Possible health impacts of naturally occurring uptake of aristolochic acids by maize and cucumber roots: links to the etiology of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy

Aristolochic acids (AAs) are nephrotoxic and carcinogenic derivatives found in several Aristolochia species. To date, the toxicity of AAs has been inferred only from the effects observed in patients suffering from a kidney disease called “aristolochic acid nephropathy” (AAN, formerly known as “Chinese herbs nephropathy”). More recently, the chronic poisoning with Aristolochia seeds has been considered to be the main cause of Balkan endemic nephropathy, another form of chronic renal failure resembling AAN. So far, it was assumed that AAs can enter the human food chain only through ethnobotanical use (intentional or accidental) of herbs containing self-produced AAs. We hypothesized that the roots of some crops growing in fields where Aristolochia species grew over several seasons may take up certain amounts of AAs from the soil, and thus become a secondary source of food poisoning. To verify this possibility, maize plant (Zea mays) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) were used as a model to substantiate the possible significance of naturally occurring AAs’ root uptake in food chain contamination. This study showed that the roots of maize plant and cucumber are capable of absorbing AAs from nutrient solution, consequently producing strong peaks on ultraviolet HPLC chromatograms of plant extracts. This uptake resulted in even higher concentrations of AAs in the roots compared to the nutrient solutions. To further validate the measurement of AA content in the root material, we also measured their concentrations in nutrient solutions before and after the plant treatment. Decreased concentrations of both AAI and AAII were found in nutrient solutions after plant growth. During this short-term experiment, there were much lower concentrations of AAs in the leaves than in the roots. The question is whether these plants are capable of transferring significant amounts of AAs from the roots into edible parts of the plant during prolonged experiments.     

USING REFERENCE SITES AND SIMPLE LINEAR REGRESSION TO ESTIMATE LONG‐TERM WATER LEVELS IN COASTAL PLAIN FORESTS1

ABSTRACT: The ability of regulators, resource managers, and consultants to assess accurately wetland hydrology is crucial when identifying and delineating wetlands. In this study, simple linear regression and long‐term (ten year) New Jersey Pinelands stream gaging and pitch pine lowland water‐level data sets were used to estimate long‐term hydroperiods at lowland test sites with short‐term (two year) records. Separate regression equations were developed for each test site using reference site data and stream gaging data, and two sets of equations for selected test sites were produced using two different short‐term periods of record. Test sites had long‐term records ranging from four to ten years, allowing validation of the regression models. Measured and predicted test site growing season water levels were similar regardless of which short‐term period of record was used. The results based on the stream gaging site data were similar, although the difference between measured and estimated growing season water levels was greater when this approach was used. Excellent agreement was found between measured and estimated frequencies of near‐surface saturation at test sites for each growing season month, and these relationships improved when cumulative, seasonal frequencies were considered. The reference wetland approach used in this study may have its greatest value in regions with both high development pressures and problem wetlands and may provide an effective way of resolving costly wetland delineation disputes.     

Confined placental mosaicism for 22q11.2 deletion as the etiology for discordant positive NIPT results

22q11.2 deletion, the most common microdeletion syndrome within the general population, is estimated to have a prevalence of 1 in 3000 to 6000. Non-invasive prenatal testing has recently expanded to include screening for several microdeletions including 22q11.2. Given the expansion of prenatal screening options to include microdeletions, it is important to understand the limits of this technology and the variety of reasons that a discordant positive result can occur. Here, we describe a case of a pregnant woman who received a positive non-invasive prenatal maternal plasma screen for 22q11.2 deletion. Maternal and postnatal neonatal peripheral blood cytogenetic, PCR, and fluorescence in situ hybridization studies were normal, but the placenta was mosaic for 22q11.2 deletion in two of three biopsy sites. This case illustrates both the complexities of pre- and post-test counseling for microdeletion screening and the potential for a discordant positive microdeletion result because of confined placental mosaicism. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Landscape Changes in the Mullica River Basin of the Pinelands National Reserve,New Jersey,USA

In 1979, the Pinelands Commission was established as a regional land-use planning and regulatory agency charged with the implementation of a Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for the Pinelands National Reserve (New Jersey, USA). The CMP was created to balance land preservation and development interests in the Reserve. Because water-quality degradation from developed and agricultural landscapes is associated with changes in the composition of biological communities, monitoring landscape changes provides one of the most direct measures of the impact of land-use policies on the Pinelands ecosystem. In this study, we prepared detailed, land-cover maps within randomly selected aerial-photograph plots for a major watershed in the Reserve. We used these land-cover maps to quantify changes in landscape composition and structure (i.e., patch size, patch area, and number of patches) and characterize land-cover transitions in the basin between 1979 and 1991. Because the study period represented the first 12 years of the regional-planning effort in the Reserve, we evaluated the relationship between land-cover transitions and Commission management-area designations which permit different land-use intensities. Although the landscape composition was similar in 1979 and 1991, we found an increase in the total area and number of developed-land, managed-grassland, and barren-land patches. An increase in the number of patches and a decrease in the total area and median and third-quartile patch sizes for forest land and for all patches regardless of cover type indicated that fragmentation of forest land and the landscape as a whole occurred during the study period. The major land-cover transitions that occurred during the period were the loss of forest land to development and associated cover types and the conversion of one agricultural type to another. Overall, land-cover transitions during the period were found to be consistent with the Commission management-area designations, which indicated that the regional-planning effort has been successful in directing human activities to appropriate areas of the basin.     

