COMPRENDO Comparative Research on Endocrine Disrupters - Phylogenetic Approach and Common Principles focussing on Androgenic/Antiandrogenic Compounds

Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   30/9/2002         Duration: 36 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: EVK1-CT-2002-00129
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Contaminants-->Others
Groundwater protection-->Groundwater protection overview
Water and sanitation-->Water and sanitation Overview
Water resources and their management -->Stresses, quality and ecological status
Project objectives:
The COMPRENDO programme will address environment and human health aspects simultaneously by using an interdisciplinary and comparative phylogenetic approach 
and has the following scientific and technical objectives: To assess human exposure to AACs in all participating European partner countries by market basket analyses of food products (identification of background
concentrations in human food) and a parallel determination of residues in human samples (blood, urine, placenta) in a highly contaminated and a reference
region; to assess the exposure of wildlife populations to AACs and to characterise their effects in highly contaminated and reference regions To assess the potential vulnerability of representative aquatic wildlife groups (both invertebrates and vertebrates) and of humans (by using human cell
lines, tissues and rodent models) to AACs by determining the impact of model compounds at environmentally relevant concentrations/doses and to identify
sensitive wildlife species, critical stages of exposure and easily measurable (genetical, biochemical, physiological, histological, morphological)
endpoints which can be used to determine whether pure substances or mixtures adversely affect communities in ecosystems or human populations. To assess common principles of the action of AACs in the analysed systematic groups (including man) so that new, sensitive, and specific animal models for
extrapolation to human health can be developed. To develop laboratory cultures for suitable aquatic invertebrates and establish their base line endocrinology for use in risk assessment of AACs and further
EDCs. To develop a molecular screen (array) for genes controlling development, sexual differentiation and reproduction in different vertebrate and invertebrate
taxa and to quantify the effects of AACs on the expression of the target sequences. To evaluate the risk originating from AACs to wildlife and human populations in Europe.
Project Summary:
COMPRENDO as an interdisciplinary, integrated approach addresses endocrine disruption in human and wildlife species, focussed on androgenic/antiandrogenic 
compounds (AACs). The project will identify human and environmental exposures to AACs. A variety of human-relevantmodels (cell lines, tissues, rodents)
and wildlife species (amphibians, fish, echinoderms, crustaceans, molluscs) will be exposed to 13 chemicals and various environmental samples todevelop
new biological effect measures, including a molecular screen for genomic AAC effects. Common principles of AAC action will be identified and new models for
the extrapolation on human health developed. Lab cultures of suitable invertebrates will be established and their baseline endocrinology analyzed, facilitating
the use of these species as standard test organisms. Finally, an evaluation of the risk originating from ACAS for humans and wildlife will be performed.
Achieved Objectives:

            
Product Descriptions:

            
Additional Information:

            
Project Resources:

Ecological Relevance of Chemically-Induced Endocrine Disruption in Wildlife

Effects of 17ß-estradiol exposure in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Esterification of vertebrate-type steroids in the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica).

Comparative responses of molluscs and fish to environmental estrogens and an estrogenic effluent.

Evidence for endocrine disruption in invertebrates.

Stimulated embryo production as a parameter of estrogenic exposure via sediments in the freshwater mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum.

First evidence of endocrine disruption in feral carp from the Ebro River.

Effects of pharmaceuticals on aquatic invertebrates - the example of carbamazepine and clofibric acid

Effects of ethinyloestradiol and methyltestosterone in prosobranch snails.

Endocrine disruption in invertebrates.
Weblink:
http://www.comprendo-project.org/index2.html
Funding Programme(s): 
EC Framework Programme 5
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Prof Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/07/2003 17:48:00
Updated by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  29/09/2006 16:18:00