Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are lipophilic compounds able to accumulate in the food chain. Mussels showed to bioaccumulate contaminants, such as PAHs, so that recurrent consumption of such contaminated food represents a risk for human health. This study was aimed to elucidate if acute exposure of Mediterranean blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), a bivalve of great economic importance in several countries, to a PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), at doses able to induce cytochrome P450 1 A (CYP1A) and pathological changes in mussel gills, can produce accumulation in soft tissue. We explored the cytotoxic effects (cell viability, DNA laddering, and glutathione levels) of in vitro exposure of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to organic extracts obtained from blue mussels previously exposed for 12 and 72 h via water to B[a]P (0.5–1 mg/L). In our experimental conditions, B[a]P induced CYP1A induction and morphological changes in mussel gills and a significant B[a]P accumulation in soft tissue. Conversely, exposing PBMCs to organic extracts obtained from contaminated mussels, resulted in a significant reduction of cell viability and cell glutathione content, and in an increase in DNA laddering. This confirms that consumption of mussels from B[a]P polluted waters might affect human health. Our data lead us to suggest that CYP1A activity in mussel gills may be useful (more than the amount of detected PAHs in the mussel edible tissue) as a marker in assessment of risk for health of consumers exposed to PAHs through ingestion of shellfish.

多环芳烃（PAH）是能够在食物链中积累的亲脂性化合物。贻贝显示出生物积累性污染物，例如多环芳烃，因此反复食用这种受污染的食物对人体健康构成威胁。这项研究旨在阐明是否将地中海蓝贻贝（Mytilus galloprovincialis）（在几个国家具有重要经济意义的双壳类）急性暴露于多环芳烃苯并[ a ] py（B [ a][P]，能够诱导细胞色素P450 1 A（CYP1A）和贻贝g的病理变化的剂量，可在软组织中产生积累。我们探索了人类外周血单核细胞（PBMC）暴露于有机贻贝的有机提取物中的体外细胞毒性作用（细胞活力，DNA梯级化和谷胱甘肽水平），该提取物先前曾通过水暴露于B [ a ]并经过12和72 h P（0.5-1 mg / L）。在我们的实验条件下，B [ a ] P诱导CYP1A的诱导和贻贝g的形态变化，而B [ a] P在软组织中积累。相反，将PBMC暴露于从受污染的贻贝获得的有机提取物中，会导致细胞活力和细胞谷胱甘肽含量显着降低，并且DNA梯形图增加。这证实了从B [ a ] P污染的水中食用贻贝可能会影响人类健康。我们的数据提示我们，贻贝g中的CYP1A活性可能有用（超过贻贝可食组织中检测到的PAHs的量），作为评估通过摄入贝类而接触PAHs的消费者健康风险的标志物。