Publications by authors named "Silvio T Sasaki"

The Laguna Estuarine System (LES), southern Brazil, suffers impacts from anthropogenic activities, releasing contaminants into the ecosystem. This study evaluated changes in biochemical and molecular biomarkers and contaminants concentrations in oysters Crassostrea gasar transplanted and kept for 1.5 and 7 days at three potentially contaminated sites (S1, S2, and S3) at LES.

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Sediment dredging impacts coastal environments by promoting the resuspension of fine particles and remobilization of contaminants that may trigger toxic effects. In this study, we evaluated the sediment quality in harbor areas of Mucuripe bay, a semi-arid ecosystem located in Ceará state (Brazil), which is subject to dredging activities. A sampling survey was conducted right after dredging operations and data compared to another survey performed prior dredging.

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The analysis of hydrocarbons in terms of individual compounds is relevant to understand the origin and source of these substances, as well as its distribution in environmental compartments, including sediments and biota. Hydrocarbons concentrations were determined in sediments and in whole-body soft tissues of the tropical clam in sediment toxicity testing using samples of Mucuripe bay (Ceará State, NE Brazil) collected in 2011 during dredging events [1]. Data of target compounds included aliphatic (AHs) and aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs).

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Few test organisms are employed for sediment toxicity assessments in Tropical regions, including Brazil. We assessed the ability of the clam to respond to contamination in sediment bioassays using dredging materials of a semi-arid region (Ceará State, NE Brazil), with attention to sublethal responses. Sediments were collected during and after dredging (survey 1 and 2, respectively) and animals exposed in laboratory over 28 days, with responses measured at 7 days.

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Large amounts of crude oil were found along Brazil's northeast and southeast seaboard from August 2019 to January 2020. Petroleum companies and oil tankers reported no accidents previously or during this period. The stranded oil on Brazilian beaches looks like tar; it has solid aspect and is denser than seawater.

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Estuarine ecosystems are increasingly being affected by pollution caused by anthropogenic activities. In this study, Crassostrea gasar oysters were transplanted and maintained for seven days at three sites (S1, S2, and S3) in the Laguna Estuarine System (LES)-situated in southern Brazil-that has been exposed to multiple anthropic stresses. On the basis of the concentrations of metal and organic pollutants in oysters, we identified marked spatial variations in pollutant levels, with S3 showing the highest concentration of Ag, Fe, Ni, Zn, and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), followed by S2 and S1.

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In this study, the performance of two native bivalves in responding to sediment resuspension was investigated during dredging operations of a semi-arid bay (Mucuripe, NE Brazil). The clam Anomalocardia flexuosa and the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae were selected and caged in two sites influenced by the dredging plume. We assessed the bioaccumulation of metals and hydrocarbons in both species as biomarkers of exposure and then, biomarkers' responses were assessed in gills and digestive glands over a 28 days period, at 7 days intervals: the activities of phase I and II, and antioxidant enzymes, levels of lipid peroxidation and DNA strand breaks.

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Biochemical and molecular responses were evaluated in oysters Crassostrea brasiliana collected from three oyster farms, at Guaratuba Bay, southern Brazil, forming a pollutant gradient: Farm 1 (reference site - farther from the urban area), Farm 2 (intermediate site) and Farm 3 (nearest to the urban area). Oxidative stress markers, DNA damage and transcript levels of CYP2AU1, CYP2-like1, CYP2-like2, SULT-like, GPx-like, SOD-like, CAT-like, GSTmicrosomal-like, GSTomega-like, FABP-like and ALAd-like genes were analyzed in the gills. The levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, linear alkylbenzenes and polychlorinated biphenyls were also evaluated in the soft tissues of the oysters and in the sediment of the Farms.

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Exposure of aquatic organisms to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), such as phenanthrene (PHE), may increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cause changes in the biotransformation systems. In addition, changes in water temperature can cause adverse effects in the organisms. Estuarine species, like the oyster Crassostrea brasiliana, can adapt and tolerate temperature variation.

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Phenanthnere (PHE) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon continuously discarded in the marine environment and bioavailable to many aquatic species. Although studies about PHE toxicity have been documented for adult oysters, the effects on early developmental stages are poorly characterized in bivalves. In this study, the effects of PHE (0.

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Euryhaline animals from estuaries, such as the oyster Crassostrea brasiliana, show physiological mechanisms of adaptation to tolerate salinity changes. These ecosystems receive constant input of xenobiotics from urban areas, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as phenanthrene (PHE). In order to understand the influence of salinity on the molecular responses of C.

