Toxic arsenolipids bioaccumulate in the developing brain of pilot whales.

Autor: Kopp JF; TESLA-Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK., Paton L; TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria., Gajdosechova Z; TESLA-Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK., Sinawivat S; TESLA-Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK., Raab A; TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria., Brownlow A; Scottish Stranding Scheme, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK., Feldmann J; TESLA-Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK; TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: joerg.feldmann@uni-graz.at.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2024 Oct 10; Vol. 946, pp. 173816. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 07.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173816
Abstrakt: Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHC), a subclass of arsenolipids (AsL), have been proven to exert neuro- and cytotoxic effects in in-vitro and in-vivo studies and were shown to pass through biological barriers like the blood-brain barrier. However, there has been no connection as to the environmental relevance of these findings, meaning there is no study based on samples from free living animals that are exposed to these compounds. Here, we report the identification of two AsHC as well as 3 arsenosugar phospholipids (AsPL) in the brains of a pod of stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) as well as the absence of arsenobetaine (AsB) which is often found to be a dominant As species in fish. We show data which suggests that there is an age-dependent accumulation of AsL in the brains of the animals. The results show that, in contrast to other organs, total arsenic as well as arsenolipids accumulate in an asymptotic pattern in the brains of the animals. Total As concentrations were found to range from 87 to 260 μg As/kg wet weight and between 0.6 and 27.6 μg As/kg was present in the form of AsPL958 in the brains of stranded pilot whales which was the most dominant lipophilic species present. The asymptotic relationship between total As, as well as AsPL, concentration in the brain and whale age may suggest that the accumulation of these species takes place prior to the full development of the blood-brain barrier in young whales. Finally, comparison between the organs of local squid, a common source of food for pilot whales, highlighted a comparable AsL profile which indicates a likely bioaccumulation pathway through the food chain.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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