Valutazione in vitro ed in vivo sui possibili effetti genomici e fisiologici indotti da alcuni interferenti endocrini

Nowadays, one of the most pressing environmental issues that must be addressed and resolved is the widespread use of polluting substances in commonly used industrial products, including food and beverage containers, paper goods, cosmetics (such as bath lotions, shampoos, face creams, and perfumes), as well as UV filters used to protect human skin and hair from sun damage. Some of these substances were found to be endocrine disruptors, a group of organic compounds utilised in the production of polymers and resins for manufacturing plastic materials. These substances can interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine and reproductive systems in both vertebrates and invertebrates, leading to adverse health effects in these organisms and their offspring. Some endocrine-disrupting compounds have been linked to the development of various conditions, including cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as cognitive and behavioural disorders. Furthermore, they may possess cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic properties. Due to their presence in all environmental compartments, these substances represent an increased risk to human and wildlife health, especially considering their persistence in the environment over extended periods. The objective of this study was to examine the potential genotoxic effects of different concentrations of specific endocrine disruptors, namely bisphenol A, F, S, and E (BPA, BPF, BPS, BPE), as well as benzophenone-3 (BP3). This was done through both in vitro and in vivo micronuclei (MNi) assays, conducted on human blood lymphocytes cultured in a laboratory setting, and on selected individuals of the snail species Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758), respectively. Additionally, we investigated the possible adverse effects of these compounds on various physiological parameters of L. stagnalis, including body growth, egg laying, and mortality. Our in vitro test revealed that, among all the tested endocrine disruptors, BP3 exhibited the highest genotoxicity, followed by BPA and BPF. On the other hand, BPE demonstrated the least genotoxicity among the compounds tested, suggesting that it could be a suitable replacement for the more commonly used BPA. Moreover, our preliminary in vivo results indicated that BPA possessed a greater genotoxic potential compared to the other tested endocrine disruptors. This was evidenced by its significant induction of higher frequencies of nuclear anomalies, such as MNi and nuclear buds, in haemocytes. Additionally, BPA notably reduced the body growth and egg laying of the exposed snails and increased their mortality. BPF and BP3 were the second and third most genotoxic compounds, respectively, followed by BPS. Once again, BPE resulted the least genotoxic among all the tested endocrine disruptors, thus corroborating our in vitro study findings. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that BPE has a lower genotoxic activity than the other tested compounds, making it a potential replacement for BPA and other bisphenols. However, considering the adverse health effects of bisphenols on both humans and wildlife, we believe that more stringent measures should be implemented to reduce their presence in the environment and minimise such effects.