Brucellosis, a worldwide zoonosis, is linked to reproductive problems in primary hosts. A high proportion of Brucella-positive hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) have been detected in the declined Northeast Atlantic stock. High concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have also been discovered in top predators in the Arctic, including the hooded seal, PCB 153 being most abundant. The aim of this study was to assess the pathogenicity of Brucella pinnipedialis hooded seal strain in the mouse model and to evaluate the outcome of Brucella spp. infection after exposure of mice to PCB 153. BALB/c mice were infected with B. pinnipedialis hooded seal strain or Brucella suis 1330, and half from each group was exposed to PCB 153 through the diet. B. pinnipedialis showed a reduced pathogenicity in the mouse model as compared to B. suis 1330. Exposure to PCB 153 affected neither the immunological parameters, nor the outcome of the infection. Altogether this indicates that it is unlikely that B. pinnipedialis contribute to the decline of hooded seals in the Northeast Atlantic.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cimid.2014.01.005 | DOI Listing |
Sci Total Environ
January 2025
Centro de Genómica, Ecología y Medio Ambiente (GEMA), Universidad Mayor, Campus Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile; Institute of Environment, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Data Observatory Foundation, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address:
Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are widely distributed across the globe, including polar regions. This study investigates the distribution and bioconcentration of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils and Colobanthus quitensis, while also estimating potential emission sources. Results indicated high concentrations of PAHs in soils and plants from the Sub-Antarctic region, while OCPs and PCBs were more prevalent in the Antarctic region, with higher contaminant concentrations found in soils than in plant tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Res
January 2025
Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, 3175, Chemin de La Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1C5, Canada. Electronic address:
Exposure to lead, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been causally linked to spatial memory deficits and hippocampal changes in animal models. The Inuit community in Northern Canada is exposed to higher concentrations of these contaminants compared to the general population. This study aimed to 1) investigate associations between prenatal and current contaminant exposures and medial temporal brain volumes in Inuit late adolescents; 2) examine the relationship between these brain structures and spatial memory; and 3) assess the mediating role of brain structures in the association between contaminant exposure and spatial memory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxicology
January 2025
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80137, Italy. Electronic address:
Non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs), as well as dioxin-like PCBs, are endocrine disruptors that persist in human and animal tissues worldwide. Due to their lipophilicity and resistance to enzymatic degradation, PCBs accumulate in fat deposits contributing to the onset of endocrine and metabolic diseases. Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane channel proteins that allow the transport of water and small solutes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Res
December 2024
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, USA.
Background: Previous studies have demonstrated associations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with sex-related hormones; however, findings were inconsistent. Sex-specific impacts and pathways through which adiposity influences associations are not completely understood. We sought to evaluate sex-specific associations of POPs serum concentration with sex-related hormones and to explore pathways through which adiposity may modify associations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
February 2025
Bursa Technical University, Department of Environmental Engineering, Bursa, Turkiye. Electronic address:
The pollution potential of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Bursa, Türkiye, in terms of organochlorine pesticides (ΣOCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (ΣPBDEs), was investigated in air samples. Concentrations were determined using polyurethane foam disk samplers at key processes, such as the aeration tank (AT) and settling chamber (SC) of the WWTP and the background area (BA) at an urban site. Atmospheric concentration levels of PBDEs at the SC are 1.
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