orton
- Biosciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK,
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39
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Axelstad M, Christiansen S, Boberg J, Scholze M, Jacobsen PR, Isling LK, Kortenkamp A, Hass U. Mixtures of endocrine-disrupting contaminants induce adverse developmental effects in preweaning rats. Reproduction 2014; 147:489-501. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-13-0447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive toxicity was investigated in rats after developmental exposure to a mixture of 13 endocrine-disrupting contaminants, including pesticides, plastic and cosmetic ingredients, and paracetamol. The mixture was composed on the basis of information about high-end human exposures, and the dose levels reflecting 100, 200, and 450 times this exposure were tested. The compounds were also grouped according to their estrogenicity or anti-androgenicity, and their joint effects were tested at two different doses, with each group reflecting 200 or 450 times human exposure. In addition, a single paracetamol dose was tested (350 mg/kg per day). All exposures and a vehicle were administered by oral gavage to time-mated Wistar dams rats throughout gestation and lactation, and their offspring were assessed for reproductive effects at birth and in prepuberty. The mixture doses, which included the anti-androgenic compounds, affected the male offspring by causing decreased anogenital distance, increased nipple retention (NR), and reduced ventral prostate weights, at both medium and high doses. In addition, the weights of the levator ani/bulbocavernosus muscle (LABC) were decreased at the high dose of anti-androgen mixture. No effects were seen after exposure to the estrogenic chemicals alone, whereas males exposed solely to paracetamol showed decreased LABC weights and increased NR. Thus adverse reproductive effects were observed at mixtures reflecting 200 times high-end human exposure, which is relatively close to the safety margin covered by the regulatory uncertainty factor of 100. This suggests that highly exposed human population groups may not be sufficiently protected against mixtures of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
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Abstract
Several countries have experienced rises in cryptorchidisms, hypospadias and testicular germ cell cancer. The reasons for these trends are largely unknown, but Skakkebaek has proposed that these disorders form a testicular dysgenesis syndrome and can be traced to androgen insufficiency in foetal life. This suggests that antiandrogenic chemicals might contribute to risks, but few chemicals have been linked to these diseases in epidemiological studies. In animal studies with p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, effects typical of disruptions of male sexual differentiation became apparent when the foetal levels of this androgen receptor (AR) antagonist approached values associated with responses in in vitro assays. This prompted us to analyse whether the 22 chemicals with AR antagonistic properties would produce mixture effects in an in vitro AR antagonism assay when combined at concentrations found in human serum. Other antiandrogenic modalities could not be considered. Two scenarios were investigated, one representative of average serum levels reported in European countries, the other in line with levels towards the high exposures. In both situations, the in vitro potency of the 22 selected AR antagonists was too low to produce combined AR antagonistic effects at the concentrations found in human serum, although the high exposure scenario came quite close to measurable effects. Nevertheless, our analysis exposes an explanation gap which can only be bridged by conjuring up as yet undiscovered high potency AR antagonists or, alternatively, high exposures to unknown agents of average potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
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41
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Ermler S, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A. Genotoxic mixtures and dissimilar action: concepts for prediction and assessment. Arch Toxicol 2013; 88:799-814. [PMID: 24297155 PMCID: PMC3927065 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-013-1170-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Combinations of genotoxic agents have frequently been assessed without clear assumptions regarding their expected (additive) mixture effects, often leading to claims of synergisms that might in fact be compatible with additivity. We have shown earlier that the combined effects of chemicals, which induce micronuclei (MN) in the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells by a similar mechanism, were additive according to the concept of concentration addition (CA). Here, we extended these studies and investigated for the first time whether valid additivity expectations can be formulated for MN-inducing chemicals that operate through a variety of mechanisms, including aneugens and clastogens (DNA cross-linkers, topoisomerase II inhibitors, minor groove binders). We expected that their effects should follow the additivity principles of independent action (IA). With two mixtures, one composed of various aneugens (colchicine, flubendazole, vinblastine sulphate, griseofulvin, paclitaxel), and another composed of aneugens and clastogens (flubendazole, doxorubicin, etoposide, melphalan and mitomycin C), we observed mixture effects that fell between the additivity predictions derived from CA and IA. We achieved better agreement between observation and prediction by grouping the chemicals into common assessment groups and using hybrid CA/IA prediction models. The combined effects of four dissimilarly acting compounds (flubendazole, paclitaxel, doxorubicin and melphalan) also fell within CA and IA. Two binary mixtures (flubendazole/paclitaxel and flubendazole/doxorubicin) showed effects in reasonable agreement with IA additivity. Our studies provide a systematic basis for the investigation of mixtures that affect endpoints of relevance to genotoxicity and show that their effects are largely additive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibylle Ermler
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, UK,
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42
