Multiple Cytokine and Acute Phase Protein Gene Transcription in West Greenland Sledge Dogs ( Canis familiaris ) Dietary Exposed to Organic Environmental Pollutants

• Main Authors: Sonne, C., Fonfara, S., Dietz, R., Kirkegaard, M., Letcher, R. J., Shahmiri, S., Andersen, S., Møller, P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Acute phase proteins; Cytokines; Immune toxicity; Organohalogen pollutants; Sledge dog; West Greenland.; Arctic; Greenland; Balaenoptera acutorostrata; inuit; minke whale
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/multiple-cytokine-and-acute-phase-protein-gene-transcription-in-west-greenland-sledge-dogs-canis-familiaris-dietary-exposed-to-organic-environmental-pollutants(89eac560-7e9e-11dd-a5a8-000ea68e967b).html; http://www.springerlink.com/content/g402l33734273438/fulltext.pdf

Exposure levels of persistent organic pollutants - such as PCBs and DDTs - are high in Arctic apex predators and Inuit peoples, and are suspected to have negative impacts on their immune system. We conducted a controlled generational study on liver tissue and EDTA blood cytokine and acute phase protein (APP) mRNA expressions (RT-PCR) in West Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris) using contaminated minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) blubber as a dietary pollutant source. Two of seven blood cytokine (IL-6, IL-12) and three of five APP (HP, HSP, FABP) expressions were lowest in the exposed group while the remaining five blood cytokine (IL-2, IL-10, IFN-ã, TNF-á, TGF-â) and two APP (MT1 and MT2) expressions were highest in the exposed group. In liver tissue, three cytokine (IL-10, IFN-ã, TNF-á) and two APP (MT1 and MT2) expressions were highest in the exposed group and the remaining cytokine and APP expressions lowest in the exposed group. Of these, the liver tissue expression of haptoglobin (HP) and fatty acid binding protein (FABP) was significantly lowest in the exposed group (both: p<0.05). As a consequence of our findings, we suggest that a daily intake of 50-200 g of polluted whale blubber is associated with a genotoxic decrease in HP and FABP gene expression in the liver of sledge dogs, and possibly of other top mammalian marine predators/consumers in the Arctic, indicating a restricted acute phase reaction and insufficient immune response. Finally, HP and FABP liver expression appear to be new and sensitive biomarkers of OHC exposure.