Usage of Rat Fibroblasts to Assess Toxic Properties of Contaminated Water

Abstract

Introduction: Changes in the composition of surface water caused by hydrological and climatic processes and anthropogenic effluents affect its properties, making it potentially hazardous to human health. Monitoring of water quality and safety does not take into account all potentially dangerous elements and their compounds the man can be exposed to, since the occurrence of new substances and recombination of existing ones is accompanied by a continuous transformation of the physicochemical composition of water, which determines its biological properties. This screening study opens new perspectives for biological testing on cell cultures as an approach to assessing water safety. Objective: To examine the method of bioassay of general indicators of water using rat fibroblasts and a regression model. Materials and methods: We tested physicochemical parameters of water of a surface drinking water source sampled in fall 2020 and winter–summer 2021 and assessed its safety on rat fibroblast cells using the MTT assay. We then built a regression model of the cellular response based on 20 indicators, with the choice of the most significant predictors. Results: We revealed seasonal fluctuations in the physicochemical composition of surface water with no toxicity limits exceeded. The lowest values of dehydrogenase activity of the fibroblast cell culture were revealed following the exposure to water sampled in autumn while that taken in summer had the most favorable effect on cell viability. Conclusions: We revealed changes in physicochemical indicators characterizing quality and safety of source water in different seasons. Testing of the method of water bioassay (MTT assay) on the culture of rat fibroblast cells showed sensitivity in relation to general indicators of water quality. Based on mathematical modeling, we established that dissolved iron, which can serve as an indicator of changes in metabolic processes, is a parameter that reliably characterizes toxic effects on the fibroblast cell culture.