Title: Analysis of brominated flame retardants and brominated dibenzodioxins and biphenyls for Ah receptor activation using the CALUX bioassay

Auteur(s): brown DJ ; Van Overmeire I ; Goeyens L ; Denison MS ; Clark G ;  ; 

Year: 2001

Journal: Organohalogen Compounds

Subject(s): Ah receptor ; bioassay ; brominated flame retardant ; CALUX ; PBDE ; dioxins ; dioxin ; estrogen ; dioxin-like toxicity ; toxicity ; Reporter gene ; Luciferase ;  ; 

Summary: Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) are known to bioaccumulate and consequently pose a potential threat to environmental and human health. Additionally, BFRs can be contaminated with brominated dioxins and polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), or on incineration these compounds may be produced. Levels of BFRs in environmental matrices and human tissues are well documented. Although effects on thyroxine hormone levels, behavior and interference with the Ah-receptor and estrogen receptor have been reported for BFRs, the current knowledge of toxicological actions of BFRs is rather limited. The aim of the is study was to investigate whether commonly used BFRs and associated compounds elicit dioxin-like toxicity in the cell based CALUX reporter gene bioassay. In tbe CALUX® bioassay, compounds like dioxins that activate the Ah receptor cause firefly luciferase to be expressed. The amount of light produced by the luciferase reporter is directly proportional to the degree of Ah receptor activation. Several types of compounds were analyzed for dioxin-like activity: pure compounds used as f1ame retardants; pure compounds such as brominated dioxins and biphenyls, which are potential contaminants of flame retardants and commercial mixtures of BFRs.