title: Xenoestrogenic and dioxin-like activity in blood of East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus).
abstract: The aims of the project were to (i) extract the lipophilic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from the blood of 99 East Greenland polar bears and assess the combined mixture effect on the estrogen receptor (ER) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediated transactivity; (ii) To evaluate whether the receptor transactivities were associated with selected POP markers, and (iii) compare the receptor transactivities in polar bears with earlier studies on Greenlandic Inuit. Lipophilic POPs were extracted using a combination of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). ER mediated transactivity was determined using the ER luciferase reporter MVLN cell assay. The extracts were tested alone (XER) and together with 17β-estradiol (E2) as a physiological mimic (XERcomp). Dioxins and dioxin-like (DL) compounds were extracted by a combination of SPE and the Supelco Dioxin Prep System®. AhR mediated dioxin-like transactivity was determined using the AhR luciferase reporter Hepa 1.12cR cell assay. Agonistic ER transactivity was elicited by 19% of the samples, and a further increased E2 induced ER response was found for 52%, whereas 17% antagonized the E2 induced ER response. Positive correlations were found in subadult bears between XER and several POP biomarkers. XER and XERcomp correlated positively to each other. A total of 91% of the polar bear blood extracts elicited agonistic AhR transactivity. The AhR-TCDD equivalent (AhR-TEQ) median levels were higher among adult bears compared to subadult bears, but not significantly.
authors: Centre for Arctic Health, Department of Public Health and Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Build. 1260, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors: Simon E
authors: SE
authors: Erdmann
authors: Rune
authors: R
authors: Dietz
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Sonne
authors: Thea Ø
authors: TØ
authors: Bechshøft
authors: Katrin
authors: K
authors: Vorkamp
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Letcher
authors: Manhai
authors: M
authors: Long
authors: Eva C
authors: EC
authors: Bonefeld-Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D001503:Ursidae / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010575:Pesticides; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls