T lymphocyte-proliferative responses of harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina ) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exposed to pharmaceuticals in vitro

• Published in: Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Main Authors: Kleinert, Christine, Lacaze, Emilie, Fortier, Marlène, Hammill, Mike, O., de Guise, Sylvain, Fournier, Michel
• Other Authors: Institut Armand Frappier (INRS-IAF), Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique Québec (INRS)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), University of Connecticut (UCONN), This work was supported by the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Immunotoxicity (207463) (MF) and funded in part by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (MH).
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: Immunotoxicity; Marine mammal; Pharmaceuticals; Phoca vitulina; MESH: Animals; MESH: Carbamazepine; MESH: T-Lymphocytes; MESH: Water Pollutants; Chemical; MESH: Cell Proliferation; MESH: Erythromycin; MESH: Ethinyl Estradiol; MESH: Female; MESH: Leukocytes; Mononuclear; MESH: Male; MESH: Naproxen; MESH: Phoca; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; harbor seal
• Online Access: https://riip.hal.science/pasteur-01855960; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.12.001

International audience The ubiquity of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment and the accumulation in organisms of lower trophic levels have been documented. The immunotoxicity of these xenobiotics has however been little investigated. This study assessed the effects of pharmaceuticals on the immune responses of harbor seal lymphocytes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from harbor seal pups were exposed to varying concentrations of 17α-ethinyl estradiol (250-50,000μg/L), naproxen (500-100,000μg/L), carbamazepine (500-100,000μg/L), erythromycin (750-150,000μg/L) and binary mixtures thereof in vitro. All individual compounds and mixtures inhibited lymphocyte proliferation. Mixture effects were non-additive and predictive values overestimated the inhibition of proliferation. Male pups were more sensitive to erythromycin exposure. Comparison with the sensitivity of the 11B7501 cell line showed a higher sensitivity of pups to individual compounds and the inverse trend for mixtures. Based on our results, we hypothesize that pharmaceuticals may have the potential to interrupt immune functions in harbor seals.