title: An in vitro screening with emerging contaminants reveals inhibition of carboxylesterase activity in aquatic organisms.
abstract: Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) form part of the new generation of pollutants present in many freshwater and marine ecosystems. Although environmental concentrations of these bioactive substances are low, they cause sublethal effects (e.g., enzyme inhibition) in non-target organisms. However, little is known on metabolism of PPCPs by non-mammal species. Herein, an in vitro enzyme trial was performed to explore sensitivity of carboxylesterase (CE) activity of aquatic organisms to fourteen PPCPs. The esterase activity was determined in the liver of Mediterranean freshwater fish (Barbus meridionalis and Squalius laietanus), coastal marine fish (Dicentrarchus labrax and Solea solea), middle-slope fish (Trachyrhynchus scabrus), deep-sea fish (Alepocephalus rostratus and Cataetix laticeps), and in the digestive gland of a decapod crustacean (Aristeus antennatus). Results showed that 100μM of the lipid regulators simvastatin and fenofibrate significantly inhibited (30-80% of controls) the CE activity of all target species. Among the personal care products, nonylphenol and triclosan were strong esterase inhibitors in most species (36-68% of controls). Comparison with literature data suggests that fish CE activity is as sensitive to inhibition by some PPCPs as that of mammals, although their basal activity levels are lower than in mammals. Pending further studies on the interaction between PPCPs and CE activity, we postulate that this enzyme may act as a molecular sink for certain PPCPs in a comparable way than that described for the organophosphorus pesticides.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: msole@icm.csic.es.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.affiliation: Ecotoxicology Lab., Fac. Environmental Science and Biochemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Hernandez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000502:physiology; D033364:Decapoda / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005412:Flatfishes / Q000502:physiology; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity; D014260:Triclosan / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014260:Triclosan; C025256:nonylphenol; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases
keywords: Carboxylesterases; Enzyme inhibition; Freshwater fish; Marine organisms; Personal care products; Pharmaceuticals