Effects of acute exposure to microcystins on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), -gonad (HPG) and -thyroid (HPT) axes of female rats.

Microcystins (MCs) are common, well-known cyanobacterial toxins that can affect health of humans. Recently, it has been reported that MCs affect endocrine functions. In the present study, for the first time, histopathology, concentrations of hormones and transcription of genes along the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axes were examined in rats exposed to microcystin-LR (MC-LR).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and metals in olive: analysis and probabilistic risk assessment.

In the present study, levels of 22 pesticides, eight metals, and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 1800 Iranian olive samples (20 cultivars from six different cultivation zones), were determined; then, health risk posed by oral consumption of the olive samples to Iranian consumers was assessed. Quantification of PAHs and pesticides was done by chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and metal levels were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). There were no significant differences among the cultivars and zones in terms of the levels of the tested compounds.

Mechanisms of pH-Dependent Uptake of Ionizable Organic Chemicals by Fish from Oil Sands Process-Affected Water (OSPW).

Uptake and effects of ionizable organic chemicals (IOCs) that are weak acids in aqueous solution by fish can differ as a function of pH. While the pH-dependent behavior of select IOCs is well-understood, complex mixtures of IOCs, e.g.

Composition characterization and biotransformation of dissolved, particulate and algae organic phosphorus in eutrophic lakes.

Characteristics and transformation of organic phosphorus in water are vital to biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus and support of blooms of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria. Using solution P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), combined with field surveys and lab analyses, composition and structural characteristics of dissolved phosphorus (DP), particulate phosphorus (PP) and organic P in algae were studied in two eutrophic lakes in China, Tai Lake and Chao Lake. Factors influencing migration and transformation of these constituents in lake ecosystems were also investigated.

Metals and PFAS in stormwater and surface runoff in a semi-arid Canadian city subject to large variations in temperature among seasons.

Because compounds accumulate through dry periods and enter aquatic systems in just a few seasonal events such as snowmelt and summer storms, surface waters in semi-arid, cold regions, such as the Canadian Prairies, are particularly vulnerable to loading of contaminant from runoff events from surfaces. This study assessed concentrations of metals and selected trace organics entering a river via surface runoff from an urban region and how these semi-arid regions with large seasonal variations in temperature might differ from more temperate regions. Selected potentially harmful elements (PHEs) including, Mn with Cr, Cu, Zn, Ba and U all exceeded guideline discharge values set by the Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment (CCME) by as much as 16-fold.

Multiple Bioassays and Targeted and Nontargeted Analyses to Characterize Potential Toxicological Effects Associated with Sediments of Masan Bay: Focusing on AhR-Mediated Potency.

An enhanced, multiple lines of evidence approach was applied to assess potential toxicological effects associated with polluted sediments. Two in vitro bioassays (H4IIE- and ) and three in vivo bioassays (microalgae: and ; zebrafish embryo: ) were applied. To identify causative chemicals in samples, targeted analyses (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), styrene oligomers (SOs), and alkylphenols) and nontargeted full-scan screening analyses (FSA; GC- and LC-QTOFMS) were performed.

Effects of chemical fractions from an oil sands end-pit lake on reproduction of fathead minnows.

Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) is a byproduct of bitumen extraction in the surface-mining oil sands industry in Alberta, Canada. Organic compounds in OSPW can be acutely or chronically toxic to aquatic organisms, so part of a long-term strategy for remediation of OSPW is ageing of water in artificial lakes, termed end-pit lakes. BaseMine Lake (BML) is the first oil sands end-pit lake, commissioned in 2012.

Integrated assessment of west coast of South Korea by use of benthic bacterial community structure as determined by eDNA, concentrations of contaminants, and in vitro bioassays.

During the past few decades, contamination of sediments by persistent toxic substances (PTSs) has been observed in estuarine and coastal areas on the west coast of South Korea. The contaminants are suspected to cause toxicities in aquatic biota, but little is known about their ecological effects, particularly on benthic microbial communities. In this study, an eDNA-based assessment was applied along with classic assessments of exposure, such as chemistry and in vitro bioassays, to evaluate condition of benthic bacterial communities subjected to PTSs.

Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties of liquid crystal monomers and their detection in indoor residential dust.

Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are used widely in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which are dramatically changing the world due to the provision of convenient communication. However, there are essentially no published reports on the fate and/or effects of LCMs in the environment. Of 362 currently produced LCMs, 87 were identified as persistent and bioaccumulative (P&B) chemicals, which indicated that these chemicals would exhibit resistance to degradation and exhibit mobility after entering the environment.

Occurrence of mycotoxins in rice consumed by Iranians: a probabilistic assessment of risk to health.

Risks based on cancer and non-cancer endpoints, to Iranians from exposure to several mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin, deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin) following consumption of rice were evaluated. Point estimates of hazard were made for each mycotoxin and a hazard index (HI) and probabilistic estimates were based on results of Monte Carlo Simulations (MCS). All known 17 peer-reviewed studies, published in databases included in Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, as well as grey literature published in Google Scholar from 2008 to 2017 were considered.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in infant formulae, follow-on formulae, and baby foods in Iran: An assessment of risk.

Twenty-seven samples of infant formulae and follow-on formulae and fifteen samples of baby food from Iranian markets were analyzed for concentrations of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH4) determined by use of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrophotometry. An assessment of risks posed to infants and toddlers was conducted by calculating the margin of exposure and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) by use of the Monte Carlo Simulation Method. Benzo (a) anthracene, was not detected in any of the samples, while approximately 64.

Correction: Pestka, J.J., et al. Sex Is a Determinant for Deoxynivalenol Metabolism and Elimination in the Mouse. 2017, , 240.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to their paper [...

