Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are known to cause fertility reduction, nervous system demage, and endocrine disorder. The OCPs, prohibited in the 1970s, still being detected in human and environmental samples. The toxicological studies for mitochond...
Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are known to cause fertility reduction, nervous system demage, and endocrine disorder. The OCPs, prohibited in the 1970s, still being detected in human and environmental samples. The toxicological studies for mitochondrial dysfunction are limited on individual OCPs and their mixtures which could reflect actual exposure condition.
The effects of mitochondrial disorder were evaluated in dechorinated zebrafish embryos exposed to individual 5 OCPs (i.e., p,p-DDT, Chlordane, Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH)), and their mixtures. Target chemicals were selected by considering the biomonitoring data of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) in human blood samples. The developmental toxicity testing was performed to decide concentrations for following analyses, the concentrations determined were 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/L. Oxygen consumption rate (OCR) was measured using Seahorse XFe Extracellular Flux Analyzer at 24 hpf. In addition, mRNA expression of transcription factors (i.e., PPAR-alpha, Acox1, SDHA, MCAD, and CS), associated with mitochondrial metabolism, was measured at 72 hpf.
In OCR results, the amount of the basal respiration and ATP production significantly decreased at 0.5 mg/L of chlordane and Beta-HCH. Mitochodnrial capacity reduced at lower concentration of OCPs in embryos exposed to mixture, than exposed to individual OCPs. In the result of mRNA gene expression, exposure to DDT and chlordane significantly up-regulated the level of Cs and MCAD, associated with citrate synthase and fatty acid beta-oxidation, respectively. The expression of SDHA gene, involved in the TCA cycle and respiratory chain, increased at 0.05 and 0.1 mg/L of Heptachlor and Chlordane, respectively. However, the expression of SDHA reduced at mixed OCPs concentration of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/L.
This study demonstrates that individual OCPs and their mixtures have the potentials in mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, mitochondrial dysfunction measured by OCR was observed at lower concentration in embryos exposed to mixture, than exposed to individual, although the changes in gene expression were disappeared when OCPs mixtures were exposed. This study could suggest the efficient utilization of embryonic zebrafish model for evaluating metabolic effects of target chemical. Further studies will be followed for measuring the activity of the mitochondrial complex protein and estimating the dys-regulation of glucose uptake.