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PLHC-1 topminnow liver cells: An alternative model to investigate the toxicity of plastic additives in the aquatic environment

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2020 18 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Elisabet Pérez‐Albaladejo, Alejandra Elizabeth Urbiola Solís, Ilaria Bani, Cinta Porte

Summary

Researchers used PLHC-1 topminnow liver cells as an alternative in vitro model to assess hepatic lipid disruption by plastic additives including dibutyl phthalate, finding that several plasticizers altered the cellular lipidome in ways consistent with obesogenic effects observed in terrestrial vertebrates.

Polymers
Body Systems

Plasticizers are widespread environmental contaminants that have been described as obesogens in terrestrial vertebrates. However, its effects on fish lipids homeostasis are almost unknown. This work explores the use of PLHC-1 cells as an alternative model to assess the disruption of hepatic lipids by plastic additives and to gather information on the mode of action of these chemicals in fish. PLHC-1 lipid extracts were analyzed by flow injection coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (FIA-ESI(+/-)-Orbitrap-Exactive) after 24 h exposure of the cells to the selected plasticizers: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF), and chlorinated bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE·2HCl). The analysis of the culture medium and the intracellular concentration of the chemicals revealed the highest bioconcentration of BADGE·2HCl, DBP and DEHP, which was in agreement with the strongest alteration of the cells lipidome. BADGE·2HCl induced a significant depletion of triacylglycerides (TGs), while DEHP and DBP stimulated the accumulation of TGs. Exposure to BPF induced the generation of reactive oxygen species in PLHC-1 cells and a significant depletion of phosphatidylcholine (PC)- and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-plasmalogens, and TGs (cell depots of polyunsaturated fatty acids). Overall, this study evidences different modes of action of plastic additives in topminnow liver cells, describes differential lipidomic signatures, and highlights the higher lipotoxicity of BADGE·2HCl and BPF compared to BPA.

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