ORBi: Das Krishna - Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity

Reference : Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity


	Document type :	Scientific journals : Article
	Discipline(s) :	Life sciences : Environmental sciences & ecology Life sciences : Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology Life sciences : Aquatic sciences & oceanology
	To cite this reference:	http://hdl.handle.net/2268/815

Title :	Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity
Language :	English
Author, co-author :	Das, Krishna [Université de Liège - ULg > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Océanologie >]
	Siebert, Ursula [University of Kiel > Research and Technology Center Westcoast > > >]
	Gillet, Audrey [Université de Liège - ULg - ULG > Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement > Océanologie > 2006 >]
	Dupont, Aurélie [Université de Liège - ULg > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Océanologie >]
	Di-Poï, Carole [Université de Liège - ULg - ULG > Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement > Océanologie > 2004 >]
	Fonfara, Sonja [GKSS Research Centre > Institute for Coastal Research > > >]
	Mazzucchelli, Gabriel [Université de Liège - ULg > > Centre interfac. d'analyse des résidus en traces (CART) >]
	De Pauw, Edwin [Université de Liège - ULg > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie physique, spectrométrie de masse >]
	Gillet, Marie-Claire [Université de Liège - ULg > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Histologie - Cytologie - Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques >]
Publication date :	2008
Journal title :	Environmental Health : A Global Access Science Source
Publisher :	BioMed Central
Volume :	7
Pages :	52
Audience :	International
e-ISSN :	1476-069X
Keywords :	[en] mercury ; marine mammals ; immunotoxicity ; harbour seal ; Phoca vitulina ; blood ; cytokines ; proteomics ; PBMCs
Abstract :	[en] Background Mercury is known to bioaccumulate and to magnify in marine mammals, which is a cause of great concern in terms of their general health. In particular, the immune system is known to be susceptible to long-term mercury exposure. The aims of the present study were (1) to determine the mercury level in the blood of free-ranging harbour seals from the North Sea and (2) to examine the link between methylmercury in vitro exposure and immune functions using seal and human mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (T-lymphocytes). Methods Total mercury was analysed in the blood of 22 harbour seals. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from seals (n = 11) and from humans (n = 9). Stimulated lymphocytes of both species were exposed to functional tests (proliferation, metabolic activity, radioactive precursor incorporation) under increasing doses of methylmercury (0.1 to 10 µM). The expression of cytokines (IL-2; IL-4 and TGF-beta was investigated in seal lymphocytes by RT-PCR and by real time quantitative PCR (n = 5) at methylmercury concentrations of 0.2 and 1 µM. Finally, proteomics analysis was attempted on human lymphocytes (cytoplasmic fraction) in order to identify biochemical pathways of toxicity at concentration of 1 µM (n = 3). Results The results showed that the number of seal lymphocytes, viability, metabolic activity, DNA and RNA synthesis were reduced in vitro, suggesting deleterious effects of methylmercury concentrations naturally encountered in free-ranging seals. Similar results were found for human lymphocytes. Functional tests showed that a 1 µM concentration was the critical concentration above which lymphocyte activity, proliferation and survival were compromised. The expression of IL-2 and TGF-beta mRNA was weaker in exposed seal lymphocytes compared to control cells (0.2 and 1 µM). Proteomics showed some variation in the protein expression profile (e.g. vimentin).
Research units :	Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - MARE
Funders :	Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (Communauté française de Belgique) - F.R.S.-FNRS ; Marie-Curie Reintegration grant
Target :	Researchers ; Professionals ; Students
Permalink :	http://hdl.handle.net/2268/815
DOI :	10.1186/1476-069X-7-52
Other URL :	http://www.ehjournal.net/content/7/1/52

File(s) associated to this reference

Fulltext file(s):

	File	Commentary	Version	Size	Access
Open access	2008 EH Das.pdf		Publisher postprint	917.91 kB	View/Open

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Dspace v1.5