Effect of PCBs Extracted from Offshore Sediment of South China Sea (Zhanjiang) on Histological Structure and Inflammation of Zebrafish Intestine
Meng-Meng Chen, Fang-Hong Nie, Jun-ling Yang, Yun-Peng Yu, Min Zhang, Qing-Lang Song, Yao Hu, Zhi-Bao Chen, Dan- Ju Kang, Hong-Ying Lin, and Jin-Jun Chen
Received: January 07, 2020/ Revised: June 10, 2022/ Accepted: June 12, 2022 (https://doi.org/10.62550/EB049021)
As ubiquitous environmental pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause significant health risks to various organisms, including humans. Meanwhile, PCBs exhibit various properties such as biological toxicity, high fat solubility, and accumulation in sediments and bioaccumulation in the food chain. In this study, the concentration of PCBs in Zhanjiang offshore sediment and the histopathological changes and the mRNA expression of cytokines in intestines of zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of PCBs were investigated. Among the six sites selected, PCB28 was found in the sediments of Lakeside Park (BHP) and Seashore Park (HBP), with concentrations of 35.0 and 27.0 μg/kg, respectively. On the other hand, PCB81 was discovered in the sediments of Jinsha Bay (JSW) with a total amount of 29.0 μg/kg. Adult zebrafish were exposed to different PCB concentrations through water, with control (no PCB exposure), positive control (PCB 81 at 10 μg/L), low (5 μg/L), medium (10 μg/L), and high (15 μg/L) PCB doses. The fish were euthanized on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. The intestinal epithelial cells of the zebrafish exposed to PCB extracts proved the dose-responsive lesions. With the increase of concentration and time (P < 0.05), the relative expression of IL-1β, IL-8, and TNF-α mRNA increased significantly. The results showed that intestinal lesions and inflammation were dependent on exposure dose.