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EFFECTS OF TURF BEAD EXTRACT ON AHR ACTIVITY IN HUMAN LIVER CELLS IN THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF REVERATROL AND QUECETIN**

Abstract

Artificial turf fields are used throughout the world from high school sports fields to multi-million dollar athletic complexes. They provide similar characteristics to grass fields but can be less expensive to maintain in the long run. However, the crumb rubber used as filler in artificial turf fields contains chemicals that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Activation of certain chemicals by the AHR is associated with cancer development. In our experiment, we isolated compounds from turf rubber beads by incubating them in either ethanol, DMSO, or water to extract these chemicals. The extracts were then used to treat human liver cells to examine any changes to AHR activity by using a CYP1A1 reporter gene. Additionally, cells were treated with a combination of the bead extracts and either the bioflavonoid, quercetin, or the stilbenoid, resveratrol, to determine if they could exhibit antagonistic effects to the activating chemicals of the beads. Our results indicate an increase in AHR-mediated transcription that was statistically significant when using DMSO bead extract prepared at 21°C or water bead extract prepared at 21°C. When 100mM quercetin was added to cells treated with either the water or DMSO extracts, there was a significant decrease in transcription when compared to the respective extracts alone. Preliminary findings examining varying concentrations of resveratrol (25-200mM) in combination with the DMSO bead extracts also reveal a dosage-dependent decrease in transcription of the reporter gene. Collectively, these result suggest a potential increase in the risk of cancer development in individuals who are in contact with these beads for long periods of time, which may be mitigated with exposure to quercetin and/or resveratrol.

Acknowledgements

YHC Undergraduate Research Initiative

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