Houtman Corine J, Cenijn Peter H, Hamers Timo, Lamoree Marja H, Legler Juliette, Murk Albertinka J, Brouwer Abraham
Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Environ Toxicol Chem. 2004 Jan;23(1):32-40. doi: 10.1897/02-544.
In vitro bioassays are valuable tools for screening environmental samples for the presence of bioactive (e.g., endocrine-disrupting) compounds. They can be used to direct chemical analysis of active compounds in toxicity identification and evaluation (TIE) approaches. In the present study, five in vitro bioassays were used to profile toxic potencies in sediments, with emphasis on endocrine disruption. Nonpolar total and acid-treated stable extracts of sediments from 15 locations in the Rhine Meuse estuary area in The Netherlands were assessed. Dioxin-like and estrogenic activities (using dioxin-responsive chemical-activated luciferase gene expression [DR-CALUX] and estrogen-responsive chemical-activated luciferase gene expression [ER-CALUX] assays) as well as genotoxicity (UMU test) and nonspecific toxic potency (Vibrio fischeri assay) were observed in sediment extracts. For the first time, to our knowledge, in vitro displacement of thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) from the thyroid hormone transport protein thransthyretin by sediment extracts was observed, indicating the presence of compounds potentially able to disrupt T4 plasma transport processes. Antiestrogenic activity was also observed in sediment. The present study showed the occurrence of endocrine-disrupting potencies in sediments from the Dutch delta and the suitability of the ER- and DR-CALUX bioassays to direct endocrine-disruption TIE studies.
体外生物测定是筛选环境样品中生物活性（如内分泌干扰）化合物的重要工具。它们可用于指导毒性鉴定与评价（TIE）方法中活性化合物的化学分析。在本研究中，使用了五种体外生物测定来分析沉积物中的毒性强度，重点是内分泌干扰。对荷兰莱茵-默兹河口地区15个地点沉积物的非极性总提取物和酸处理稳定提取物进行了评估。在沉积物提取物中观察到二噁英样和雌激素活性（使用二噁英响应化学激活荧光素酶基因表达[DR-CALUX]和雌激素响应化学激活荧光素酶基因表达[ER-CALUX]测定）以及遗传毒性（UMU试验）和非特异性毒性强度（费氏弧菌试验）。据我们所知，首次观察到沉积物提取物从甲状腺激素转运蛋白甲状腺素结合蛋白上取代甲状腺激素甲状腺素（T4），这表明存在可能破坏T4血浆转运过程的化合物。在沉积物中还观察到抗雌激素活性。本研究表明荷兰三角洲沉积物中存在内分泌干扰强度，以及ER-和DR-CALUX生物测定适用于指导内分泌干扰TIE研究。
