Publication Abstract

Estrogen- and androgen-sensitive bioassays based on primary cell and tissue slice cultures from three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Estrogen- and androgen-sensitive bioassays based on primary cell and tissue slice cultures from three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

C. Björkbloma, P-E. Olsson, I. Katsiadaki and T. Wiklund

Endocrine disrupting compounds are chemicals that will interfere with the endocrine system causing severe effects in organisms. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) offers a potential for the assessment of endocrine disruption caused by estrogenic xenobiotics through the estrogen-dependent protein vitellogenin and caused by androgenic xenobiotics through the androgen-dependent protein spiggin. The stickleback is presently the only known fish species with a quantifiable androgen and anti-androgen biomarker endpoint. In the current study, heaptocyte and kidney primary cell cultures and liver and kidney tissue slice cultures were prepared and used for detecting estrogenic or androgenic activity in vitro through the action of hormones or municipal sewage water. The results indicate that stickleback male heaptocyte cultures are suitable in detecting estrogenic activity and stickleback female kidney tissue slice cultures in detecting androgenic activity. The tested sewage water showed high estrogenic activity but no significant androgenic activity. Primary cell and tissue slice cultures isolated from the three-spined stickleback will allow simultaneously screening in vitro for potential estrogenic and androgenic activity of complex samples.

Reference

C. Björkbloma, P-E. Olsson, I. Katsiadaki and T. Wiklund (2007) Estrogen- and androgen-sensitive bioassays based on primary cell and tissue slice cultures from three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, C146: 431-442

C. Björkblom, P-E. Olsson, I. Katsiadaki* and T. Wiklund

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, C146: 431-442