Arsenic-induced skin conditions identified in southwest dermatology practices: an epidemiologic tool?

Populations living in the Southwest United States are more likely to be exposed to elevated drinking water arsenic levels compared to other areas of the country. Skin changes, including hyperpigmentation and generalized hyperkeratosis, are the most common signs of chronic arsenic ingestion from drinking water. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using dermatology practices in New Mexico, Arizona, and western Texas as a surveillance system for arsenical skin disorders related to drinking water. Postcard questionnaires were mailed to practicing dermatologists. The number of cases of arsenical hyperpigmentation/keratoses seen by these dermatologists during the past 10 years and the past year were estimated. Of 240 dermatologists who were mailed questionnaires, 37 reported seeing 237 patients with arsenical hyperpigmentation/keratoses in the past 10 years and 35 patients in the past year. Since approximately one-eighth of dermatologists practicing in the Southwest saw at least one patient with arsenical hyperpigmentation/keratoses during one year, it appears feasible to complete a population-based study of these conditions.     

BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ESTUARINE/COASTAL POLLUTION1

ABSTRACT: Sustained interest in and concern about the health status of the aquatic environment has resulted in extensive research focused on (1) effects of pollution on survival, growth, and reproduction of resource species at all life stages; (2) diseases of fish and shellfish, as they may be related to pollution and as they may serve as indicators of environmental stress; and (3) contaminant body burdens in fish and shellfish - their effects on the aquatic animals and their potential effects on humans. Effects, lethal and sublethal, of pollutants on life history stages of fish and shellfish have been documented, as have impacts on local stocks in badly degraded habitats, but as yet there has been no adequate quantitative demonstration of effects on entire aquatic species - probably because of the difficulty in sorting out relative effects of the many environmental factors that influence abundance. Sublethal effects, especially those that result in disease, have been examined intensively, and some diseases and disease syndromes have been associated statistically with pollution. Other pollution indicators (biochemical, physiological, genetic, behavioral, and ecological) have also received some attention, as have body burdens of contaminants in aquatic species. Research, especially that conducted during the past decade, has done much to clarify the many pathways and toxic effects of contaminants on aquatic animals, and has also helped to identify mechanisms for survival of fish and shellfish in the presence of environmental changes caused by human activities.     

In situ evaluation of the genotoxic potential of the river Nile: I. Micronucleus and nuclear lesion tests of erythrocytes of Oreochromis niloticus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

This study aimed to investigate the genotoxic potential of chemicals present along the course of the river Nile using frequencies of micronuclei (MN) and nuclear lesions (NL) in erythrocytes of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus niloticus and African catfish Clarias gariepinus, as biomarkers. Results showed that most of the physicochemical parameters detected and heavy metal concentrations were significantly higher in the water collected from the estuaries of the river Nile compared to other sites of the upper Nile. The frequencies of MN and NL in peripheral blood erythrocytes of Nile tilapia and African catfish were significantly higher in estuary sites in Damietta and Rosetta compared to upper sites. The lowest level of genotoxicity was observed at two sites (Aswan and Kena), considered to be less contaminated. Our results suggested that higher frequencies of MN and NL determined at Damietta and Rosetta sites may be indicative of damage produced by pollutants in these areas. The most remarkable result was that MN and NL frequencies appear to be strongly related to water quality at different sites examined, indicating that MN frequencies may serve as a reliable biomarker for testing genotoxicity in situ. The positive correlation between MN and NL induction suggested that NL may be a useful complementary assay for genotoxicity analyses when fish are used as experimental animals. It was also found that seasonal variations in MN and NL frequencies might contribute to a better understanding of genotoxic responses in the field. The use of fish as indicator organisms for monitoring the presence of genotoxic-inducing contaminants in the environment seemed justified because the effects of exposure to a “complex mixture” such as river water were obtained. Nile tilapia appears to be a more suitable bioindicator species than African catfish in studying genotoxic chemical pollution in the river Nile attributed to a higher sensitivity.     

