Pollution status and assessment of seven heavy metals in the seawater and sediments of Hangzhou Bay, China.

Hangzhou Bay, one of the fastest economy and population growth region in China, was heavily polluted by a large amounts of industrial waste water and domestic sewage containing harmful heavy metal pollutants. To investigate the status of heavy metals pollution and assess the ecological risks in Hangzhou Bay, seven heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg and As) concentrations of water and sediments were analyzed. Heavy metals concentrations in sediments close to the estuarine coast and nearshore area were higher than that in other areas.

The mechanism of interaction between tri-para-cresyl phosphate and human serum protein: A multispectroscopic and in-silico study.

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) pose the significant risks to the environment and human health and have become a serious public health issue. Tricresyl phosphates (TCPs), a group of aryl OPFRs, exhibit neurotoxicity and endocrine disrupting toxicity. However, the binding mechanisms between TCPs and human serum albumin (HSA) remain unknown.

A proteomic study on gastric impairment in rats caused by microcystin-LR.

Microcystins (MCs) are the most common cyanobacterial toxins. Epidemiological investigation showed that exposure to MCs can cause gastro-intestinal symptoms, gastroenteritis and gastric cancer. MCs can also accumulate in and cause histopathological damage to stomach.

α-LA attenuates microcystin-LR-induced hepatocellular oxidative stress in mice through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes.

Microcystins constitute a class of toxins synthesized by cyanobacteria and are known to inflict significant damage on the antioxidant defense system of living organisms, primarily targeting the liver. α-Lipoic acid (α-LA) is universally recognized as a potent antioxidant in biological systems. It exerts its beneficial effects through multiple mechanisms-directly neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, and indirectly enhancing antioxidant defenses by facilitating the regeneration of glutathione (GSH).

Subchronic Toxicity of Microcystin-LR on Young Frogs () and Their Gut Microbiota.

Although toxic effects of microcystins (MCs) in mammals and fish have been extensively studied, the effects of MCs on the immune system and gut microbiota of amphibians have not received sufficient attention. As MCs cause general damage to the vertebrate liver and immune system and trigger an inflammatory response, and the gut microbiota is closely related to host metabolism and immunity, we speculated that MCs can cause changes in the immune system and gut microbiota of amphibians. To verify this, we examined the intestinal and liver injury of exposed to different microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) concentrations and the effects on the gut microbiota through high-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA of the gut microbiota combined with histopathological analysis, enzyme activity determination, and qRT-PCR.

Challenges of using blooms of Microcystis spp. in animal feeds: A comprehensive review of nutritional, toxicological and microbial health evaluation.

Microcystis spp., are Gram-negative, oxygenic, photosynthetic prokaryotes which use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO) and minerals into organic compounds and biomass. Eutrophication, rising CO concentrations and global warming are increasing Microcystis blooms globally.

α-Lipoic acid protects against microcystin-LR induced hepatotoxicity through regeneration of glutathione via activation of Nrf2.

Microcystins (MCs), as the most dominant bloom-forming strains in eutrophic surface water, can induce hepatotoxicity by oxidative stress. Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA) is a super antioxidant that can induce the synthesis of antioxidants, such as glutathione (GSH), by nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). However, the potential molecular mechanism of α-LA regeneration of GSH remains unclear.

Quantitatively evaluating detoxification of the hepatotoxic microcystin-LR through the glutathione (GSH) pathway in SD rats.

Glutathione (GSH) plays crucial roles in antioxidant defense and detoxification metabolism of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). However, the detoxification process of MC-LR in mammals remains largely unknown. This paper, for the first time, quantitatively analyzes MC-LR and its GSH pathway metabolites (MC-LR-GSH and MC-LR-Cys) in the liver of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat after MC-LR exposure.

The role of GSH in microcystin-induced apoptosis in rat liver: Involvement of oxidative stress and NF-κB.

Microcystins (MCs) are potent and specific hepatotoxins produced by cyanobacteria in eutrophic waters, representing a health hazard to animals and humans. The objectives of this study are to determine the relationship between oxidative stress and NF-κB activity in MC-induced apoptosis in rat liver and the role of glutathione (GSH). Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally (i.

The role of glutathione detoxification pathway in MCLR-induced hepatotoxicity in SD rats.

In the present study, we investigated the role of glutathione (GSH) and its related enzymes in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats subjected to microcystin-leucine-arginine (MCLR)-induced hepatotoxicity. SD rats were intraperitoneally (i.p.

NF-κB plays a key role in microcystin-RR-induced HeLa cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Microcystins (MCs) are well-known cyanobacterial toxins produced in eutrophic waters and can act as potential carcinogens and have caused serious risk to human health. However, pleiotropic even paradoxical actions of cells exposure to MCs have been reported, and the mechanisms of MC-induced tumorigenesis and apoptosis are still unknown. In this study, we performed the first comprehensive in vitro investigation on carcinogenesis associated with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and its downstream genes in HeLa cells (Human cervix adenocarcinoma cell line from epithelial cells) exposure to MC-RR.

Simultaneous quantitative determination of microcystin-LR and its glutathione metabolites in rat liver by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The roles of glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys) in the detoxification of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) have recently become a popular area of research. However, lacking analysis methods for MC-LR-GSH and MC-LR-Cys (two main GSH pathway metabolites) in mammals, elucidation of the detoxification mechanism and metabolic pathway of MC-LR in mammals is difficult. In this study, a novel method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of MC-LR, MC-LR-GSH and MC-LR-Cys in rat liver was developed and validated.

Quantitatively evaluating detoxification of the hepatotoxic microcystins through the glutathione and cysteine pathway in the cyanobacteria-eating bighead carp.

Glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys) conjugation have long been recognized to be important in the detoxification of microcystins (MCs) in animal organs, however, studies quantitatively estimating this process are rare, especially those simultaneously determining multiple toxins and their metabolites. This paper, for the first time, simultaneously quantified MC-LR (leucine arginine), MC-RR (arginine arginine), MCLR-GSH/Cys and MCRR-GSH/Cys in the liver, kidney, intestine and muscle of the cyanobacteria-eating bighead carp i.p.