Tissue-based assessment of hazard posed by mercury and selenium to wild fishes in two shallow Chinese lakes.

Total (all forms of inorganic and organic) concentrations of mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) were measured in dorsal muscle and eggs of wild fishes from two shallow lakes in China: Tai Lake (Ch: Taihu; TL) and Baiyangdian Lake (BYDL). Hazard quotients (HQs) were calculated by dividing concentrations of Se or Hg in muscle or eggs of fishes by threshold concentrations for effects expressed as tissue residue toxicity reference values (TR-TRVs). Concentrations of Hg in whole bodies of fishes were estimated by concentrations in muscle.

Tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate treatment induces DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in murine RAW264.7 macrophages.

Tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) is the most widely used organophosphorus flame retardant, which is now used instead of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). TDCPP has frequently been detected in inorganic environmental matrices, such as soil, water and air as well as biota. In vitro effects of TDCPP on cells had not been previously elucidated.

miR-155 influences cell-mediated immunity in Balb/c mice treated with aflatoxin M.

Aflatoxin M (AFM) is a 4-hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B (AFB). It induces various toxicological effects including immunotoxicity. In the present study, we investigated the effects of AFM on immune system and its modulation by MicroRNA (miR)-155.

SLAMF7 Is a Critical Negative Regulator of IFN-α-Mediated CXCL10 Production in Chronic HIV Infection.

Current advances in combined antiretroviral therapy have rendered HIV infection a chronic, manageable disease; however, the problem of persistent immune activation still remains despite treatment. The immune cell receptor SLAMF7 has been shown to be upregulated in diseases characterized by chronic immune activation. In this study, we studied the function of the SLAMF7 receptor in immune cells of HIV patients and the impacts of SLAMF7 signaling on peripheral immune activation.

The Role of the Mitochondria in the Evolution of Stem Cells, Including MUSE Stem Cells and Their Biology.

From the transition of single-cell organisms to multicellularity of metazoans, evolutionary pressures selected new genes and phenotypes to cope with the oxygenation of the Earth's environment, especially via the symbiotic acquisition of the mitochondrial organelle. There were many new genes and phenotypes that appeared, namely, stem cells, low-oxygen-micro-environments to house these genes ("niches"), new epigenetic mechanisms to regulate , selectively, the gene repertoire to control proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, senescence and DNA protection mechanisms, including antioxidant genes and DNA repair. This transition required a critical regulation of the metabolism of glucose to produce energy for both the stem cell quiescent state and the energy-requiring differentiated state.

Identification of the influence of distal inputs on mercury loading across the mid Great Lakes region using chemical sediment chronologies.

Sediment cores from 47 inland lakes in Michigan, USA were used to assess spatial and temporal trends in loadings of mercury (Hg). Focusing/background corrected accumulation rates and inventories and peak concentrations were used to examine: 1) responses of loadings to post-1990 reductions in emissions, 2) if spatial trends are consistent with modeled Hg deposition and 3) evidence for local and distal inputs. Results showed that decreases in concentrations and anthropogenic accumulation rates of Hg were consistent with recent reductions in emissions of Hg.

Factors associated with blooms of cyanobacteria in a large shallow lake, China.

Background: Eutrophication of freshwater systems can result in blooms of phytoplankton, in many cases cyanobacteria. This can lead to shifts in structure and functions of phytoplankton communities adversely affecting the quality of drinking water sources, which in turn impairs public health. Relationships between structures of phytoplankton communities and concentrations of the toxicant, microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR), have not been well examined in large shallow lakes.

Immunotoxicity of aflatoxin M : as a potent suppressor of innate and acquired immune systems in a subacute study.

Background: Although, to date, there have been several in vitro and in vivo studies of immunomodulatory effects of aflatoxin M (AFB ), little is known about the effect of AFM on various aspects of innate and acquired immunity. In the present study, AFM was administered intraperitoneally, at doses of 25 and 50 μg kg , body mass for 28 days and various immunological parameters were measured.

Results: Several parameters related to immune function were suppressed: organ mass, cellularity of spleen, proliferation response to lipopolysaccaride and phytohemagglutinin-A, hemagglutination titer, delayed type of hypersensitivity response, spleen cell subtypes, serum hemolytic activity, serum immunoglobulin G level and cytokine production.

Application of the Target Lipid Model and Passive Samplers to Characterize the Toxicity of Bioavailable Organics in Oil Sands Process-Affected Water.

Oil sand operations in Alberta, Canada will eventually include returning treated process-affected waters to the environment. Organic constituents in oil sand process-affected water (OSPW) represent complex mixtures of nonionic and ionic (e.g.

Bioaccumulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) by the Marine Clam, Mactra veneriformis, Chronically Exposed to Oil-Suspended Particulate Matter Aggregates.

Dispersion and biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons are significantly enhanced by formation of oil-suspended particulate matter aggregates (OSAs), but little is known about their adverse effects on benthic invertebrates or microbes. In this study, we investigated: (1) bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by the marine bivalve, Mactra veneriformis and (2) changes in composition and relative abundances of microbes, during 50-d of an OSAs feeding experiment. Total concentrations of PAHs increased more rapidly during the first week of exposure, peaked at Day 30, then gradually declined to the end of experiment.

Combining High-Throughput Sequencing of sedaDNA and Traditional Paleolimnological Techniques To Infer Historical Trends in Cyanobacterial Communities.

Freshwaters worldwide are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities and changing climate. Unfortunately, many inland waters lack sufficient long-term monitoring to assess environmental trends. Analysis of sedimentary ancient DNA ( sedaDNA) is emerging as a means to reconstruct the past occurrence of microbial communities of inland waters.