Effect-directed analysis of contaminated sediment from the wastewater canal in Pancevo industrial area, Serbia.

Wastewater canal (WWC) in Pancevo industrial area in Serbia, whose main environmental receptor is the River Danube, is a well known hot-spot of contamination. WWC sediments have been assessed by UNEP based on chemical target analysis. However, integrative biological data on exposure to hazardous compounds are only provided by the present study which aims at evaluating whether the monitored compounds sufficiently reflect potential hazards and to suggest additional compounds to include in monitoring and hazard assessment by applying effect-directed analysis (EDA) based on arylhydrocarbon receptor-mediated activity and cytotoxicity.

Atrazine oral exposure of peripubertal male rats downregulates steroidogenesis gene expression in Leydig cells.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of oral dosing of atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) to peripubertal male rats (50 and 200 mg/kg body weight daily from postnatal days 23-50) on ex vivo Leydig cell steroidogenesis. Leydig cells from treated rats were characterised by significant decline in mRNA transcripts of several genes responsible for steroidogenesis: luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), scavenger receptor-B1, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, translocator protein, steroidogenic factor-1, phosphodiesterase 4B, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD), CYP17A1, and 17betaHSD. In the presence of human chorion gonadotropin, the dose-dependent decrease in extracellular cAMP level and accordingly strong inhibition of androgenesis were obtained.