title: Morphological alterations of Vero cell exposed to coplanar PCB 126 and noncoplanar PCB 153.
abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread, persistent environmental contaminants that display a complex spectrum of toxicological properties. Exposure to PCBs has been associated with morphological anomalies in cell cultures. However, most mechanistic studies of PCBs' toxic activity have been focused on coplanar congeners. It is of importance to determine whether PCB treatment would influence cell configuration and whether these changes would depend on the structural characteristics of PCBs. In this study, we investigated cell morphological alteration in Vero cell cultures after exposure to coplanar PCB 126 and noncoplanar PCB 153. The survival of Vero cells was measured through the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) test. Cytotoxicity results suggested that PCB congeners had a toxic, antiproliferative effect on Vero cells. Morphological studies described structural modifications and provided evidence that apoptosis might be the main cell death pathway in PCB 153-treated cells. The comparison between PCB 126 and PCB 153 indicated that the cell death mechanisms involved in coplanar or noncoplanar PCB congener exposure were different in Vero cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kaili
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Chaofeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xincai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yingxu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000633:toxicity*; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; C023035:3,4,5,3',4'-pentachlorobiphenyl; C014024:2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl