Testing Neurotransmitters for Toxicity with a Luminescent Biosensor: Implications for Microbial Endocrinologyстатья
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Дата последнего поиска статьи во внешних источниках: 17 октября 2017 г.
Аннотация:Abstract: Background: The human organism is a complex superorganism including numerous eukaryotic, eubacterial,
and archaean cells. The qualitative and quantitative assessment of the microbiota toxicity of chemical agents, i.e., their
inhibitory effects on the microbial inhabitants of the human organism in health and disease, seems to hold much value in
this context. In this work, a bacterial luminescence-based express test system for microbiota toxicity is applied to the
neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and histamine.
Methods: The biosensor was based on a GM Escherichia coli K12 strain (TGI) that contained the lux operon of the
luminescent soil bacterium Photorhabdus luminescencens ZMI. The biosensor was exposed to the action of the tested
neurotransmitters for 5 to 60 minutes The intensity of bacterial luminescence (counts.
sec-1
) was monitored in the control
and the experimental samples with a Biotoks 6 ms luminometer (Russia); the toxicity index (T) of the neurotransmitters
was determined.
Results: A marked toxic effect on bioluminescence was produced by serotonin, histamine, and dopamine at
concentrations exceeding 80 µg/ml, 100 µg/ml, and 1 mg/ml, respectively. At lower concentration, these neuromediators
were “negatively toxic”, i.e. stimulatory in terms of the effect on bacterial luminescence. In contrast, norepinephrine
inhibited luminescence at all concentrations tested.
Conclusions: The bacterial luminescence-based testing method is applicable to the assessment of the destructive and
stimulatory effects of neurotransmitters; the data obtained are of microbiological and clinical relevance.
Keywords: Bioassay, bioluminescence, toxicity, neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine, histamine.