Antidepressants and their metabolites primarily affect lysosomal functions in the marine mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Antidepressants widely occur as emerging contaminants in marine coastal waters, with concentrations reported in the low ng/L range. Although at relatively lower levels with respect to other pharmaceuticals, antidepressants - fluoxetine (FLX) in particular - have attracted attention because of their striking effects exerted at low doses on marine invertebrates. In this study, the effects of four antidepressants including FLX, sertraline (SER), and citalopram, as members of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class, and venlafaxine (VEN) as a member of the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class, were evaluated in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Bioplastic leachates characterization and impacts on early larval stages and adult mussel cellular, biochemical and physiological responses.

Bioplastics are promoted as safer alternatives to tackle the long-term persistence of conventional plastics. However, information on the potential release of additives and non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in the surrounding environment is limited, and biological effects of the leachates have been little studied. Leachates produced from three bioplastics, i.

Variability of metabolic, protective, antioxidant, and lysosomal gene transcriptional profiles and microbiota composition of Mytilus galloprovincialis farmed in the North Adriatic Sea (Italy).

This study evaluates the transcriptional profiles of genes related to physiological responses in digestive glands (DG) of Mytilus galloprovincialis under the influence of seasonal changes of environmental variables, gender bias, and gonadal development. Composition of the DG microbiome was also explored. Mussels were collected across 7 months encompassing 3 seasons from a farm in the Northwestern Adriatic Sea.

Comparing effects and action mechanisms of BPA and BPS on HTR-8/SVneo placental cells†.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most investigated compound as a suspected endocrine disrupting chemical. It has been found at nM concentrations in the maternal serum, cord serum, and amniotic fluid and also permeates placental tissues. Attempts are being made to replace BPA with the analog Bisphenol S (BPS).

The sub-lethal impact of plastic and tire rubber leachates on the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Ocean contamination by synthetic polymers can represent a risk for the fitness of marine species due to the leaching of chemical additives. This study evaluated the sub-lethal effects of plastic and rubber leachates on the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis through a battery of biomarkers encompassing lysosomal endpoints, oxidative stress/detoxification parameters, and specific responses to metals/neurotoxicants. Mussels were exposed for 7 days to leachates from car tire rubber (CTR), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), containing organic additives and metals in the ng-μg/L range.

A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel .

The ocean contamination caused by micro- and nano-sized plastics is a matter of increasing concern regarding their potential effects on marine organisms. This study compared the effects of a 21-day exposure to 1.5, 15, and 150 ng/L of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MP, 3-µm) and nanoplastics (PS-NP, 50-nm) on a suite of biomarkers measured in the Mediterranean mussel .

Contaminants of emerging concern in drinking water: Quality assessment by combining chemical and biological analysis.

Drinking water quality is a priority issue of the environmental policy agenda, however regulation on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) is limited. A proposal to revise the Drinking Water Directive has recently been approved (EU Council 2020), which updates the quality standards and introduces the watch list mechanism, including for the first time endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of selected CECs in surface water at the entrance of drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and in treated water, ready for distribution in the network.

Purchasing medical devices: The role of buyer competence and discretion.

This paper investigates the price variability of standardized medical devices purchased by Italian Public Buyers (PBs). A semiparametric approach is used to recover the marginal cost of each device. Average prices vary substantially between PBs; we show that most of the difference between the purchase prices and estimated costs is associated with a PB fixed effect, which, in turn, is related to the institutional characteristics and size of the PB.

Phenotypical and molecular changes induced by carbamazepine and propranolol on larval stages of Mytilus galloprovincialis.

The possible impact of carbamazepine (CBZ) and propranolol (PROP), two widespread pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, were investigated on morphology and gene transcription of early larvae of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Pharmaceuticals were first tested in a wide concentration range (from 0.01 to 1000 μg/L) through the 48-hpf embryotoxicity assay.

The Multixenobiotic resistance system as a possible protective response triggered by microplastic ingestion in Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis): Larvae and adult stages.

