title: Use of immunofluorescence technique in cultured fibroblasts from Mediterranean cetaceans as new "in vitro" tool to investigate effects of environmental contaminants.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to propose the immunofluorescence technique in cultured fibroblasts from Mediterranean cetaceans as a new "in vitro" tool to explore the susceptibility of these marine mammals to different xenobiotic compounds. The cell lines were cultured from integument biopsies of free-ranging and stranded cetaceans (dead within 12h). Using the indirect immunofluorescence assay, we detected endogenous proteins induced by different contaminants. Here we present the method used for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of cytochromes P450 (CYP1A1 and CYP2B) induced by some POPs (DDTs and PCBs) and emerging contaminants (PBDEs) in fibroblast cell cultures of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Immunofluorescence was quantified with a specially designed Olympus macro, DetectIntZ. A major result was the possibility of using this "in vitro" assay to quantify induction of endogenous proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences G Sarfatti, Siena University, Via Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy. marsilil@unisi.it
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marsili
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casini
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bucalossi
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Porcelloni
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maltese
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019362:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B1 / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000379:methods*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D050706:Stenella / Q000235:genetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D019362:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B1