Analysis of the interaction of polycyclic aromatic compounds in a model organism: integration of genotoxic and histopathological effects

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Analysis of the interaction of polycyclic aromatic compounds in a model organism: integration of genotoxic and histopathological effects Sofia Pereira1*, Marta G. Martins1, Maria H. Costa1 and Pedro M. Costa1 1 IMAR - Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Portugal Due to their toxicity, especially their carcinogenic potential, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered priority in biomonitoring programmes. Many of these compounds are listed through the European Water Framework Directive as priority pollutants. Benzo(b)fluoranthene (B[b]F), considered potentially carcinogenic, and phenanthrene (Phe), non-carcinogenic, are two common PAHs in coastal waters and own distinct proprieties that are reflected in their mechanisms of toxicity. Still, their interaction effects onto the aquatic biota remain largely unknown. This work aimed to analyze the genotoxic effects caused by the interaction of B[b]F and Phe and their relation to histopathological alterations in the liver. The model organism was the seabass Dicentrarchus labrax, an important coastal species for fisheries and aquaculture. For the purpose, fish were injected with the two compounds (5 µg/g fish ww), isolated or in mixture, and incubated for 24h. The results only revealed minor clastogenic and aneugenic alterations, determined through erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities. On the other hand, the Comet assay showed significant DNA strand breakage in the individuals injected with B[b]F and the combination of the two compounds. On the contrary, Phe failed to cause significant genotoxic effects. Significant hepatic histopathological alterations were also found in animals injected with B[b]F, relating especially to inflammation-related responses. Overall, the results indicate no significant additive effect between B[b]F and Phe, under the current experimental conditions. Nonetheless, the seabass revealed to be sensitive to exposure to B[b]F (a higher molecular weight PAH), likely due to more efficient bioactivation of the pollutant (yielded genotoxic metabolites and reactive oxygen species), when compared to Phe. It is of paramount importance to understand the long-term interaction effects between PAHs under ecologically-relevant scenarios, since PAHs, like many other toxicants, are usually present in the aquatic environment as a complex mixture of xenobiotics. Acknowledgements Marta Martins was supported by the “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia” (FCT) Ph.D grant ref. SFRH/BD/64510/2009. P.M. Costa was supported by the FCT post-doctoral grant ref. SFRH/BPD/72564/2010. Keywords: Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Phenanthrene, Carcinogenic PAH, Non-carcinogenic PAH, Histology, DNA strand breakage Conference: IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2014, Peniche, Portugal, 10 Jul - 11 Jul, 2014. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: BIODIVERSITY, CONSERVATION AND COASTAL MANAGEMENT Citation: Pereira S, Martins MG, Costa MH and Costa PM (2014). Analysis of the interaction of polycyclic aromatic compounds in a model organism: integration of genotoxic and histopathological effects. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2014. doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2014.02.00034 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 16 May 2014; Published Online: 18 Jul 2014. * Correspondence: Miss. Sofia Pereira, IMAR - Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Caparica, 2829-016, Portugal, sa.pereira@campus.fct.unl.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Sofia Pereira Marta G Martins Maria H Costa Pedro M Costa Google Sofia Pereira Marta G Martins Maria H Costa Pedro M Costa Google Scholar Sofia Pereira Marta G Martins Maria H Costa Pedro M Costa PubMed Sofia Pereira Marta G Martins Maria H Costa Pedro M Costa Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.