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Pottinger TG, Katsiadaki I, Jolly C, Sanders M, Mayer I, Scott AP, Morris S, Kortenkamp A, Scholze M. Anti-androgens act jointly in suppressing spiggin concentrations in androgen-primed female three-spined sticklebacks - prediction of combined effects by concentration addition. Aquat Toxicol 2013; 140-141:145-156. [PMID: 23792627 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2013.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Increasing attention is being directed at the role played by anti-androgenic chemicals in endocrine disruption of wildlife within the aquatic environment. The co-occurrence of multiple contaminants with anti-androgenic activity highlights a need for the predictive assessment of combined effects, but information about anti-androgen mixture effects on wildlife is lacking. This study evaluated the suitability of the androgenised female stickleback screen (AFSS), in which inhibition of androgen-induced spiggin production provides a quantitative assessment of anti-androgenic activity, for predicting the effect of a four component mixture of anti-androgens. The anti-androgenic activity of four known anti-androgens (vinclozolin, fenitrothion, flutamide, linuron) was evaluated from individual concentration-response data and used to design a mixture containing each chemical at equipotent concentrations. Across a 100-fold concentration range, a concentration addition approach was used to predict the response of fish to the mixture. Two studies were conducted independently at each of two laboratories. By using a novel method to adjust for differences between nominal and measured concentrations, good agreement was obtained between the actual outcome of the mixture exposure and the predicted outcome. This demonstrated for the first time that androgen receptor antagonists act in concert in an additive fashion in fish and that existing mixture methodology is effective in predicting the outcome, based on concentration-response data for individual chemicals. The sensitivity range of the AFSS assay lies within the range of anti-androgenicity reported in rivers across many locations internationally. The approach taken in our study lays the foundations for understanding how androgen receptor antagonists work together in fish and is essential in informing risk assessment methods for complex anti-androgenic mixtures in the aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- T G Pottinger
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK.
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43
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Altenburger R, Backhaus T, Boedeker W, Faust M, Scholze M. Simplifying complexity: Mixture toxicity assessment in the last 20 years. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013; 32:1685-7. [PMID: 23843317 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Altenburger
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Leipzig, Germany.
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44
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Abstract
Benzimidazoles act by disrupting microtubule polymerisation and are capable of inducing the formation of micronuclei. Considering the similarities in their mechanisms of action (inhibition of microtubule assembly by binding to the colchicine-binding site on tubulin monomers), combination effects according to the principles of concentration addition might occur. If so, it is to be expected that several benzimidazoles contribute to micronucleus formation even when each single one is present at or below threshold levels. This would have profound implications for risk assessment, but the idea has never been tested rigorously. To fill this gap, we analysed micronucleus frequencies for seven benzimidazoles, including the fungicide benomyl, its metabolite carbendazim, the anthelmintics albendazole, albendazole oxide, flubendazole, mebendazole and oxibendazole. Thiabendazole was also tested but was inactive. We used the cytochalasin-blocked micronucleus assay with CHO-K1 cells according to OECD guidelines, and employed an automated micronucleus scoring system based on image analysis to establish quantitative concentration–response relationships for the seven active benzimidazoles. Based on this information, we predicted additive combination effects for a mixture of the seven benzimidazoles by using the concepts of concentration addition and independent action. The observed effects of the mixture agreed very well with those predicted by concentration addition. Independent action underestimated the observed combined effects by a large margin. With a mixture that combined all benzimidazoles at their estimated threshold concentrations for micronucleus induction, micronucleus frequencies of ~15.5% were observed, correctly anticipated by concentration addition. On the basis of independent action, this mixture was expected to produce no effects. Our data provide convincing evidence that concentration addition is applicable to combinations of benzimidazoles that form micronuclei by disrupting microtubule polymerisation. They present a rationale for grouping these chemicals together for the purpose of cumulative risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibylle Ermler
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK.
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45
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Orton F, Rosivatz E, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A. Competitive androgen receptor antagonism as a factor determining the predictability of cumulative antiandrogenic effects of widely used pesticides. Environ Health Perspect 2012; 120:1578-84. [PMID: 23008280 PMCID: PMC3556629 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1205391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many pesticides in current use have recently been revealed as in vitro androgen receptor (AR) antagonists, but information about their combined effects is lacking. OBJECTIVE We investigated the combined effects and the competitive AR antagonism of pesticide mixtures. METHODS We used the MDA-kb2 assay to test a combination of eight AR antagonists that did not also possess AR agonist properties ("pure" antagonists; 8 mix: fludioxonil, fenhexamid, ortho-phenylphenol, imazalil, tebuconazole, dimethomorph, methiocarb, pirimiphos-methyl), a combination of five AR antagonists that also showed agonist activity (5 mix: cyprodinil, pyrimethanil, vinclozolin, chlorpropham, linuron), and all pesticides combined (13 mix). We used concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) to formulate additivity expectations, and Schild plot analyses to investigate competitive AR antagonism. RESULTS A good agreement between the effects of the mixture of eight "pure" AR antagonists and the responses predicted by CA was observed. Schild plot analysis revealed that the 8 mix acted by competitive AR antagonism. However, the observed responses of the 5 mix and the 13 mix fell within the "prediction window" boundaries defined by the predicted regression curves of CA and IA. Schild plot analysis with these mixtures yielded anomalous responses incompatible with competitive receptor antagonism. CONCLUSIONS A mixture of widely used pesticides can, in a predictable manner, produce combined AR antagonist effects that exceed the responses elicited by the most potent component alone. Inasmuch as large populations are regularly exposed to mixtures of antiandrogenic pesticides, our results underline the need for considering combination effects for these substances in regulatory practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Orton
- Centre for Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom.
