A bioanalytical approach for assessing the effects of soil extracts from solid waste dumpsite in Calabar (Nigeria) on lipid and estrogenic signaling of fish Poeciliopsis lucida hepatocellular carcinoma-1 cells in vitro and in vivo African catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

ABSTRACT

In applying bioanalytical approaches, the aim of this study was to determine the toxicity of contaminants derived from a solid waste dumpsite in Calabar (Nigeria), by investigating the alterations of lipid and estrogen signaling pathways in Poeciliopsis lucida hepatocellular carcinoma-1 (PLHC-1) cells and compared to in vivo African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), using polar, nonpolar and elutriate extraction methods. Cells were exposed for 48 hr period to different concentrations of the contaminant extracts. The PLHC-1 cells were evaluated for lipid responses as follows adipoRed assay, retinoid x receptor (rxr), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor isoforms (ppar-α and γ), estrogen receptor (er-α) and vitellogenin (vtg) transcripts. The lipid signaling activation was also assessed in vivo using C. gariepinus, where hepatic levels of ppar-α were determined at both transcript and functional proteins levels. Data showed variable-, extract type and concentration-specific elevations in mRNA and protein levels for lipidomic and estrogenic effects. These effects were either biphasic at low and high concentrations, depending upon extract type, or concentration-dependent elevations. In general, these toxicological responses may be attributed to soil organic and inorganic contaminants burden previously derived from the dumpsite. Thus, our data demonstrate a unique lipid and endocrine-disruptive chemical (EDC) effects of each soil extract, suggesting multiple and complex contaminant interactions in the environment and biota. Analysis of numerous soil- or sediment-bound contaminants have numerous limitations and cost implications for developing countries. Our approach provides a bioanalytical protocol and endpoints for measuring the metabolic and EDC effects of complex environmental matrices for ecotoxicological assessment and monitoring.

KEYWORDS:

• Solid waste
• contaminants
• dumpsite
• endocrine disruption
• toxicity testing
• ecotoxicological risk assessment. PLHC-1 cells
• African catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

Acknowledgments

We thank Randi Røsbak for technical assistance during sampling and analysis

Disclosure statement

We declare that there is no perceived or known competing financial interests or otherwise that is attached to our study.

Author information

Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway

Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

Availability of data and materials

The corresponding author will make available on request all datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study

Credit author statement

Oju R. Ibor and Augustine Arukwe: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Oju R. Ibor, Essa A. Khan and Augustine Arukwe: Investigation, Oju R. Ibor and Essa A. Khan: Formal analysis, Augustine Arukwe: Supervision, Project administration, Resources, Oju R. Ibor and Augustine Arukwe: Writing – Original Draft, All authors: Writing – Review & Editing

Consent to publish

All authors have read and agreed that the manuscript is ready for submission and publication in ESPR

Ethical approval

The findings in our manuscripts does not report information that are applicable to human participants, human data, or human tissues. No personal or individual human data in any form is contained in our manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported financially by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and in part by the African Research Excellence Funds (MRF Grant Reference: MRF-157-0023-F-IBOR).