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Title: Relative potencies of individual polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, dibenzofuran, and biphenyl congeners and congener mixtures based on induction of cytochrome P4501A mRNA in a rainbow trout gonadal cell line (RTG-2)

Journal Article · · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

Cytochrome P450-catalyzed enzyme activity in cell culture was investigated as a bioassay for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) equivalents in environmental mixtures of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD), dibenzofuran (PCDF), and biphenyl (PCB) congeners. A problem with the use of enzyme induction is that certain congeners are unable to induce P4501A enzyme activity to the same maximal level as TCDD. The authors sought to eliminate this problem by measuring mRNA induction rather than enzyme activity. Rainbow trout gonadal cells (RTG-2) were exposed to PCDD, PCDF, and PCB congeners and congener mixtures, and induction of cytochrome P4501A mRNA was measured. A high level of induction in cells treated with only a medium change was seen and was due to a component of the fresh medium, 2,3,7,8-Substituted PCDD and PCDF congeners and four-non-ortho-substituted PCBs caused significant induction. Toxic equivalency factors determined in RTG-2 cells were generally higher than those in rainbow trout early life stages. Rainbow trout gonadal cell (RTG-2) bioassay TCDD equivalents (TEqs) for three environmental extracts were lower than predicted by addition of individual congener TEqs, and the synthetic congener mixture acted additively.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
483700
Journal Information:
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 15, Issue 12; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English