Possible linkages between lignite aquifers, pathogenic microbes, and renal pelvic cancer in northwestern Louisiana, USA

In May and September, 2002, 14 private residential drinking water wells, one dewatering well at a lignite mine, eight surface water sites, and lignite from an active coal mine were sampled in five Parishes of northwestern Louisiana, USA. Using a geographic information system (GIS), wells were selected that were likely to draw water that had been in contact with lignite; control wells were located in areas devoid of lignite deposits. Well water samples were analyzed for pH, conductivity, organic compounds, and nutrient and anion concentrations. All samples were further tested for presence of fungi (cultures maintained for up to 28 days and colonies counted and identified microscopically) and for metal and trace element concentration by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic emission spectrometry. Surface water samples were tested for dissolved oxygen and presence of pathogenic leptospiral bacteria. The Spearman correlation method was used to assess the association between the endpoints for these field/laboratory analyses and incidence of cancer of the renal pelvis (RPC) based on data obtained from the Louisiana Tumor Registry for the five Parishes included in the study. Significant associations were revealed between the cancer rate and the presence in drinking water of organic compounds, the fungi Zygomycetes, the nutrients PO₄ and NH₃, and 13 chemical elements. Presence of human pathogenic leptospires was detected in four out of eight (50%) of the surface water sites sampled. The present study of a stable rural population examined possible linkages between aquifers containing chemically reactive lignite deposits, hydrologic conditions favorable to the␣leaching and transport of toxic organic compounds from the lignite into the groundwater, possible microbial contamination, and RPC risk.     

Cross-sectional biomonitoring study of pesticide exposures in Queensland,Australia, using pooled urine samples

A range of pesticides are available in Australia for use in agricultural and domestic settings to control pests, including organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, herbicides, and insect repellents, such as N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). The aim of this study was to provide a cost-effective preliminary assessment of background exposure to a range of pesticides among a convenience sample of Australian residents. De-identified urine specimens stratified by age and sex were obtained from a community-based pathology laboratory and pooled (n = 24 pools of 100 specimens). Concentrations of urinary pesticide biomarkers were quantified using solid-phase extraction coupled with isotope dilution high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Geometric mean biomarker concentrations ranged from <0.1 to 36.8 ng/mL for organophosphate insecticides, <0.1 to 5.5 ng/mL for pyrethroid insecticides, and <0.1 to 8.51 ng/mL for all other biomarkers with the exception of the DEET metabolite 3-diethylcarbamoyl benzoic acid (4.23 to 850 ng/mL). We observed no association between age and concentration for most biomarkers measured but noted a “U-shaped” trend for five organophosphate metabolites, with the highest concentrations observed in the youngest and oldest age strata, perhaps related to age-specific differences in behavior or physiology. The fact that concentrations of specific and non-specific metabolites of the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos were higher than reported in USA and Canada may relate to differences in registered applications among countries. Additional biomonitoring programs of the general population and focusing on vulnerable populations would improve the exposure assessment and the monitoring of temporal exposure trends as usage patterns of pesticide products in Australia change over time.     

Forest-Dwelling Vertebrate Faunas and Natural Fire Regimes in British Columbia: Patterns and Implications for Conservation

Structure of native vertebrate faunas within 12 different forest types were related to features of the natural fire regime. Relations between faunal structure and fire regime followed patterns expected if faunas were adapted to fire regimes. Proportions of species breeding early in succession tended to increase with increasing fire size or burn rate (ha/year; p = 0.03); those breeding late in succession tended to decrease ( p = 0.04). As fire size increased, proportions of species breeding in cavities decreased ( p < 0.01). Proportions of species using downed wood to breed increased as the interval between fires increased and downed wood accumulated ( p < 0.01). Forestry practices to maintain biodiversity should mimic natural disturbance patterns, which differ across forest types. Implications for management to maintain vertebrate diversity are summarized in terms of the silvicultural system employed, the size of patches logged, the rate of timber removal, and the appropriate degree of connectivity among unlogged patches.     

Relation of Terrestrial-Breeding Amphibian Abundance to Tree-Stand Age

There is a lack of research on the effects of logging on Canadian amphibians. We compared the abundance of terrestrial salamanders in old-growth forests with that in young and mature post-harvest stands. We also measured habitat features of amphibians and contrasted these with old-growth and harvested stands to assess the effects of forest harvest. Quadrat searches demonstrated that clearcut harvesting reduces terrestrial amphibian populations by up to 70% in coastal old-growth forests. We suggest that this reduction results from a decrease in availability of moist microhabitats. Salamander densities within 10 meters of streams in managed stands were similar to those near and away from streams in old growth. We recommend that forest managers recognize the needs of terrestrial amphibians and help maintain amphibian populations by preserving cool, moist habitats. This can be accomplished within cutblocks by (1) maintaining an even distribution of logs and snags as stable, moist microhabitats; (2) retaining some understory as sources of shade, and (3) preserving streamside buffers. Managers must also ensure some level of landscape connectivity to enable climate-sensitive amphibians to disperse and recolonize marginal habitats.