The emerging paradigm on plastic pollution in marine environments is that microsize particles (MPs) have far more subtle effects than bigger fragments, given their size range overlapping with that of particles ingested by filter-feeders. The impacts include gut blockage, altered feeding and energy allocation, with knock-on effects on widespread physiological processes. This study investigated whether ingestion of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) triggers protective processes in marine mussels.

Uptake and transcriptional effects of polystyrene microplastics in larval stages of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

The widespread occurrence of microplastics (MP) in the marine environment is cause of increasing concerns about the safety of the exposed ecosystems. Although the effects associated to the MP uptake have been studied in most marine taxa, the knowledge about their sub-lethal impacts on early life stages of marine species is still limited. Here, we investigated the uptake/retention of 3-μm polystyrene MP by early stages of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, and the related effects on gut clearance, feeding efficiency, morphological and transcriptional parameters involved in embryo-larval development.

Characterization of a β2 adrenergic receptor protein precursor in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and its tissue distribution across silvering.

This study provides the characterization and tissue distribution of a β2-AR in the female European eel during silvering, aiming to better understand the adrenergic system involvement in this critical maturation event. A putative β2-AR (ADRB2) mRNA was cloned and sequenced. Amino acid residues and motifs important for ligand binding are generally conserved across fish and between fish and mammals, although the occurrence of some sequence variabilities may explain the noted peculiarities of eel AR interaction with pharmacological ligands.

A comprehensive evaluation of the environmental quality of a coastal lagoon (Ravenna, Italy): Integrating chemical and physiological analyses in mussels as a biomonitoring strategy.

This study aimed at evaluating the environmental quality of a coastal lagoon (Pialassa Piomboni, NW-Adriatic, Italy) by combining analyses of biomarkers of environmental stress and bioaccumulation of contaminants in marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) transplanted for 28days to six selected sites. Assessed biomarkers encompassed lysosomal endpoints, oxidative stress and detoxification parameters, specific responses to metals, neuro- and genotoxic substances; chemical analyses focused on PAHs, metals, pesticide and pharmaceuticals. Results showed up to a 67-fold bioaccumulation of 4- to 6-ring PAHs, including pyrene, fluoranthene, chrysene and benzo(ghi)perylene in transplanted mussels compared to reference conditions (T0).

Insights into the regulation of the MXR response in haemocytes of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis).

This study investigated functional and transcriptional modulation of the Multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) system as a cytoprotective mechanism contributing to the physiological chemoresistance of haemocytes in the Mediterranean mussel. Basal transport activity was assessed using the model substrate rhodamine 123 and specific inhibitors for the MXR-related transporters P-glycoprotein (ABCB mRNA) and Multidrug resistance-related protein (ABCC mRNA). Results showed that MXR activity in mussel haemocytes was mainly supported by the Mrp-mediated efflux.

Use of an integrated biomarker-based strategy to evaluate physiological stress responses induced by environmental concentrations of caffeine in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

The occurrence of caffeine (CF), a biologically active drug, has widely been documented in coastal waters, and whether its environmental concentrations do represent a threat for marine organisms is unclear. The present study aimed at assessing sub-lethal effects induced by a 7-day exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of CF (5, 50 and 500ng/L) in the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. CF in water and mussel tissues, and a battery of biomarkers, including lysosomal parameters of general stress, oxidative stress responses and endpoints of neurological and genetic damages, were evaluated and tested for significance vs controls (p<0.

Activity and expression of acetylcholinesterase in PC12 cells exposed to intermittent 1.8 GHz 217-GSM mobile phone signal.

Purpose: Due to its role in learning, memory and in many neurodegenerative diseases, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) represents an interesting endpoint to assess possible targets of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) generated by mobile phones. We investigated possible alterations of enzymatic activity, gene and protein expression of AChE in neuronal-like cells exposed to a 1.8 GHz Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) modulated signal (217-GSM).

Selection of best-performing reference gene products for investigating transcriptional regulation across silvering in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla).

The focus of the present study was to set a methodological approach for evaluating molecular mechanisms underlying silvering transformation in the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. Silvering is a tightly controlled process during which eels undergo significant morphological, physiological and behavioral changes, pre-adapting for the oceanic spawning migration. Female eels showing different silver indexes were caught in different seasons in the Comacchio Lagoon (North Adriatic Sea, Italy).

