Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are lipid-soluble toxins that are not easily degraded; therefore, they accumulate in the environment and the human body. Several studies have indicated a correlation between POPs and metabolic diseases; however, their effects on mitochondria as a central organelle in cellular metabolism and the usage of mitochondria as functional markers for metabolic disease are barely understood. In this study, a zebrafish model system was exposed to two subclasses of POPs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), under two different conditions (solitary OCPs or OCPs with PCBs (Aroclor 1254)), and changes in the oxidative stress marker levels and mitochondrial enzyme activities in the electron transport chain of the tail were measured to observe the correlation between POPs and representative biomarkers for metabolic disease. The results indicated different responses upon exposure to OCPs and OCPs with Aroclor 1254, and accelerated toxicity was observed following exposure to mixed POPs (OCPs with Aroclor 1254). Males were more sensitive to changes in the levels of oxidative stress markers induced by POP exposure, whereas females were more susceptible to the toxic effects of POPs on the levels of mitochondrial activity markers. These results demonstrate that the study reflects real environmental conditions, with low-dose and multiple-toxin exposure for a long period, and that POPs alter major mitochondrial enzymes’ functions with an imbalance of redox homeostasis in a sex-dependent manner.
Highlights
Insecticides, and herbicides classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were synthesized in the 1900s for various industrial applications; most of them are prohibited by the Stockholm convention for their persistence in the environment and their associated adverse effects [1]
The tendency towards increased oxidative stress in the previous results are contrast to the current result; the present results indicate a compensatory response of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)/Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) level upon very-low-dose POP exposure as and following a change in superoxide dismutase (SOD)
We exposed zebrafish to two ferent types of POPs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the results indicated the synergetic consedifferentoftypes of exposure
Summary
Environmental pollution induced by anthropogenic chemicals is a seriously threatening factor for ecological systems. Insecticides, and herbicides classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were synthesized in the 1900s for various industrial applications; most of them are prohibited by the Stockholm convention for their persistence in the environment and their associated adverse effects [1]. Among several subclasses of POPs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are chemicals containing at least one covalently bonded atom of chlorine. They have the characteristics of high lipid solubility and further bioaccumulation in adipose tissues [2,3].
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