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Tropical marine environments are rich in biodiversity and the presence of harbor activities in these areas can harm the coastal ecosystems. In this study, we assessed sediment quality of two harbors from a tropical region in Brazil by applying multiple lines-of-evidence approach. This approach included the integration of results on: (1) grain size, organic matter, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, linear alkylbenzenes, and tributyltin; (2) acute toxicity of whole sediments and chronic toxicity of liquid phases; and (3) benthic community descriptors.

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Urban sewage is a concerning issue worldwide, threatening both wildlife and human health. The present study investigated protein oxidation in mangrove oysters (Crassostrea brasiliana) exposed to seawater from Balneário Camboriú, an important tourist destination in Brazil that is affected by urban sewage. Oysters were exposed for 24 h to seawater collected close to the Camboriú River (CAM1) or 1 km away (CAM2).

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Understanding the mechanism of phenanthrene (PHE) biotransformation and related cellular responses in bivalves can be an important tool to elucidate the risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to aquatic organisms. In the present study it was analyzed the transcriptional levels of 13 biotransformation genes related to cytochrome P450 (CYP), glutathione S-transferase (GST), sulfotransferase (SULT), flavin-containing monooxygenase and fatty acid-binding proteins by qPCR in gill of scallops Nodipecten nodosus exposed for 24 or 96h to 50 or 200μgL(-1) PHE (equivalent to 0.28 and 1.

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The release of untreated sanitary sewage, combined with unplanned urban growth, are major factors contributing to degradation of coastal ecosystems in developing countries, including Brazil. Sanitary sewage is a complex mixture of chemicals that can negatively affect aquatic organisms. The use of molecular biomarkers can help to understand and to monitor the biological effects elicited by contaminants.

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Phenanthrene (PHE) is an abundant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), widely distributed in aquatic environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histological and molecular effects in the native oyster Crassostrea brasiliana(Lamarck, 1819) exposed to 100 and 1000 μg L(-1) PHE for 1, 5 and 10 days. Histological and chemical analyses were performed to evaluate, respectively, alterations in oyster tissues and bioaccumulation.

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Urban effluents are rich in nutrients, organic matter, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, hydrocarbons, surfactants, and others. Previous studies have shown that oysters Crassostrea gigas accumulate significant levels of linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) in sanitary sewage contaminated sites, but there is little information about its toxicological effects in marine bivalves. The aim of this study was to analyze the transcription of genes in two tissues of C.

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The composition and concentration of substances in urban effluents are complex and difficult to measure. These contaminants elicit biological responses in the exposed organisms. Proteomic analysis is a powerful tool in environmental toxicology by evidencing alterations in protein expression due to exposure to contaminants and by providing a useful framework for the development of new potential biomarkers.

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Organic pollution was evaluated in surface sediments along the middle portion of the Río de la Plata Estuary, SW Atlantic. A multi-molecular marker approach was performed to identify major sources of organic compounds using diagnostic indices. The relative contribution of different sources of hydrocarbons was quantified by source apportionment employing Principal Component Analysis/Multiple Linear Regression (PCA/MLR) as chemometric technique.

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Aims: (1) Evaluate the dynamic of the depuration process of Crassostrea gigas oysters using different ultraviolet doses with different amounts of contaminants (virus, protozoa and organic contaminants) and (2) investigate the morphological changes in the oysters' tissues produced by the depuration procedures.

Methods: The oysters were allocated in sites with different degrees of contamination and analyzed after 14 days. Some animals were used as positive controls by artificial bioaccumulation with HAdV2 and MNV1 and subjected to depuration assays using UV lamps (18 or 36 W) for 168 h.

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Florianópolis, a city located in the Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil, is the national leading producer of bivalve mollusks. The quality of bivalve mollusks is closely related to the sanitary conditions of surrounding waters where they are cultivated. Presently, cultivation areas receive large amounts of effluents derived mainly from treated and non-treated domestic, rural, and urban sewage.

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Understanding the toxic mechanisms by which organisms cope to environmental stressful conditions is a fundamental question for ecotoxicology. In this study, we evaluated biochemical responses and hydrocarbons bioaccumulation of the mangrove oyster Crassostrea brasiliana exposed for 96 h to four sublethal concentrations of diesel fuel water-accommodated fraction (WAF). For that purpose, enzymatic activities (SOD, CAT, GPx, GR, G6PDH, GST and GGT), HSP60 and HSP90 immunocontent and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were determined in the gill and digestive gland of oysters and related to the hydrocarbons accumulated in the whole soft tissues.

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