| Androgenic and Estrogenic Response of Green Mussel Extracts from Singapore's Coastal Environment Using a Human Cell-Based Bioassay Stéphane Bayen,1,2 Yinhan Gong,2,3 Hong Soon Chin,3 Hian Kee Lee,1 Yong Eu Leong,3 and Jeffrey Philip Obbard2 1Department of Chemistry, 2Tropical Marine Science Institute, and 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore
Abstract
In the last decade, evidence of endocrine disruption in biota exposed to environmental pollutants has raised serious concern. Human cell-based bioassays have been developed to evaluate induced androgenic and estrogenic activities of chemical compounds. However, bioassays have been sparsely applied to environmental samples. In this study we present data on sex hormone activities in the green mussel, Perna viridis, in Singapore's coastal waters. P.viridis is a common bioindicator of marine contamination, and this study is a follow-up to an earlier investigation that reported the presence of sex hormone activities in seawater samples from Singapore's coastal environment. Specimens were collected from eight locations around the Singapore coastline and analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals. Tissue extracts were then screened for activities on androgen receptors (ARs) and estrogen receptors (ER- and ER-ß) using a reporter gene bioassay based on a HeLa human cell line. Mussel extracts alone did not exhibit AR activity, but in the presence of the reference androgenic hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) , activities were up to 340% higher than those observed for DHT alone. Peak activities were observed in locations adjacent to industrial and shipping activities. Estrogenic activities of the mussel extract both alone and in the presence of reference hormone were positive. Correlations were statistically investigated between sex hormone activities, levels of pollutants in the mussel tissues, and various biological parameters (specimen size, sex ratio, lipid and moisture content) . Significant correlations exist between AR activities, in the presence of DHT, and total concentration of POPs (r= 0.725, p < 0.05) . Key words: androgen, endocrine disruption, estrogen, green mussel, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, reporter gene bioassay, Singapore. Environ Health Perspect 112:1467-1471 (2004) . doi:10.1289/ehp.6990 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 15 July 2004]
Address correspondence to S. Bayen, Tropical Marine Science Institute, 14 Kent Ridge Rd., Singapore 119223. Telephone: 65-6774-9920. Fax: 65-6774-9654. E-mail: scip0153@nus.edu.sg We thank the research group of K. Jones (Department of Environmental Science, Lancaster University, UK) for their valuable technical support. This study is part of a scientific program (Marine Environment Monitoring, Impact Assessment and Enhancement in Singapore) funded by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 29 January 2004 ; accepted 14 July 2004.
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