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Estrogenic activity of surface waters using zebrafish- and human-based in vitro assays : The Danube as a case-study

Serra, Hélène LU ; Brion, François ; Chardon, Clémence ; Budzinski, Hélène ; Schulze, Tobias ; Brack, Werner and Aït-aïssa, Selim (2020) In Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 78.
Abstract
Most in vitro reporter gene assays used to assess estrogenic contamination are based on human estrogen receptor α (hERα) activation. However, fish bioassays can have distinct response to estrogenic chemicals and mixtures, questioning the relevance of human-based bioassays for assessing risk to this species. In this study, zebrafish liver cells stably expressing zebrafish ERβ2 (ZELHβ2) and human breast cancer cells expressing hERα (MELN) were used to quantify the estrogenic activity of 25 surface water samples of the Danube River, for which chemicals have been previously quantified. Most samples had a low estrogenic activity below 0.1 ng/L 17β-estradiol-equivalents that was more often detected by MELN cells, while ZELHβ2 response tend to be... (More)
Most in vitro reporter gene assays used to assess estrogenic contamination are based on human estrogen receptor α (hERα) activation. However, fish bioassays can have distinct response to estrogenic chemicals and mixtures, questioning the relevance of human-based bioassays for assessing risk to this species. In this study, zebrafish liver cells stably expressing zebrafish ERβ2 (ZELHβ2) and human breast cancer cells expressing hERα (MELN) were used to quantify the estrogenic activity of 25 surface water samples of the Danube River, for which chemicals have been previously quantified. Most samples had a low estrogenic activity below 0.1 ng/L 17β-estradiol-equivalents that was more often detected by MELN cells, while ZELHβ2 response tend to be lower than predicted based on the chemicals identified. Nevertheless, both bioassays quantified well a higher estrogenic activity at two sites, which was confirmed in vivo using a transgenic zebrafish assay. The results are discussed considering the effect-based trigger values proposed for water quality monitoring. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
volume
78
article number
103401
pages
9 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:32417722
  • scopus:85084458241
ISSN
1382-6689
DOI
10.1016/j.etap.2020.103401
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
982e6c10-19c5-41ee-a7e9-3c732edc5953
date added to LUP
2020-05-19 12:19:56
date last changed
2022-04-18 22:22:37
@article{982e6c10-19c5-41ee-a7e9-3c732edc5953,
  abstract     = {{Most in vitro reporter gene assays used to assess estrogenic contamination are based on human estrogen receptor α (hERα) activation. However, fish bioassays can have distinct response to estrogenic chemicals and mixtures, questioning the relevance of human-based bioassays for assessing risk to this species. In this study, zebrafish liver cells stably expressing zebrafish ERβ2 (ZELHβ2) and human breast cancer cells expressing hERα (MELN) were used to quantify the estrogenic activity of 25 surface water samples of the Danube River, for which chemicals have been previously quantified. Most samples had a low estrogenic activity below 0.1 ng/L 17β-estradiol-equivalents that was more often detected by MELN cells, while ZELHβ2 response tend to be lower than predicted based on the chemicals identified. Nevertheless, both bioassays quantified well a higher estrogenic activity at two sites, which was confirmed in vivo using a transgenic zebrafish assay. The results are discussed considering the effect-based trigger values proposed for water quality monitoring.}},
  author       = {{Serra, Hélène and Brion, François and Chardon, Clémence and Budzinski, Hélène and Schulze, Tobias and Brack, Werner and Aït-aïssa, Selim}},
  issn         = {{1382-6689}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology}},
  title        = {{Estrogenic activity of surface waters using zebrafish- and human-based in vitro assays : The Danube as a case-study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2020.103401}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.etap.2020.103401}},
  volume       = {{78}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}