Traditionally, contamination of air has been evaluated primarily by chemical analyses of indicator contaminants and these studies have focused mainly on compounds associated with particulates. Some reports have shown that air contaminants can produce specific biological effects such as toxicity mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) or modulation of the endocrine system. This study assessed the dioxin-like toxicity, anti-/estrogenicity, anti-/androgenicity and anti-/retinoic activity of both the particulate and gas phase fractions of air in two regions with different types of pollution sources and a background locality situated in an agricultural area of Central Europe. The first region (A) is known to be significantly contaminated by organochlorine pesticides and chemical industry. The other region (B) has been polluted by historical releases of PCBs, but the major current sources of contamination are probably combustion sources from local traffic and heating. Samples of both particle and gas fractions produced dioxin-like (AhR-mediated) activity, anti-estrogenic and antiandrogenic effects, but none had any effect on retinoid signaling. AhR-mediated activities were observed in all samples and the TEQ values were comparable in both fractions in region A, but significantly greater in the particulate fraction in region B. The greater AhR-mediated activity corresponded to a greater coincident antiestrogenicity of both phases in region B. Our study is the first report of antiestrogenicity and antiandrogenicity in ambient air. Anti-androgenicity was observed in the gas phase of all regions, while in the particulate phase only in one region due to the specific type of pollution in that area. Even though based on concentrations of individual compounds, except for the OCPs, the level of contamination of the two regions was similar, there were strong differences in responses in the bioassays between the two regions. Moreover, AhR-mediated activity and antiestrogenic potencies were greater in region B, where the pollution level according to the chemical analysis was similar or less than in the other region, which indicates the presence of other atmospheric pollutants with specific effects. The results document the advantage and utility of the simultaneous use of bioassays and chemical analysis in risk assessment of complex environmental samples.

• MeSH
• antagonisté androgenů toxicita   MeSH
• antagonisté estrogenu toxicita   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• dioxiny toxicita   MeSH
• endokrinní disruptory toxicita   MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• látky znečišťující vzduch toxicita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• signální transdukce účinky léků   MeSH
• tretinoin antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• zeměpis MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

Retinoids are known to regulate important processes such as differentiation, development, and embryogenesis. Some effects, such as malformations in frogs or changes in metabolism of birds, could be related to disruption of the retinoid signaling pathway by exposure to organic contaminants. A new reporter gene assay has been established for evaluation of the modulation of retinoid signaling by individual chemicals or environmental samples. The bioassay is based on the pluripotent embryonic carcinoma cell line P19 stably transfected with the firefly luciferase gene under the control of a retinoic acid-responsive element (clone P19/ A15). The cell line was used to characterize the effects of individual chemicals and sediments extracts on retinoid signaling pathways. The extracts of sediments from the River Kymi, Finland, which contained polychlorinated dioxins and furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), significantly increased the potency of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), while no effect was observed with the extract of the sediment from reference locality. Considerable part of the effect was caused by the labile fraction of the sediment extracts. Also, several individual PAHs potentiated the effect of ATRA; on the other hand, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and several phthalates showed slightly inhibiting effect. These results suggest that PAHs could be able to modulate the retinoid signaling pathway and that they could be responsible for a part of the proretinoid activity observed in the sediment extracts. However, the effects of PAHs on the retinoic acid signaling pathways do not seem to be mediated directly by crosstalk with aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

• MeSH
• biotest metody   MeSH
• dioxiny analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• embryonální karcinom patologie   MeSH
• furany analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• geologické sedimenty chemie   MeSH
• hodnocení rizik MeSH
• kyseliny ftalové analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• luciferasy světlušek genetika   MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• reportérové geny MeSH
• retinoidy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• signální transdukce MeSH
• tretinoin analýza   toxicita   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• financování organizované MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Finsko MeSH