Purpose: The present study aimed at evaluating possible synergistic effects between two risk factors for cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders, i.e. iron overload and exposure to a hypercaloric/hyperlipidic diet, on cognition, insulin resistance, and hippocampal GLUT1, GLUT3, Insr mRNA expression, and AKT phosporylation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoImpact
January 2024
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a commonly used thermoplastic in industry due to its excellent malleability and thermal stability, making it extensively employed in packaging manufacturing. Inadequate disposal of PET packaging in the environment and natural physical-chemical processes leads to the formation of smaller particles known as PET micro and nanoplastics (MNPs). The reduced dimensions enhance particle bioavailability and, subsequently, their reactivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuropsychiatric disturbance, cognitive impairment, and locomotor dysfunction. In the early stage (chorea) of HD, expression of dopamine D receptors (DR) is reduced, whereas dopamine (DA) levels are increased. Contrary, in the late stage (bradykinesia), DA levels and the expression of DR and dopamine D receptors (DR) are reduced.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNaunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol
January 2024
The danger of ionizing radiation exposure to human health is a concern. Since its wide use in medicine and industry, the development of radioprotectors has been very significant. Adenosine exerts anti-inflammatory actions and promotes tissue protection and repair, by activating the P1 receptors (A, A, A, and A).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymeric wastes are among the current major environmental problems due to potential pollution and contamination. Within the spectrum of polymeric waste, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have gained ground in recent research since these particles can affect the local biota, inducing toxic effects on several organisms. Different outcomes have been reported depending on particle sizes, shape, types, and exposed organisms and conditions, among other variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal among the primary brain tumors, with a low survival rate and resistance to radio and chemotherapy. The P2Y is an adenosine diphosphate (ADP) purinergic chemoreceptor, found mainly in platelets. In cancer cells, its activation has been described to induce proliferation and metastasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
December 2022
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor dysfunction, psychiatric disturbance, and cognitive decline. In the early stage of HD, occurs a decrease in dopamine D receptors and adenosine A receptors (AR), while in the late stage also occurs a decrease in dopamine D receptors and adenosine A receptors (AR). Adenosine exhibits neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects in the brain and is involved in motor control and memory function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol
October 2022
The ecto-5'-nucleotidase is an important source of adenosine in the extracellular medium. Adenosine modulation appears early in evolution and performs several biological functions, including a role as an anti-inflammatory molecule. Here, we evaluate the activity and mRNA expression of ecto-5'-nucleotidase in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using zebrafish as a model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal among malignant gliomas. The tumor invasiveness and therapy-resistance are important clinical hallmarks. Growing evidence emphasizes the purinergic signaling contributing to tumor growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of pesticides has continue grown over recent years, leading to several environmental and health concerns, such as the contamination of surface and groundwater resources and associated biota, potentially affecting populations that are not primary targets of these complex chemical mixtures. In this work, we investigate lethal and sublethal effects of acute exposure of methomyl commercial formulation in zebrafish embryo and larvae. Methomyl is a broad-spectrum carbamate insecticide and acaricide that acts primarily in acetylcholinesterase inhibition (AChE).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh ethanol (EtOH) consumption is a serious condition that induces tremors, alcoholic psychosis, and delirium, being considered a public health problem worldwide. Prolonged EtOH exposure promotes neurodegeneration, affecting several neurotransmitter systems and transduction signaling pathways. Glutamate is the major excitatory amino acid in the central nervous system (CNS) and the extracellular glutamatergic tonus is controlled by glutamate transporters mostly located in astrocytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate the effects of lipoic acid (LA) supplementation during adulthood combined with supplementation later in life or LA administration only at old age on age-induced cognitive dysfunction, mitochondrial DNA deletions, caspase 3 and antioxidant response enzymes expression in iron-treated rats.
Methods: Male rats were submitted to iron treatment (30 mg/kg body wt of Carbonyl iron) from 12 to 14th post-natal days. Iron-treated rats received LA supplementation (50 mg/kg, daily) in adulthood and old age or at old age only for 21 days.
Chemosphere
March 2021
Iron ore tailings (IOT) represent a major problem in the mining industry worldwide due to large volumes of waste disposed in mine sites. IOT are exposed to the environment and subjected to wind and water dispersion, even under non-catastrophic scenarios as dam collapses, and the effects of these particles to the biota are still mostly unknown. This work aimed to prepare and to characterize a suspension containing the finest (micro/nano range) particles of IOT and to evaluate its effects on development and behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio), at both embryonic and larval stages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol
April 2021
Antibiotics are widely used drugs in human and veterinary health as well as in the food industry. The majority of these compounds are, however, excreted unchanged and found as contaminants in water bodies. Although the toxicity of these drugs was previously studied in aquatic organisms, the behavioral effects of these pollutants have not been fully explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe regenerative effects of stem cells derived from dental tissues have been previously investigated. This study assessed the potential of human tooth stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP) on nerve regeneration. The SCAP collected from nine individuals were characterized and polarized by exposure to interferon-γ (IFN-γ).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPyriproxyfen is one of the most used larvicides and insecticides; it acts as an analog of juvenile insect hormone (a growth regulator). It is highly toxic during all stages of mosquito development, suppresses metamorphosis, and interferes in insect reproduction and proliferation. Pyriproxyfen and its main metabolite have been shown to affect brain development in rodents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
August 2020
Acid mine drainage (AMD) represents a major problem in the mining industry worldwide due to the risk of water and soil pollution. Its active treatment involves the addition of alkaline reagents such as NaOH or Ca(OH) to increase the pH and precipitate the dissolved metals, although substantial amounts of dissolved ions might persists. Under a remediation approach, the aim of this work was to assess the chemical and physical characteristics of treated effluent and to evaluate its ecotoxicological effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonic and larval stages, through developmental, functional, morphological, and behavioral end-points.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArsenic (As) is one of the most widespread contaminants; it is found in almost every environment. Its toxic effects on living organisms have been studied for decades, but the interaction of this metalloid with other contaminants is still relatively unknown, mainly whether this interaction occurs with emerging contaminants such as nanomaterials. To examine this relationship, the marine shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei was exposed for 48 h to As, graphene oxide (GO; two different concentrations) or a combination of both, and gills, hepatopancreas and muscle tissues were sampled.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol
October 2019
Adenosine is a nucleoside that acts as a signaling molecule by activating P1 purinergic receptors (A, A, A and A). This activation is involved in immune responses, inflammation, and tissue remodeling and tumor progression. Gamma rays are a type of ionizing radiation widely adopted in radiotherapy of tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAquatic animals are vulnerable to arsenic (As) toxicity. However, rarely does a contaminant occur alone in the aquatic environment. For this reason, this study was conducted to evaluate whether titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO) can interfere with the effects induced by As in .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGeneralized pain and fatigue are both hallmarks of fibromyalgia, a syndrome with an indefinite etiology. The treatment options for fibromyalgia are currently limited, probably because of its intricate pathophysiology. Thus, further basic and clinical research on this condition is currently needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrenatal alcohol exposure causes alterations to the brain and can lead to numerous cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Long-lasting effects of early ethanol exposure have been registered in glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems. The purinergic system has been registered as an additional target of ethanol exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiometals
December 2018
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a key role in neural development and physiology, as well as in pathological states. Post-mortem studies demonstrate that BDNF is reduced in the brains of patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases. Iron accumulation has also been associated to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhenylketonuria (PKU) is a disorder of phenylalanine (Phe) metabolism caused by deficient phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) activity. The deficiency results in increased levels of Phe and its metabolites in fluids and tissues of patients. PKU patients present neurological signs and symptoms including hypomyelination and intellectual deficit.
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