Effects of the exposure to intermittent 1.8 GHz radio frequency electromagnetic fields on HSP70 expression and MAPK signaling pathways in PC12 cells.

Purpose: We previously reported effects on heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) mRNA expression, a cytoprotective protein induced under stressful condition, in human trophoblast cells exposed to amplitude-modulated Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) signals. In the present work the same experimental conditions were applied to the rat PC12 cells, in order to assess the stress responses mediated by HSP70 and by the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases (MAPK) in neuronal-like cells, an interesting model to study possible effects of mobile phone frequencies exposure.

Materials And Methods: HSP70 gene expression level was evaluated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, HSP70 protein expression and MAPK phosphorylation were assessed by Western blotting.

The mode of action (MOA) approach reveals interactive effects of environmental pharmaceuticals on Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Aquatic organisms are unintentionally exposed to a large number of pharmaceutical residues in their natural habitats. Ecotoxicological studies have agreed that these compounds are not harmful to aquatic organisms, as their environmental concentrations are typically too low. However, recent reports have shown biological effects at such low concentrations when biological endpoints related to the therapeutic effects are assessed.

17-β-Estradiol counteracts the effects of high frequency electromagnetic fields on trophoblastic connexins and integrins.

We investigated the effect of high-frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMFs) and 17-β-estradiol on connexins (Cxs), integrins (Ints), and estrogen receptor (ER) expression, as well as on ultrastructure of trophoblast-derived HTR-8/SVneo cells. HF-EMF, 17-β-estradiol, and their combination induced an increase of Cx40 and Cx43 mRNA expression. HF-EMF decreased Int alpha1 and β 1 mRNA levels but enhanced Int alpha5 mRNA expression.

The β-blocker propranolol affects cAMP-dependent signaling and induces the stress response in Mediterranean mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Widespread occurrence of pharmaceuticals is reported in aquatic systems, posing concerns for the health of aquatic wildlife and a theoretical risk to humans. A recent concept was developed for the identification of highly active compounds amongst the environmental pharmaceuticals, based on their mode of action, the homology between human targets and possible targets in the environment, and the importance of the affected pathway for the target species. In line with this approach, this study investigated whether propranolol (PROP) affects the cAMP-dependent pathway in Mediterranean mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Introduction of oxygenated side chain into imidazolium ionic liquids: evaluation of the effects at different biological organization levels.

The biological effects of a class of oxygenated imidazolium ionic liquids were studied in comparison with alkyl imidazolium salts (BMIM BF4 and BMIM N(CN)2).The cellular and subcellular effects were evaluated on rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell lines, through MTT test, lactate dehydrogenase release and acetylcholinesterase inhibition; the eco-toxicological responses were assessed through the acute toxicity tests towards Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri. The introduction of ethoxy moieties in the lateral chain of imidazolium cations reduced the biological effects in all the tests.

Transient DNA damage induced by high-frequency electromagnetic fields (GSM 1.8 GHz) in the human trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cell line evaluated with the alkaline comet assay.

One of the most controversial issue regarding high-frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF) is their putative capacity to affect DNA integrity. This is of particular concern due to the increasing use of HF-EMF in communication technologies, including mobile phones. Although epidemiological studies report no detrimental effects on human health, the possible disturbance generated by HF-EMF on cell physiology remains controversial.

Effects of environmental concentrations of the antiepilectic drug carbamazepine on biomarkers and cAMP-mediated cell signaling in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Pharmaceuticals represent a diverse collection of thousands of bioactive chemicals used in human and veterinary medicine. The increased consumption, together with the recent development of more sensitive analytical techniques, has identified these as emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment. According to many investigations pharmaceuticals do not cause acute toxic effects in organisms when released in the environment.

Effect of high-frequency electromagnetic fields on trophoblastic connexins.

Connexins (Cx) are membrane proteins able to influence trophoblast functions. Here we investigated the effect of high-frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF) on Cx expression and localization in extravillous trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo. We also analysed cell ultrastructural changes induced by HF-EMF exposure.