Assessment of the environmental fate and effects of the PPARgamma receptor agonist, pioglitazone

The environmental fate and effects of pioglitazone prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes were evaluated in an environmental risk assessment following the European Medicines Agency (EMA) "Guideline on the Environmental Risk Assessment of Medicinal Products for Human Use"; EMEA/CHMP/SWP/4447/00. A predicted environment concentration (PEC) for surface water was estimated at 0.023μgL(-1), (action limit of 0.01μgL(-1)) triggering a comprehensive battery of laboratory evaluations. Pioglitazone and its major metabolites were determined not to significantly adsorb to sewage solids, were not persistent in the aquatic environment, did not bioaccumulate and were non-toxic to aquatic organisms. Pioglitazone does not pose an unacceptable risk to groundwater supplies, with concentrations not anticipated to be a risk to aquatic organisms or human drinking water supplies. Pioglitazone does not pose a risk of secondary poisoning.     

Impact of ectomycorrhizal colonization of hybrid poplar on the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil

Infection by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi may benefit hybrid poplar growing in contaminated soils by providing greater access to water and nutrients and possibly protecting the trees from direct contact with toxic contaminants. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of colonization of the ECM fungus Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker & Couch on hybrid poplar fine root production, biomass and N and P uptake when grown in diesel-contaminated soil (5000 mg diesel fuel kg soil(-1)). Commercially available Mycogrow Tree Tabs were the source of inoculum. A minirhizotron camera was used to provide the data necessary for estimating fine root production. Colonization of hybrid poplar roots (P. deltoides x [P. laurifolia x P. nigra] cv. Walker) by P. tinctorius increased total fine root production in diesel-contaminated soil to 56.58 g m(-2) compared to 22.59 g m(-2) in the uncolonized, diesel-contaminated treatment. Hybrid poplar leaf N and P concentrations were significantly greater in the diesel-contaminated/ECM-colonized treatment compared to the diesel-contaminated/uncolonized treatment after 12 wk, while significantly less diesel fuel was recovered from the soil of the uncolonized treatment compared to the colonized treatment. Both planted treatments removed more contaminants from the soil than an unplanted control. Significantly greater concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were found sequestered in hybrid poplar root/fungal-sheath complexes from the colonized treatment compared to the roots of the uncolonized treatment. The results of this study indicate that over a 12-wk growth period, ECM colonization of hybrid poplar in diesel-contaminated soils increased fine root production and whole-plant biomass, but inhibited removal of TPH from the soil.     

Can Warmwater Streams Be Rehabilitated Using Watershed-Scale Standard Erosion Control Measures Alone?

Degradation of warmwater streams in agricultural landscapes is a pervasive problem, and reports of restoration effectiveness based on monitoring data are rare. Described is the outcome of rehabilitation of two deeply incised, unstable sand-and-gravel-bed streams. Channel networks of both watersheds were treated using standard erosion control measures, and aquatic habitats within 1-km-long reaches of each stream were further treated by addition of instream structures and planting woody vegetation on banks (“habitat rehabilitation”). Fish and their habitats were sampled semiannually during 1–2 years before rehabilitation, 3–4 years after rehabilitation, and 10–11 years after rehabilitation. Reaches with only erosion control measures located upstream from the habitat measure reaches and in similar streams in adjacent watersheds were sampled concurrently. Sediment concentrations declined steeply throughout both watersheds, with means ≥40% lower during the post-rehabilitation period than before. Physical effects of habitat rehabilitation were persistent through time, with pool habitat availability much higher in rehabilitated reaches than elsewhere. Fish community structure responded with major shifts in relative species abundance: as pool habitats increased after rehabilitation, small-bodied generalists and opportunists declined as certain piscivores and larger-bodied species such as centrarchids and catostomids increased. Reaches without habitat rehabilitation were significantly shallower, and fish populations there were similar to the rehabilitated reaches prior to treatment. These findings are applicable to incised, warmwater streams draining agricultural watersheds similar to those we studied. Rehabilitation of warmwater stream ecosystems is possible with current knowledge, but a major shift in stream corridor management strategies will be needed to reverse ongoing degradation trends. Apparently, conventional channel erosion controls without instream habitat measures are ineffective tools for ecosystem restoration in incised, warmwater streams of the Southeastern U.S., even if applied at the watershed scale and accompanied by significant reductions in suspended sediment concentration.     

