First multi-compartment approach to microplastics in an urbanized estuary of Argentina: The case of Magallana gigas.

This study assesses MP in water, sediment, gills, and digestive tract of the oyster Magallana gigas in three Bahía Blanca estuary sites, Argentina, using, Pollution Load Index (PLI) and SEM/EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) techniques. A total of 51 MPs were detected in water (mean: 16 items L) and 126 in sediments (mean: 1399 items Kg) with no significant differences between sites. In oysters, 186 MPs were found, with no significant differences in the MPs load between gills (mean: 2.

Macroecotoxicological approaches to emerging patterns of microplastic bioaccumulation in crabs from estuarine and marine environments.

Despite the increasing plastic discharge into the environment, few articles have dealt with the macroecological implications of microplastics (MPs) bioaccumulation on organisms. We performed a meta-analysis of MPs accumulation in true crabs and pseudocrabs worldwide and made use of macroecotoxicological approaches to know if: I) functional traits influence the bioaccumulation of MPs in the tissues of crabs; II) there is a latitudinal pattern of MPs bioaccumulation; III) there are tissues that can accumulate more MPs; IV) crabs can sort particles according to size, color, shape and type. Our results showed that functional traits influence the accumulation of MPs.

Microplastics in commercial seafood: Pleoticus muelleri as a case study in an estuarine environment highly affected by human pressure (Southwestern Atlantic).

Plastic pollution in seafood has become a worldwide safety concern due to its possible harm to humans. This is the first study which has investigated the length-weight relationship, growth patterns and condition factor, together with the concentrations of microplastics (MPs) and mesoplastics (MesoPs) in Pleoticus muelleri from the Bahia Blanca Estuary (BBE), Argentina. Forty-nine individuals were collected from three sampling stations in the BBE, and each abdominal muscle with the gastrointestinal tract was analyzed.

A "new normality" for small-scale artisanal Fishers? The case of unregulated fisheries during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bahía Blanca estuary (SW Atlantic Ocean).

The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing health and economic crises worldwide, but consequences are worse for those emerging countries with poor sanitary conditions struggling against economic recessions. Small-scale artisanal fishers (SSAF) should be considered among the "essential workers" since they provide food services; however, the COVID-19 might have altered the normal livelihood and reduced people economic incomes in an already marginalized sector. This situation highlights the fishers' vulnerability, derived from changes in fish stocks caused by climate change, pollution, overharvesting, and informal work (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing).

Integrative assessment of the ecological risk of heavy metals in a South American estuary under human pressures.

Biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution through the use of biomarkers could be a difficult task since the organisms' physiological changes could shift regarding natural factors (i.e., the season of the year) and due to the anthropogenic pressures of the environment.

First approaches to the depuration process of trace metals in the burrowing crab Neohelice granulata from a temperate wetland in South America: Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina.

Trace metal contamination is among the major concerns of stakeholders due to its potential adverse effects on biota and humans, even at low concentrations. Few studies have recently focused on the ability of organisms to depurate trace metals from different tissues. Therefore, we carried out this study to evaluate the bioconcentration of trace metals (Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cr, Cu) and the depuration process of these pollutants in two tissues (soft tissue and carapace) in an estuarine benthic crab model, Neohelice granulata.

Uptake and detoxification of trace metals in estuarine crabs: insights into the role of metallothioneins.

The detoxification process of trace metals in the estuarine burrowing crab Neohelice granulata, after previously being exposed to anthropogenic pressures in the field, is described for the first time. The objectives of this study were (a) to assess the metal content (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr, Fe) in the sediments and the uptake of these elements in the hepatopancreas of N. granulata; (b) to quantify trace metal concentrations in the hepatopancreas before and after the detoxification experiment; and (c) to relate this information to metallothionein (MT) induction or reversibility.

A baseline study of microplastics in the burrowing crab (Neohelice granulata) from a temperate southwestern Atlantic estuary.

