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Apoptotic effect of cyanobacterial extract on rat hepatocytes and human lymphocytes
Author(s) -
Mankiewicz Joanna,
Tarczynska Malgorzata,
Fladmark Kari Espolin,
Doskeland Stein Ove,
Walter Zofia,
Zalewski Maciej
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
environmental toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1522-7278
pISSN - 1520-4081
DOI - 10.1002/tox.1028
Subject(s) - hepatotoxin , apoptosis , dna fragmentation , biology , cyanobacteria , flow cytometry , microbiology and biotechnology , programmed cell death , incubation , eutrophication , microcystin lr , cytotoxicity , biochemistry , chemistry , toxicity , in vitro , ecology , genetics , bacteria , organic chemistry , nutrient
Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are an increasing problem in Poland. The production of cyanobacterial toxins and their presence in drinking and recreational waters represent a growing danger to human and animal health. This is connected with the increase of cyanobacterial biomass caused by excessive eutrophication of the water ecosystem. There is evidence that cyanobacterial hepatotoxins can act as a potent promoter of primary liver cancer. The apoptotic effect of microcystins in Polish cyanobacterial bloom samples on rat hepatocytes and human lymphocytes was observed using light and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and electrophoretic analysis. The incubation time needed to observe the first morphological apoptotic changes in hepatocytes was approximately 30 min; however, the characteristic biochemical changes in DNA were not observed even after 120 min. In lymphocyte cultures the morphological changes characteristic for apoptosis were observed after 24 h of incubation and a 48‐h incubation was found to be optimal for analysis of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, which is one of the main biochemical hallmarks of programmed cell death. These cells are an easily isolated and inexpensive material for medical diagnostics. Therefore the apoptotic changes, together with the clastogenic effect seen in lymphocyte cultures, are proposed as a future analytical method for these toxins. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 16: 225–233, 2001