Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales
Abstract Beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) inhabiting the St. Lawrence estuary are highly contaminated with environmental pollutants and have a high incidence of cancer. Environmental contaminants may be partly responsible for the high incidence of cancer observed in this population. DNA damag...
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crwiley:10.1002/etc.5620171215 2024-06-02T08:02:23+00:00 Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales Gauthier, Julie M. Dubeau, Hélène Rassart, Éric 1998 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620171215 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.5620171215 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.5620171215 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 17, issue 12, page 2487-2493 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 journal-article 1998 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620171215 2024-05-03T11:42:15Z Abstract Beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) inhabiting the St. Lawrence estuary are highly contaminated with environmental pollutants and have a high incidence of cancer. Environmental contaminants may be partly responsible for the high incidence of cancer observed in this population. DNA damage plays an important role in the development of cancer. The micronuclei assay was used to test the genotoxic potential of mercury compounds in skin fibroblasts of an Arctic beluga whale. Both mercuric chloride (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) induced a highly significant ( p < 0.001) dose–response increase of micronucleated cells. Statistically significant increases in micronucleated cells were observed for 0.5, 5, and 20 μg/ml Hg and 0.05, 0.5, and 2 μg/ml MeHg when compared to control cultures. Concentrations of 0.5, 5, and 20 μg/ml Hg induced a two‐, three‐ and fourfold increase of micronucleated cells, respectively. Treatment with MeHg was one order of magnitude more potent in inducing micronuclei and in inhibiting cell proliferation than Hg. Although results of this in vitro study do not imply that mercury compounds are involved in the etiology of cancer in St. Lawrence beluga whales, significant increases in micronuclei frequency were found at low concentrations of MeHg (0.05 and 0.5 μg/ml) that are believed to be comparable to concentrations present in certain whales of this population. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Wiley Online Library Arctic Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 17 12 2487 2493 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract Beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) inhabiting the St. Lawrence estuary are highly contaminated with environmental pollutants and have a high incidence of cancer. Environmental contaminants may be partly responsible for the high incidence of cancer observed in this population. DNA damage plays an important role in the development of cancer. The micronuclei assay was used to test the genotoxic potential of mercury compounds in skin fibroblasts of an Arctic beluga whale. Both mercuric chloride (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) induced a highly significant ( p < 0.001) dose–response increase of micronucleated cells. Statistically significant increases in micronucleated cells were observed for 0.5, 5, and 20 μg/ml Hg and 0.05, 0.5, and 2 μg/ml MeHg when compared to control cultures. Concentrations of 0.5, 5, and 20 μg/ml Hg induced a two‐, three‐ and fourfold increase of micronucleated cells, respectively. Treatment with MeHg was one order of magnitude more potent in inducing micronuclei and in inhibiting cell proliferation than Hg. Although results of this in vitro study do not imply that mercury compounds are involved in the etiology of cancer in St. Lawrence beluga whales, significant increases in micronuclei frequency were found at low concentrations of MeHg (0.05 and 0.5 μg/ml) that are believed to be comparable to concentrations present in certain whales of this population. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gauthier, Julie M. Dubeau, Hélène Rassart, Éric |
spellingShingle |
Gauthier, Julie M. Dubeau, Hélène Rassart, Éric Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales |
author_facet |
Gauthier, Julie M. Dubeau, Hélène Rassart, Éric |
author_sort |
Gauthier, Julie M. |
title |
Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales |
title_short |
Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales |
title_full |
Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales |
title_fullStr |
Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales |
title_sort |
mercury‐induced micronuclei in skin fibroblasts of beluga whales |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620171215 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.5620171215 https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.5620171215 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas |
genre_facet |
Arctic Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas |
op_source |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry volume 17, issue 12, page 2487-2493 ISSN 0730-7268 1552-8618 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620171215 |
container_title |
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
2487 |
op_container_end_page |
2493 |
_version_ |
1800746883834970112 |