两种有机磷农药对缢蛏(Sinonovacula constricta)鳃超微结构的影响

在实验室模拟缢蛏生长环境,研究结构、性质不同的两种典型有机磷农药(OPs)乐果和三唑磷对滩涂养殖生物缢蛏的毒性效应,通过电镜观察乐果和三唑磷对缢蛏鳃超微结构的影响.结果发现:乐果和三唑磷对缢蛏鳃超微结构的影响主要表现在对细胞核和各种细胞器(如线粒体、内质网、高尔基体)的伤害.主要病变为:细胞核变形,核膜凸起或凹陷,染色质发生凝聚或边缘化;线粒体肿大,双层膜溶解,内嵴部分消失;个别线粒体内嵴完全瓦解,形成电子透明区;粗面内质网水肿,核糖体部分脱落,片层结构间距增大;高尔基膜囊水肿,膜溶解,高尔基小泡破裂消失.本研究为了解不同OPs对缢蛏的毒性效应提供了病理形态学证据,为预测OPs对近海海洋生物及人类健康的影响提供有力的证据,为规范OPs的应用、制定海洋环境质量标准提供了部分基础理论依据.     

Municipal wastewater-induced histopathological lesions in gills of freshwater fish Labeo rohita – A SEM study

The fingerlings of fish Labeo rohita were subjected to chronic (15, 30, and 60 days) and recovery (60 days) experiments for histopathological studies using sublethal concentrations (35.4%, 26.6%, and 17.7% v/v) of municipal wastewater of Tung Dhab drain, Amritsar, India. Control fish were maintained for same exposure periods using tap water. Scanning electron microscopic studies exhibited dose- and duration-dependent alterations on gill surface ultra-structure. Control fish exhibited functionally normal gills with normal mean degree of tissue change. Fifteen different types of lesions were identified out of which 9, 5, and 1 were of the stage I, II, and III, respectively. The mean degree of change values in the treated groups ranged from 14.8 ± 0.5 (17.7%, 15 days) to 116. ± 17 (35.4%, 60 days) demonstrated gill damages of slight to irreparable lesions. The recorded alterations were epithelial lifting and intraepithelial edema, reduction of water spaces, lamellar fusion, lamellar telangiectasia, swelling and fusion of filaments, sloughing of lamellar epithelium, hypertrophy and hyperplasia of mucous and chloride cells, and necrotic lamellae. The recovery experiments showed positive improvement as the intensity of damage was less than recorded for 60 days of treatment. This study clearly indicated toxicity of drain water to fish at cellular and organ level. The study recommends environmental agencies to make and enforce decisions regarding improvement of water quality of Tung Dhab drain, and further incorporating histopathological studies as an analytical tool.     

Laser Radiation Can Retard Leaf Senescence of Isatis Indigotica Seedlings Exposed to Elevated UV-B

以菘蓝(Isatis indigotica Fort)幼苗为实验材料,比较研究了He-Ne激光对增强UV-B(辐射强度:10.08kJ·m-2;照射时间8h·d-1;共照射8d)辐射损伤菘蓝叶片衰老的延缓作用.结果表明:与对照相比,UV-B辐射可导致环丁烷嘧啶二聚体(CPD)形成,显著降低蛋白酶、转氨酶、游离氨基酸、可溶性蛋白质含量,同时降低了叶绿素含量、气孔导度、水分利用率和生物量;而菘蓝幼苗经UV-B辐射处理后再用激光辐照(波长:633nm;功率密度:5.23mW·mm-2;束径:1.5mm;照射时间:5min·d-1),叶片中CPD含量显著降低,蛋白酶、转氨酶、游离氨基酸、可溶性蛋白质含量、叶绿素含量、气孔导度、水分利用率和生物量与单独UV-B处理组相比显著提高.上述结果表明激光辐照可以显著延缓UV-B损伤菘蓝叶片的衰老。