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Intestinal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in a population of beluga whales with high levels of gastrointestinal cancers.
- Source :
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Environmental and molecular mutagenesis [Environ Mol Mutagen] 2019 Jan; Vol. 60 (1), pp. 29-41. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Oct 11. - Publication Year :
- 2019
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Abstract
- Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were disposed directly into the Saguenay River of the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) by local aluminum smelters (Quebec, Canada) for 50 years (1926-1976). PAHs in the river sediments are likely etiologically related to gastrointestinal epithelial cancers observed in 7% of 156 mature (>19-year old) adult beluga found dead along the shorelines. Because DNA adduct formation provides a critical link between exposure and cancer induction, and because PAH-DNA adducts are chemically stable, we hypothesized that SLE beluga intestine would contain PAH-DNA adducts. Using an antiserum specific for DNA modified with several carcinogenic PAHs, we stained sections of paraffin-embedded intestine from 51 SLE beluga (0-63 years), 4 Cook Inlet (CI) Alaska beluga (0-26 years), and 20 beluga (0-46 years) living in Arctic areas (Eastern Beaufort Sea, Eastern Chukchi Sea, Point Lay Alaska) and aquaria, all with low PAH contamination. Stained sections showed nuclear light-to-dark pink color indicating the presence of PAH-DNA adducts concentrated in intestinal crypt epithelial lining cells. Scoring of whole tissue sections revealed higher values for the 51 SLE beluga, compared with the 20 Arctic and aquarium beluga (P = 0.003). The H-scoring system, applied to coded individual photomicrographs, confirmed that SLE beluga and CI beluga had levels of intestinal PAH-DNA adducts significantly higher than Arctic and aquarium beluga (P = 0.003 and 0.02, respectively). Furthermore, high levels of intestinal PAH-DNA adducts in four SLE beluga with gastrointestinal cancers, considered as a group, support a link of causality between PAH exposure and intestinal cancer in SLE beluga. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 60:29-41, 2019. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.<br /> (Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.)
- Subjects :
- Animals
Arctic Regions
Beluga Whale
Fibroblasts drug effects
Fibroblasts pathology
Intestinal Mucosa cytology
Mice
Water Pollutants, Chemical toxicity
Carcinogenesis chemically induced
DNA Adducts toxicity
DNA Damage drug effects
Epithelial Cells pathology
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms etiology
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms pathology
Intestinal Mucosa pathology
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons toxicity
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1098-2280
- Volume :
- 60
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Environmental and molecular mutagenesis
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30307653
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/em.22251