Tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) is one of the worlds most widely used brominated flame retardant. The present study reports effects of TBBPA on primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells (CGC). Using the trypan blue exclusion assay, we show that TBBPA induces death of CGC at low micro molar concentrations. Cell death was reduced by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (3 microM), the antioxidant vitamin E (50 microM), and in calcium-free buffer. We further demonstrate that TBBPA's toxicity was accompanied by apoptosis-like nuclear shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation. Other hallmarks of apoptosis such as caspase activity were, however, absent, indicating an atypical form of apoptosis. TBBPA increased intracellular free calcium in a concentration-dependent manner. TBBPA also induced an increase in extracellular glutamate in a time-dependent manner. TBBPA gave a concentration-dependent increase information reactive oxygen species (ROS) of measured with 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. The ROS formation was inhibited by the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) inhibitor U0126 (10 microM), the tyrosine kinase inhibitor erbstatin-A (25 microM), eliminating calcium from the buffer and by the superoxide dismutase inhibitor diethyldithio-carbamic acid (DDC, 100 microM). Further analysis with Western blot confirmed phosphorylation of ERK1/2 after exposure to TBBPA. We found that TBBPA induces ROS formation, increases intracellular calcium, extracellular glutamate, and death of CGC in vitro at concentrations comparable to those of polychlorinated biphenyl. These findings implicate TBBPA as a predicted environmental toxin and bring out the importance of awareness of its hazardous effects.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) are compounds used as additive flame retardants in plastics, electronic equipment, and textiles. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro effects of the pentabrominated diphenyl ether mixture, DE-71, and HBCD on cerebellar granule cells (CGC). Both DE-71 and HBCD induced death of CGC in low micromolar concentrations. The NMDA receptor antagonist MK801 (3 microM), and the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol (50 microM) significantly reduced the cell death. Incubation of the compounds together with the rat liver post-mitochondrial (S9) fraction reduced cell death by 58 and 64% for DE-71 and HBCD, respectively. No ROS formation and no elevation in intracellular calcium were observed. We further demonstrated apoptotic morphology (Hoechst straining) after exposure to low levels of the two brominated flame retardants and signs of DNA laddering were found after DE-71 exposure. However, other hallmarks of apoptosis, like caspase activity, were absent indicating an atypical form of apoptosis induced by DE-71. After intraperitoneal injection of the two compounds both DE-71 and HBCD were found in significant amounts in brain (559 +/- 194 and 49 +/- 13 microg/kg, respectively) and liver (4,010 +/- 2,437 and 1,248 +/- 505 microg/kg, respectively) 72 h after injection. Our results indicate that the lower brominated PBDEs have a higher potency of bioaccumulation than HBCD, and that both compounds have a neurotoxic potential in vitro.

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Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) in human, primates, and rodents is accompanied by neurobehavioral changes. These involve adverse effects on both memory and learning and motor activity. There are also adverse effects observed on the endocrine and immune system. This review is restricted to our laboratory's recent findings of effects of these compounds on the nervous system and some molecular effects on the immune system. In the nervous system, data showed that PCBs and BFRs produce an effect on neurotransmitter transport mechanisms, in particular the neurotransmitter dopamine. It was demonstrated that this might explain the loss of dopamine in the brain seen after exposure to PCB. Further, it may explain the behavior of dopamine in preparations in vitro from brain tissue after exposure to PCB. Recently it was also reported that PCB and some BFRs induce formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in neurons. ROS act as messengers in the nervous system and may also be involved in cell death. In the case of PCB exposure, a correlation between ROS formation and death of neurons was found. In the immune system it was shown that PCBs and some of the BFRs induce formation of ROS in neutrophils (granulocytes). This takes place primarily through phosphorylation and subsequent activation of the NADPH oxidase. This production of ROS may have an adverse effect on the immune system.

This study investigates the effects of one of the most frequently used brominated flame-retardants (BFR), tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), on formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium levels in human neutrophil granulocytes. TBBPA enhanced ROS production in a concentration-depended manner (1-12 microM), measured as 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate amplified (DCF) fluorescence. The results on ROS production by TBBPA was confirmed by lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence. The TBBPA induced formation of ROS was due to activation of respiratory burst, as shown by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI (10 microM). TBBPA induced activation of respiratory burst was also inhibited by the MEK 1/2 inhibitor U0126 (10 microM), the PKC inhibitor BIM (0.25 microM), and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor erbstatin-A (25 microM). We also found a small reduction in ROS formation in the absence of extracellular calcium and when verapamil was added. The phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 was confirmed by Western blotting. TBBPA also induced a concentration dependent increase in intracellular free calcium measured with Fura-2/AM. We suggest that exposure of human neutrophil granulocytes to the brominated flame retardant TBBPA leads to an activation of the NADPH oxidase primarily by an ERK 1/2 stimulated pathway. The data also show that PKC, calcium, and tyrosine kinases may be involved in the activation.