Conductive polymer-based bioelectrochemical assembly for in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation: Renoprotective assessment of Salvia officinalis against carbon tetrachloride induced nephrotoxicity.

Background: The rise of organic electronics represents one of the most prominent technological developments of the last two decades, with its interface with biological systems highlighting new directions of research. The "soft" nature of conducting polymers renders them unique platforms for cell-based microdevices, allowing their implementation in drug discovery, pharmaceutical effect analysis, environmental pollutant testing etc.

Methods: Cellular adhesion, proliferation and viability experiments were carried out to verify the biocompatibility of a PEDOT conductive polymer surface.

Alterations of cellular redox homeostasis in cultured fibroblast-like renal cells upon exposure to low doses of cytochrome bc1 complex inhibitor kresoxim-methyl.

In this paper we elucidate the effects of the cytochrome bc1 inhibitor, strobilurin fungicide kresoxim-methyl, on the redox balance of a mammalian renal cell line. To explore whether mammalian exposure to sub-nephrotoxic concentrations of kresoxim-methyl induces cellular and biochemical mechanisms of toxicity, its effects on cellular viability and, in particular, several parameters related to oxidative stress, mitochondrial respiratory function and apoptosis were examined in fibroblast-like renal Vero cells. Elevation of mitochondrial superoxide generation, together with a concomitant decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential was indicative of mitochondrial dysfunction.

The first toxicological study of the antiozonant and research tool ethylene diurea (EDU) using a Lemna minor L. bioassay: Hints to its mode of action.

The antiozonant and research tool ethylene diurea (EDU) is widely studied as a phytoprotectant against the widespread pollutant ground-surface ozone. Although it has been extensively used, its potential toxicity in the absence of ozone is unknown and its mode of action is unclear. The purpose of this research was to toxicologically assess EDU and to further investigate its mode of action using Lemna minor L.