Culture rainbow trout gill epithelium as an in vitro method for marine ecosystem toxicological studies
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Date
2021
Authors
Bawa-Allah, K.A
Otitoloju, A.A
Hogstrand, C
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Heliyon
Abstract
Accurate assessment of the toxic potential of waterborne chemicals is vital to pollution control and management
in aquatic ecosystems. However, there is a global advocacy for the reduction, replacement, and refinement of the
use of whole organisms in chemical screening studies. This has encouraged the development of alternative in vitro
and computer-based techniques. In this study we investigated the possibility of optimising cultured rainbow trout
gill epithelium to tolerate seawater and its use to assess toxicity of waterborne chemicals. Gill cells were obtained
from rainbow trout acclimated to freshwater or to artificial seawater and were cultured in L-15 culture medium
supplemented with or without cortisol. Intact gill epithelia were subjected to 20‰, 25‰ or 30‰ artificial
seawater for 24 h and cell viability was assessed. The viability of gill cells obtained from freshwater or artificial
seawater acclimated fish and grown without cortisol reduced to less than 80% compared to controls. The addition
of cortisol to culture medium improved cell viability in seawater with 94%–95% viability compared to controls.
The optimised gill cell epithelium was exposed to trace elements at concentrations previously reported as causing
50% response or mortality (EC/LC50) using other cell-based and in vivo studies. Viability of the gill cells were
compared to the 50% response or survival reported. The gill cells were found to be more sensitive than other
isolated primary seawater-fish cells, having 5%, 16% and 37% survival on exposure to arsenic, cadmium, and
lead, respectively. Results from this study has shown that cultured rainbow trout gill epithelia can be optimised to
tolerate seawater and can be used in toxicological evaluations of pollutants resuspended in seawater, mimicking
marine ecosystem conditions. The optimised gill cell system can serve as a viable in vitro method for marine
ecosystem toxicological studies which would facilitate effective pollution control and management.
Description
Keywords
cell culture , marine ecosystems , toxicology
Citation
Kafilat Adebola Bawa-Allah, Adebayo Otitoloju, and Christer Hogstrand. (2021). Cultured rainbow trout gill epithelium as an in vitro method for marine ecosystem toxicological studies. Heliyon. 7: e08018