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46
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Evans RM, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A. Additive mixture effects of estrogenic chemicals in human cell-based assays can be influenced by inclusion of chemicals with differing effect profiles. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43606. [PMID: 22912892 PMCID: PMC3422259 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of experimental evidence indicates that the in vitro effects of mixtures of estrogenic chemicals can be well predicted from the estrogenicity of their components by the concentration addition (CA) concept. However, some studies have observed small deviations from CA. Factors affecting the presence or observation of deviations could include: the type of chemical tested; number of mixture components; mixture design; and assay choice. We designed mixture experiments that address these factors, using mixtures with high numbers of components, chemicals from diverse chemical groups, assays with different in vitro endpoints and different mixture designs and ratios. Firstly, the effects of mixtures composed of up to 17 estrogenic chemicals were examined using estrogenicity assays with reporter-gene (ERLUX) and cell proliferation (ESCREEN) endpoints. Two mixture designs were used: 1) a ‘balanced’ design with components present in proportion to a common effect concentration (e.g. an EC10) and 2) a ‘non-balanced’ design with components in proportion to potential human tissue concentrations. Secondly, the individual and simultaneous ability of 16 potential modulator chemicals (each with minimal estrogenicity) to influence the assay outcome produced by a reference mixture of estrogenic chemicals was examined. Test chemicals included plasticizers, phthalates, metals, PCBs, phytoestrogens, PAHs, heterocyclic amines, antioxidants, UV filters, musks, PBDEs and parabens. In all the scenarios tested, the CA concept provided a good prediction of mixture effects. Modulation studies revealed that chemicals possessing minimal estrogenicity themselves could reduce (negatively modulate) the effect of a mixture of estrogenic chemicals. Whether the type of modulation we observed occurs in practice most likely depends on the chemical concentrations involved, and better information is required on likely human tissue concentrations of estrogens and of potential modulators. Successful prediction of the effects of diverse chemical combinations might be more likely if chemical profiling included consideration of effect modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Mark Evans
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom.
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Westgarth-Smith AR, Roy DB, Scholze M, Tucker A, Sumpter JP. The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation in controlling U.K. butterfly population size and phenology. Ecol Entomol 2012; 37:221-232. [PMID: 22879687 PMCID: PMC3412218 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.2012.01359.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
1. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) exerts considerable control on U.K. weather. This study investigates the impact of the NAO on butterfly abundance and phenology using 34 years of data from the U.K. Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS).2. The study uses a multi-species indicator to show that the NAO does not affect overall U.K. butterfly population size. However, the abundance of bivoltine butterfly species, which have longer flight seasons, were found to be more likely to respond positively to the NAO compared with univoltine species, which show little or a negative response.3. A positive winter NAO index is associated with warmer weather and earlier flight dates for Anthocharis cardamines (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Melanargia galathea (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Aphantopus hyperantus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Pyronia tithonus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Lasiommata megera (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) and Polyommatus icarus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). In bivoltine species, the NAO affects the phenology of the first generation, the timing of which indirectly controls the timing of the second generation.4. The NAO influences the timing of U.K. butterfly flight seasons more strongly than it influences population size.
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Christiansen S, Kortenkamp A, Axelstad M, Boberg J, Scholze M, Jacobsen PR, Faust M, Lichtensteiger W, Schlumpf M, Burdorf A, Hass U. Mixtures of endocrine disrupting contaminants modelled on human high end exposures: an exploratory study in rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 35:303-16. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01242.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Kortenkamp A, Evans R, Faust M, Kalberlah F, Scholze M, Schuhmacher‐Wolz U. Investigation of the state of the science on combined actions of chemicals in food through dissimilar modes of action and proposal for science‐based approach for performing related cumulative risk assessment. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2012.en-232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Faust
- F+B: Faust and Backhaus Environmental Consulting GbR
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Ermler S, Scholze M, Kortenkamp A. The suitability of concentration addition for predicting the effects of multi-component mixtures of up to 17 anti-androgens with varied structural features in an in vitro AR antagonist assay. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2011; 257:189-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2011.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2011] [Revised: 08/26/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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