The influence of chloro-substituent sites of hexachlorobiphenyl on the respiration of rat liver mitochondria

Polychlorinated biphenyls affect gene expression in the rabbit preimplantation embryo

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been shown to be embryotoxic. The mechanism(s) of action is not clearly understood. The toxic effects could be either direct or indirect. Furthermore, PCB congeners vary in their toxic potential. They can be classified in coplanar PCBs binding to the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which induce subsequent changes in gene expression, and noncoplanar PCBs exhibiting AhR-independent effects. In order to investigate possible mechanisms, 5 and 6 days old preimplantation rabbit embryos were exposed in vitro to low levels of coplanar (PCB 77, 126, and 169) or noncoplanar PCBs (PCB 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180). The PCB effects were studied by semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis of AhR target genes (cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1, 1A2, UDP-glucuronosyl transferase 1, glutathione S-transferase pi1 and aldehyde dehydrogenase) and dioxin-responsive genes (IL 1beta, PAI 2, Cox 2, TGFalpha, EGF, erbB 1-4, c-fos, c-jun, HSP 90, cyclophilin 40), and by differential display (DD) RT-PCR. CYP 1B1 mRNA and AhR protein were localized by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. From the AhR target genes studied only CYP 1B1, and cyclooxygenase 2 showed an increase in mRNA levels after coplanar and noncoplanar PCB. Interleukin 1beta and plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 were downregulated. CYP 1B1 mRNA showed a stage specific inducibility at day 6, but not at day 5. By DD RT-PCR we identified six new genes previously not reported to be regulated by PCBs. The mRNAs encoding the subunits 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase and beta-globin showed a decrease, whereas trichohyalin mRNA was increased after PCB exposure. Coplanar and noncoplanar PCB congeners elicited similar responses on the mRNA levels of the studied genes. Exposure to coplanar PCBs did not result in the AhR being translocated to the nucleus. Our results show that (i). PCBs induce changes in gene expression in rabbit day 5 and 6 preimplantation embryos and imply (ii). that the transcriptional changes observed were not mediated by the nuclear AhR.

The targets of 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl in the respiratory chain of rat liver mitochondria revealed by modular kinetic analysis

The response of the respiratory subsystem of oxidative phosphorylation to the environmental pollutant, 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (2,2',5,5'-TCB) was investigated by modular kinetic approach. The effects of 20 microM 2,2',5,5'-TCB on the activity of the respiratory chain modules in rat liver mitochondria oxidizing succinate (+ rotenone) in state 3 were assessed. The toxin inhibited the rate of respiration by 23%. Analysis around cytochrome c revealed that 2,2',5,5'-TCB inhibited both cytochrome c-oxidizing and reducing modules. The toxin inhibited also CoQ-oxidizing module, however it did not affect the kinetics of CoQ-reducing module. Taken together, these data indicated that 2,2',5,5'-TCB inhibited cytochrome bc1 but had no effect on succinate dehydrogenase.

2,2',4,6,6'-pentachlorobiphenyl induces apoptosis in human monocytic cells

Polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs) are a group of persistent and widely dispersed environmental pollutants, some of which may be immunotoxic. In the present study, we investigated the effect of PCBs on immune system by assessing apoptotic cell death in human monocytic U937 cells. Among the various congeners tested, 2,2',4,6, 6'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PeCB), a highly ortho-substituted congener, specifically induced DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis, while the other examined di-, tri-, tetra-, and pentachlorobiphenyls did not. To further study the 2,2',4,6,6'-PeCB-induced cell death, various features of apoptosis were examined. 2,2',4,6,6'-PeCB caused a decrease in cell viability and induced cellular morphologic features characteristic of apoptosis such as chromatin aggregation and apoptotic bodies. In addition, caspase-3, an executioner of apoptosis, was activated and its substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), was cleaved during 2,2',4,6,6'-PeCB-induced apoptosis. In contrast, 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB, a congener of coplanar structure, as well as 2,3,7,8-TCDD did not induce apoptosis in these human monocytic cells, although they potently induced CYP 1A1 in human hepatoma Hep G2 cells. Taken together, the data indicate that 2,2',4,6,6'-PeCB induces apoptosis in human monocytic cells through a mechanism that is independent of the arylhydrocarbon receptor. This suggests a possibly separate mechanism by which PCBs cause immunosuppression.