Effects of deltamethrin on serum calcium and corpuscles of Stannius of freshwater catfish,Heteropneustes fossilis

Adult male deer mice were exposed every other day for a period of 11 days to either 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA; CAS# 57-97-6) or benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF; CAS# 205-99-2) (0, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, or 30?mg?kg^?1). Immune endpoints assessed were lymphocyte proliferation, macrophage pinocytosis, and the antibody plaque-forming cell (PFC) response. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) activity was assessed using ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and pentoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (PROD). Macrophage pinocytosis was not altered by either compound. Both T- and B-cell proliferations were significantly increased by DMBA at 0.3 or 1?mg?kg^?1 and by BbF at 10 or 30?mg?kg^?1, but decreased by DMBA at 30?mg?kg^?1. Sheep red blood cell (SRBC)-specific-IgM production, as measured by the PFC response, was the most striking adverse immune effect observed and was significantly suppressed compared to control at all treatment concentrations for both compounds. EROD activity was markedly induced by DMBA at 30?mg?kg^?1, while BbF produced induction at 1, 10, or 30?mg?kg^?1. No marked effect on PROD activity was noted following DMBA treatment, but BbF-induced PROD activity at 1, 10, or 30?mg?kg^?1. Unexpectedly, four of six mice in the 30?mg DMBA?kg^?1 group did not survive to the end of the experiment, and one animal died in both the 3 and 10?mg?kg^?1 treatments. The calculated LD₅₀ was 20.8?mg DMBA?kg^?1. The PFC response in deer mice was a more sensitive endpoint than CYP450 activity, suggesting that utilization of CYP450 endpoints in risk assessment without assessment of immune function, specifically antibody production, might possibly underestimate the risk to wild rodents environmentally exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Heavy metal contamination of soil,and bioaccumulation in vegetables irrigated with treated waste water in the tropical city of Varanasi,India

The present study was conducted to determine the heavy metal contamination in soil with accumulation in plants in waste water irrigated areas. Results revealed that waste water contained lower concentrations of Cr, Zn, Cu, and Pb except Cd (0.03) than the permissible limits prescribed by the World Health Organization. The maximum metal concentrations occurred in Brassica oleracea (Zn 63.80, Cu 12.25, Cr 10.65, Pb 3.63, and Cd 0.56 mg Kg^?1).The metal enrichment (EF of Cd 1.9, Cr2.9, Zn 4.8, Cu 6.5, and Pb 15.5) and degree of contamination (CF of Cd 2.9, Cr 2.0, Zn 2.3, Cu 2.7, and Pb 2.2) showed that accumulation of the five toxic metals increased during sewage irrigation as compared with the reference values, other Indian regions and globally. However, based on WHO standards for heavy metal contamination of soil and irrigation water, our data does not ensure safe levels for food.     

FDM-based additive manufacturing of recycled thermoplastics and associated composites

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Hailed since the fourth industrial revolution, three-dimensional (3D) printing or additive manufacturing (AM) has been extensively implemented in...     

Heavy metal pollution and risks in a highly polluted and populated Indian river–city pair using the systems approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A sectorial approach for assessing heavy metal pollution in rivers neglects the inter-relationship between its environmental compartments and thus...     

Cytotoxic effect of plant extract-based nanoparticles on cancerous cells: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Cancer is one of the most fatal diseases causing deaths of millions of people worldwide. Since actual cancer treatments are rarely efficient and often toxic, there...     

The RNA Secondary Structure Analysis Reveals Potential for Emergence of Pathogenic Flaviviruses

The Flavivirus genus is divided into four groups: Mosquito-borne flaviviruses, Tick-borne flaviviruses, no-known vector flaviviruses, and Insect specific flaviviruses. Millions of people are affected worldwide every year due to the flaviviral infections. The 5' UTR of the RNA genome plays a critical role in the biology of flaviviruses. To explore any correlation between the topology of the 5' UTR and pathogenesis, a global scale study of the RNA secondary structure of different groups of flaviviruses has been conducted. We found that most of the pathogenic flaviviruses, irrespective of their mode of transmission, tend to form a Y shaped topology in the Stem loop A of the 5' UTR. Some of the current non-pathogenic flaviviruses were also observed to form Y shaped structure. Based on this study, it has been proposed that the flaviviruses having the Y shaped topology in their 5′ UTR regions may have the potential to become pathogenic.

     

Prenatal exposure to environmental pro-oxidants induces mitochondria-mediated epigenetic changes: a cross-sectional pilot study

Mitochondria play a central role in maintaining cellular and metabolic homeostasis during vital development cycles of foetal growth. Optimal mitochondrial functions are important not only to sustain adequate energy production but also for regulated epigenetic programming. However, these organelles are subtle targets of environmental exposures, and any perturbance in the defined mitochondrial machinery during the developmental stage can lead to the re-programming of the foetal epigenetic landscape. As these modifications can be transferred to subsequent generations, we herein performed a cross-sectional study to have an in-depth understanding of this intricate phenomenon. The study was conducted with two arms: whereas the first group consisted of in utero pro-oxidant exposed individuals and the second group included controls. Our results showed higher levels of oxidative mtDNA damage and associated integrated stress response among the exposed individuals. These disturbances were found to be closely related to the observed discrepancies in mitochondrial biogenesis. The exposed group showed mtDNA hypermethylation and changes in allied mitochondrial functioning. Altered expression of mitomiRs and their respective target genes in the exposed group indicated the possibilities of a disturbed mitochondrial-nuclear cross talk. This was further confirmed by the modified activity of the mitochondrial stress regulators and pro-inflammatory mediators among the exposed group. Importantly, the disturbed DNMT functioning, hypermethylation of nuclear DNA, and higher degree of post-translational histone modifications established the existence of aberrant epigenetic modifications in the exposed individuals. Overall, our results demonstrate the first molecular insights of in utero pro-oxidant exposure associated changes in the mitochondrial-epigenetic axis. Although, our study might not cement an exposure-response relationship for any particular environmental pro-oxidant, but suffice to establish a dogma of mito-epigenetic reprogramming at intrauterine milieu with chronic illness, a hitherto unreported interaction.

Graphical abstract

     

A comprehensive review on textile waste valorization techniques and their applications

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - An increase in population compels the textile industry to expand production to fulfill the apparel requirement, resulting in huge textile waste. These...