title: Exposure of sea bream (Sparus aurata) to toxic concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene: possible human health effect.
abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can accumulate in the food chain, due to their lipophilic properties. Fish can accumulate contaminants including PAHs and frequent consumption of such contaminated fish can pose risk to human health. The aim of this study was to clarify if acute exposure of sea bream (Sparus aurata, a fish species of great economic importance in the Atlantic and Mediterranean areas) to a PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), at a dose that can induce CYP1A and pathological changes in fish gills, liver and muscle, can induce accumulation in muscle. We investigated the cytotoxic effects (as changes in cell viability, DNA laddering and glutathione content) of in vitro exposure of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to organic extracts obtained from muscle of sea breams previously exposed via water to B[a]P (2mg/l, for 12, 24 and 72 h). At this level of exposure, B[a]P caused morphological changes, inflammatory response and CYP1A induction not only in sea bream gills and liver but also in muscle; furthermore, in fish muscle we observed a substantial B[a]P accumulation, which may be associated with the increased CYP1A activity in liver and especially in muscle. However, when PBMCs were exposed to organic extracts obtained from sea bream muscle contaminated with B[a]P, a toxic, although modest effect was revealed, consisting in a significant decrease in cell glutathione levels without alterations in cell viability and DNA laddering. This suggests that consumption of sea breams from B[a]P contaminated waters might represent a risk for human health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences and Health Products, University of Messina, V.le SS. Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zena
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences and Health Products, University of Messina, V.le SS. Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Speciale
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Salita Sperone 31, S. Agata, Messina, 98166, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calabrò
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Messina, Polo SS Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calò
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Salita Sperone 31, S. Agata, Messina, 98166, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palombieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences and Health Products, University of Messina, V.le SS. Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saija
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences and Health Products, University of Messina, V.le SS. Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cimino
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences and Health Products, University of Messina, V.le SS. Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy. Electronic address: dtrombetta@unime.it.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trombetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Salita Sperone 31, S. Agata, Messina, 98166, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lo Cascio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000633:toxicity*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D005506:Food Contamination; D005880:Gills / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018570:Risk Assessment; D021541:Sea Bream; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Benzo[a]pyrene; CYP1A; Human health; PBMCs; Sparus aurata