Hexavalent chromium is cytotoxic and genotoxic to American alligator cells

Sandra S Wise; Catherine Wise; Hong Xie; Louis J Guillette Jr; Cairong Zhu; John Pierce Wise Jr; John Pierce Wise Sr

doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.12.004

Hexavalent chromium is cytotoxic and genotoxic to American alligator cells

Aquat Toxicol. 2016 Feb:171:30-6. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.12.004. Epub 2015 Dec 12.

Authors

Sandra S Wise¹, Catherine Wise², Hong Xie¹, Louis J Guillette Jr³, Cairong Zhu⁴, John Pierce Wise Jr⁵, John Pierce Wise Sr⁶

Affiliations

¹ Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA.
² Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Program in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
³ Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Center, Medical University of South Carolina, USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China.
⁵ Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Department of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
⁶ Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Science Building, 96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103, USA. Electronic address: john.wise@louisville.edu.

Abstract

Metals are a common pollutant in the aquatic ecosystem. With global climate change, these levels are anticipated to rise as lower pH levels allow sediment bound metals to be released. The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is an apex predator in the aquatic ecosystem and is considered a keystone species; as such it serves as a suitable monitor for localized pollution. One metal of increasing concern is hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). It is present in the aquatic environment and is a known human carcinogen and reproductive toxicant. We measured the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Cr(VI) in American alligator cells derived from scute tissue. We found that particulate and soluble Cr(VI) are both cytotoxic and genotoxic to alligator cells in a concentration-dependent manner. These data suggest that alligators may be used as a model for assessing the effects of environmental Cr(VI) contamination as well as for other metals of concern.

Keywords: American alligator; Aquatic model; Chromium; Cytotoxicity; Genotoxicity; Hexavalent chromium.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alligators and Crocodiles / genetics
Alligators and Crocodiles / physiology*
Animals
Cell Line
Cell Survival / drug effects
Cells, Cultured
Chromium / toxicity*
Chromosome Aberrations / chemically induced
Climate Change
DNA Damage / drug effects*
Skin / drug effects
United States
Water Pollutants, Chemical / toxicity*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Chromium
chromium hexavalent ion

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding