Study of mammary epithelial role in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons transfer to milk

Food would appear to be one of the main routes for animal and human contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Many studies have shown the presence of PAH in milk and dairy products, suggesting that these foods can represent a part of this contamination. Our work aimed at defining, in vitro, the mammary barrier role in PAH transfer to milk. MAC T cells were cultivated on permeable filters to measure transepithelial permeability of 14C labeled benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), pyrene (Pyr), and phenanthrene (Phen), which differed in their physicochemical properties. The results showed that only 2 molecules, Phen and Pyr, were able to cross mammary cell layers. Phenanthrene radioactivity appeared more quickly in apical media, and its level after a 6-h exposure was 1.3 times higher than for Pyr and 7.7 times higher than for BaP. These findings suggested that mammary epithelium could play a key role in the selective transfer of PAH from food to milk.