Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity
peer reviewed 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 determ...
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Language: | English |
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BioMed Central
2008
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Online Access: | https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/815 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/815/1/2008%20EH%20Das.pdf https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-7-52 |
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ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/815 2024-04-21T08:04:14+00:00 Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity Das, Krishna Siebert, Ursula Gillet, Audrey Dupont, Aurélie Di-Poï, Carole Fonfara, Sonja Mazzucchelli, Gabriel De Pauw, Edwin De Pauw-Gillet, Marie-Claire MARE - Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - ULiège 2008 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/815 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/815/1/2008%20EH%20Das.pdf https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-7-52 en eng BioMed Central http://www.ehjournal.net/content/7/1/52 http://reflexions.ulg.ac.be/en/Seals urn:issn:1476-069X https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/815 info:hdl:2268/815 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/815/1/2008%20EH%20Das.pdf doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-52 scopus-id:2-s2.0-57549093645 info:pmid:18959786 open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Environmental Health, 7, 52 (2008) mercury marine mammals immunotoxicity harbour seal Phoca vitulina blood cytokines proteomics PBMCs Life sciences Biochemistry biophysics & molecular biology Aquatic sciences & oceanology Environmental sciences & ecology Sciences du vivant Biochimie biophysique & biologie moléculaire Sciences aquatiques & océanologie Sciences de l’environnement & écologie journal article http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 info:eu-repo/semantics/article peer reviewed 2008 ftorbi https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-7-52 2024-03-27T14:52:59Z peer reviewed 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). Article in Journal/Newspaper harbour seal Phoca vitulina University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) Environmental Health 7 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) |
op_collection_id |
ftorbi |
language |
English |
topic |
mercury marine mammals immunotoxicity harbour seal Phoca vitulina blood cytokines proteomics PBMCs Life sciences Biochemistry biophysics & molecular biology Aquatic sciences & oceanology Environmental sciences & ecology Sciences du vivant Biochimie biophysique & biologie moléculaire Sciences aquatiques & océanologie Sciences de l’environnement & écologie |
spellingShingle |
mercury marine mammals immunotoxicity harbour seal Phoca vitulina blood cytokines proteomics PBMCs Life sciences Biochemistry biophysics & molecular biology Aquatic sciences & oceanology Environmental sciences & ecology Sciences du vivant Biochimie biophysique & biologie moléculaire Sciences aquatiques & océanologie Sciences de l’environnement & écologie Das, Krishna Siebert, Ursula Gillet, Audrey Dupont, Aurélie Di-Poï, Carole Fonfara, Sonja Mazzucchelli, Gabriel De Pauw, Edwin De Pauw-Gillet, Marie-Claire Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity |
topic_facet |
mercury marine mammals immunotoxicity harbour seal Phoca vitulina blood cytokines proteomics PBMCs Life sciences Biochemistry biophysics & molecular biology Aquatic sciences & oceanology Environmental sciences & ecology Sciences du vivant Biochimie biophysique & biologie moléculaire Sciences aquatiques & océanologie Sciences de l’environnement & écologie |
description |
peer reviewed 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). |
author2 |
MARE - Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - ULiège |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Das, Krishna Siebert, Ursula Gillet, Audrey Dupont, Aurélie Di-Poï, Carole Fonfara, Sonja Mazzucchelli, Gabriel De Pauw, Edwin De Pauw-Gillet, Marie-Claire |
author_facet |
Das, Krishna Siebert, Ursula Gillet, Audrey Dupont, Aurélie Di-Poï, Carole Fonfara, Sonja Mazzucchelli, Gabriel De Pauw, Edwin De Pauw-Gillet, Marie-Claire |
author_sort |
Das, Krishna |
title |
Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity |
title_short |
Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity |
title_full |
Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity |
title_fullStr |
Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: Links to in vitro toxicity |
title_sort |
mercury immune toxicity in harbour seals: links to in vitro toxicity |
publisher |
BioMed Central |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/815 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/815/1/2008%20EH%20Das.pdf https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-7-52 |
genre |
harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
genre_facet |
harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
op_source |
Environmental Health, 7, 52 (2008) |
op_relation |
http://www.ehjournal.net/content/7/1/52 http://reflexions.ulg.ac.be/en/Seals urn:issn:1476-069X https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/815 info:hdl:2268/815 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/815/1/2008%20EH%20Das.pdf doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-52 scopus-id:2-s2.0-57549093645 info:pmid:18959786 |
op_rights |
open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-7-52 |
container_title |
Environmental Health |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1796943880674869248 |