title: Developmental effects of aerosols and coal burning particles in zebrafish embryos.
abstract: Embryo toxicity of particles generated by combustion processes is of special concern for human health. A significant part of these toxic effects is linked to the binding of some pollutants (like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs) to the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) and the activation of target genes, like the cytochrome P4501A. This activity was analyzed for ambient air and coal-combustion particle extracts in zebrafish embryos (the cyp1aDarT assay) and in two single-cell bioassays: the yeast-based YCM-RYA and the DR-luc (rat cells) assay. Observed AhR ligand activity of samples generally correlated to the predicted toxic effect according to their PAH composition, except for one of the coal combustion samples with an anomalously high activity in the cyp1aDarT assay. This sample induced deformities in zebrafish embryos. We concluded that the combination of morphological and molecular assays may detect embryonic toxic effects that cannot be predicted from chemical analyses or single-cell bioassays.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olivares
authors.forename: Barend L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: van Drooge
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prats
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Leo T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: van der Ven
authors.forename: Jorke H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kamstra
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamers
authors.forename: Sanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hermsen
authors.forename: Joan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Grimalt
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piña
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D003031:Coal / Q000633:toxicity*; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000187:drug effects; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D003031:Coal; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1