Second-trimester diurnal variation of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein,human chorionic gonadotropin,and unconjugated oestriol: Is it present and does it affect the prediction of a patient's risk for fetal down syndrome?

Both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study were performed to investigate whether or not the collection time should be taken into consideration when generating a patient's risk for fetal Down syndrome with multiple marker screening. Diurnal variations of third-trimester alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and first-trimester human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels have been previously reported. In addition, large episodic fluctuations of conjugated and unconjugated oestriol (uE3) as well as a diurnal variation have also been reported in the third trimester. If the levels of these analytes routinely fluctuate during the day, they could affect a patient's risk calculation for fetal Down syndrome. The longitudinal study evaluated ten non-diabetic women who underwent sequential sampling for AFP, hCG, and uE3. The cross-sectional study evaluated 1953 patients for these three markers whose time of sampling was recorded between 8·00 a.m. and 5·59 p.m. Using either study design, no significant effect was seen in the median MOM levels of the screening analytes as a function of the time of day.     

Amniotic fluid acetylcholinesterase measurements: Comparing immunochemical and polyacrylamide gel techniques

In the present study, a recently reported immunochemical technique for measuring acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in amniotic fluid utilizing the 4F19 antibody was compared with the widely utilized polyacrylamide gel technique to determine whether the immunochemical assay provided an advantage in separating unaffected pregnancies from those associated with open spina bifida (OSB) and open ventral wall defects (OVWD). The study included (1) 73 amniotic fluid samples from unaffected pregnancies [alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) < 2 MoM] with no visible gel AChE band, (2) nine bloodstained samples from unaffected pregnancies (AFP 2·2–4·0 MoM) with visible gel AChE bands, (3) 18 samples associated with OSB (AFP 2·2–7·0 MoM) with visible gel AChE bands, and (4) 20 samples associated with OVWD (AFP 3·2–53·5 MoM) with visible gel AChE bands. The immunochemical assay produced ranges of measurements in the four respective categories as follows: (1) 2–60 arbitrary units (AU): (2) 14–69 AU, (3) 61–593 AU, and (4)22–476 AU. Eight of the nine unaffected pregnancies with visible gel AChE bands had immunochemical measurements below the highest measurement for the samples with no visible AChE band (60 AU), as did five out of 20 OVWD pregnancies. Two of the OSB cases had values of 61 and 62 AU. These data indicate that the 4F19 specific monoclonal antibody to AChE is capable of distinguishing unaffected from affected pregnancies with reasonable reliability but that more work needs to be done to establish the extent of overlap between the unaffected and affected populations.     

Amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein and acetylcholinesterase measurements in pregnancies associated with gastroschisis

In this study we define for the first time the distribution of alpha-fetoprotein levels and acetylcholinesterase ratios in amniotic fluid samples associated with fetal gastroschisis. Elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels and positive acetylcholinesterase measurements are found in virtually all cases, indicating that these combined measurements are highly reliable in detecting this lesion.     

Changes in element composition along the spinning duct in a Nephila spider

The silk gland of the golden orb spider Nephila edulis connects to the exit spigot through a long S-shaped duct that assists in the formation of the thread. Previous evidence suggests that the epithelium of the distal (last) part of the duct is specialized for ion transport and that a proton pump is involved in this process. Here, we present evidence from SEM (scanning electron microscope)-EDAX (energy dispersive X-ray) microanalysis of rapidly frozen material maintained at approximately -150°C and from the use of pH indicators that the element composition and pH change progressively as the dragline silk dope (spinning solution) passes down the duct to form the thread. Na⁺ and Cl^- composition decreased while K⁺ and P and S increased. Indicators suggested that the pH dropped from 6.9ǂ.1 to 6.3ǂ.1. These novel findings suggest that the absorption of Na⁺ and secretion of the more chaotropic K⁺ may help the silk protein molecules to refold while the secretion of H⁺ may assist in this process and reduce the repulsive charges on them. This in turn may allow the molecules to approach one another more closely to crystallize. Thus precise control of the ionic environment within the spider's spinning duct may be important in forming a tough insoluble thread and when devising mimetic processes to spin silk proteins industrially.     

Amniotic alpha-fetoprotein in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital nephrotic syndrome of the finnish type

Congenital nephrosis of the Finnish type (CNF) is rare outside Finland, where the incidence may be as high as 1 in 2000 live births. Neonates with the disorder develop renal failure within the first months of life and without renal transplantation, the prognosis is extremely poor. This case report describes a woman's three pregnancies, two of which were affected with CNF.