Growing evidence has demonstrated that microplastics (MPs) are available for a wide range of marine organisms, with filter-feeding bivalves and crabs being especially vulnerable. The crab Neohelice granulata is considered a key and structuring species in the Bahía Blanca Estuary (BBE) (SW Atlantic) and its ecological role makes this species especially vulnerable to several pollutants. In this study, male specimens of N.

Assessment of trace metal accumulation in native mussels (Brachidontes rodriguezii) from a South American temperate estuary.

The present work provides the first results in heavy metal bioaccumulation in the autochthonous mussel Brachidontes rodriguezii from the Bahía Blanca Estuary (Argentina), one of the most important coastal environments of South America, subjected to different anthropogenic pressure. The study is based on the detection of Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, and Fe in mussels' soft tissue and sediments' fine fraction by means of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), in order to analyze the potential relationship between both components of the aquatic system. Additionally, different indices are calculated with the purpose of obtaining detailed data.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Mussels from a South American Estuary.

Bivalves, especially mussels, have been pointed as putative species to monitor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine environment. After several environmental PAHs baseline reports, the present study was conducted to assess for the first time the levels of PAHs in native mussels (Brachidontes rodriguezii) collected from a critical industrialized estuary of Argentina. Under this objective, after an 18-month sampling period, 34 pools of mussels were assessed for 17 PAHs, including the 16 compounds prioritized by United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Assessment of surf zone environmental variables in a southwestern Atlantic sandy beach (Monte Hermoso, Argentina).

The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal dynamics (monthly/tidal) of water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a (chlo-a), suspended particulate matter (SPM), particulate organic carbon (POC), and dissolved nutrients in the surf zone of Monte Hermoso sandy beach, Argentina. We also aimed to understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed variability. Sampling was carried out approximately monthly (September 2009-November 2010), and all samples were collected in a fixed station during high and low tide.

Signal transduction pathways associated with ATP-induced proliferation of colon adenocarcinoma cells.

Background: In previous work, we have demonstrated that extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) acts on intestinal Caco-2 cell P2Y receptors promoting a rapid increase in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p46 JNK and p38 MAP kinases (MAPKs).

Methods And Results: In this study, we investigated whether the extracellular ATP-P2Y receptor signalling pathways were required for the proliferation of Caco-2 cells. Confocal microscopy and immunobloting studies showed that ERK1/2 and JNK translocate into the nucleus of the cells stimulated by ATP, where they participate, together with p38 MAPK, in the phosphorylation of JunD, ATF-1 and ATF-2 transcription factors.

Extracellular ATP activates MAP kinase cascades through a P2Y purinergic receptor in the human intestinal Caco-2 cell line.

Background: ATP exerts diverse effects on various cell types via specific purinergic P2Y receptors. Intracellular signaling cascades are the main routes of communication between P2Y receptors and regulatory targets in the cell.

Methods And Results: We examined the role of ATP in the modulation of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38 MAP kinases (MAPKs) in human colon cancer Caco-2 cells.

MAP kinases in proliferating human colon cancer Caco-2 cells.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is one of the most ubiquitous signal transduction systems and is rapidly activated by various stimuli, such as cellular stress and death. The Caco-2 cell line is an in vitro model for colon cancer studies. We investigated the activation status of the ERK1/2, p38, JNK1/2, and ERK5 kinases and their respective upstream intracellular activators in Caco-2 cells induced to proliferate by 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS).

PTH regulation of c-Jun terminal kinase and p38 MAPK cascades in intestinal cells from young and aged rats.

In the present study, we examined the role of Parathyroid hormone (PTH) on the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1/2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) members of the MAPK family as it relates to ageing by measuring hormone-induced changes in their activity in enterocytes isolated from young (3 month old) and aged (24 month old) rats. Our results show that PTH induces a transient activation of JNK 1/2, peaking at 1 min (+threefold). The hormone also stimulates JNK 1/2 tyrosine phosphorylation, in a dose-dependent fashion, this effect being maximal at 10 nM.