Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the dominating nanomaterial in consumer products due to their well-known antibacterial and antifungal properties. To enhance their properties, different surface ...coatings may be used, which affect physico-chemical properties of AgNPs. Due to their wide application, there has been concern about possible environmental and health consequences. Since plants play a significant role in accumulation and biodistribution of many environmentally released substances, they are also very likely to be influenced by AgNPs. In this study we investigated the toxicity of AgNO3 and three types of laboratory-synthesized AgNPs with different surface coatings citrate, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on Allium cepa roots. Ionic form of Ag was confirmed to be more toxic than any of the AgNPs applied. All tested AgNPs caused oxidative stress and exhibited toxicity only when applied in higher concentrations. The highest toxicity was recorded for AgNPs-CTAB, which resulted with increased Ag uptake in the roots, consequently leading to strong reduction of the root growth and oxidative damage. The weakest impact was found for AgNPs-citrate, much bigger, negatively charged NPs, which also aggregated to larger particles. Therefore, we can conclude that the toxicity of AgNPs is directly correlated with their size, overall surface charge and/or surface coating.
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•Clearly different effects between AgNO3 and AgNPs treatments were obtained.•AgNO3 induced the highest impact in majority of the tested parameters.•All tested AgNPs caused oxidative stress when applied in higher concentrations.•Among AgNP treatments, AgNP-CTAB had the highest impact.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most commonly used substances in the manufacture of various everyday products. Growing concerns about its hazardous properties, including endocrine disruption and ...genotoxicity, have led to its gradual replacement by presumably safer analogues in manufacturing plastics. The widespread use of BPA and, more recently, its analogues has increased their residues in the environment. However, our knowledge of their toxicological profiles is limited and their combined effects are unknown. In the present study, we investigated the toxic effects caused by single bisphenols and by the combined exposure of BPA and its two analogues, BPAP and BPC, after short (24-h) and prolonged (96-h) exposure in HepG2 spheroids. The results showed that BPA did not reduce cell viability in HepG2 spheroids after 24-h exposure. In contrast, BPAP and BPC affected cell viability in HepG2 spheroids. Both binary mixtures (BPA/BPAP and BPA/BPC) decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, but the significant difference was only observed for the combination of BPA/BPC (both at 40 µM). After 96-h exposure, none of the BPs studied affected cell viability in HepG2 spheroids. Only the combination of BPA/BPAP decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner that was significant for the combination of 4 µM BPA and 4 µM BPAP. None of the BPs and their binary mixtures studied affected the surface area and growth of spheroids as measured by planimetry. In addition, all BPs and their binary mixtures studied triggered oxidative stress, as measured by the production of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde, at both exposure times. Overall, the results suggest that it is important to study the effects of BPs as single compounds. It is even more important to study the effects of combined exposures, as the combined effects may differ from those induced by single compounds.
The health benefit of a vegetarian diet is still under debate as it may result in a higher intake of some beneficial micronutrients, while others may be reduced, thus influencing various metabolic ...pathways and health-related biomarkers. This scoping review discusses inflammatory, oxidative and DNA damage status in vegetarians and vegans compared to omnivores. Most of the reviewed studies indicated favorable effects of a vegetarian diet on oxidative status compared to omnivores but did not clearly associate particular dietary habits to genome damage. The evidence on the effect of vegetarian diet on the inflammatory and immunological biomarkers is poor, which could at least partly be explained by methodological constraints such as small sample size, short duration of vegetarianism and inconsistent definitions of the omnivorous diet. The only inflammatory biomarker that seems to be associated with the vegetarian diet was inflammatory mediator C-reactive protein, which in several studies showed lower values in vegetarians as compared to omnivores. There were very few studies on immunological markers and the results on the difference between vegetarians and omnivores were inconclusive. Although several biomarkers involved in oxidative stress and inflammation showed a beneficial association with the vegetarian diet, further research in well-defined and sufficiently sized cohorts is needed to provide more evidence.
The small size of nanoparticles (NPs), with dimensions between 1 and 100 nm, results in unique chemical and physical characteristics, which is why they are implemented in various consumer products. ...Therefore, an important concern is the potential detrimental impact of NPs on the environment. As plants are a vital part of ecosystem, investigation of the phytotoxic effects of NPs is particularly interesting. This study investigated the potential phytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on tobacco (
Nicotiana tabacum
) plants and compared it with the effects of the same AgNO
3
concentrations. Accumulation of silver in roots and leaves was equally efficient after both AgNP and AgNO
3
treatment, with predominant Ag levels found in the roots. Exposure to AgNPs did not result in elevated values of oxidative stress parameters either in roots or in leaves, while AgNO
3
induced oxidative stress in both plant tissues. In the presence of both AgNPs and AgNO
3
, root meristem cells became highly vacuolated, which indicates that vacuoles might be the primary storage target for accumulated Ag. Direct AgNP uptake by root cells was confirmed. Leaf ultrastructural studies revealed changes mainly in the size of chloroplasts of AgNP-treated and AgNO
3
-treated plants. All of these findings indicate that nano form of silver is less toxic to tobacco plants than silver ions.
The aim of this study was to test the phytotoxicity and mode of action of bisphenol A (BPA) on
using a multibiomarker approach.
roots were exposed to BPA in concentration range 0-50 mg L
for 3 days. ...BPA even in the lowest applied concentration (1 mg L
) reduced root length, root fresh weight, and mitotic index. Additionally, the lowest BPA concentration (1 mg L
) decreased the level of gibberellic acid (GA
) in root cells. BPA at concentration 5 mg L
increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was followed by increase in oxidative damage to cells' lipids and proteins and activity of enzyme superoxide dismutase. BPA in higher concentrations (25 and 50 mg L
) induced genome damage detected as an increase in micronucleus (MNs) and nuclear buds (NBUDs). BPA at >25 mg L
induced synthesis of phytochemicals. Results of this study using multibiomarker approach indicate that BPA is phytotoxic to
roots and has shown genotoxic potential to plants, thus its presence in the environment should be monitored.
Thallium (Tl) is a highly toxic heavy metal whose mechanism of toxicity is still not completely understood. The aim of this study was to test Tl cytotoxicity on several cell lines of different tissue ...origin in order to clarify specific Tl toxicity to a particular organ. In addition, possible interference of Tl with cell potassium (K) transport was examined. Human keratinocytes (HaCaT), human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), porcine kidney epithelial cells (PK15), human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells (V79) were treated with thallium (I) acetate in a wide concentration range (3.9-500 µg/mL) for 24 h, 48 and 72 h. To assess competitive interaction between Tl and K, the cells were treated with four Tl concentrations close to IC
(15.63, 31.25, 62.50, 125 µg/mL) in combination with/or without potassium (I) acetate (500 µg/mL). The cells' morphology was monitored, and cytotoxic effect was assessed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. The most sensitive to Tl exposure were SH-SY5Y cells, while HepG2 were the most resistant. The combined exposure to thallium (I) acetate and potassium (I) acetate for every cell line, except V79 cells, resulted in higher cell viability compared to thallium (I) acetate alone. The results of our study indicate that cell sensitivity to Tl treatment is largely affected by tissue culture origin, its function, and Na
/K
-ATPase activity.
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone as adjuvants to preoperative epidural administration of local anesthetic (ropivacaine) in thoracic surgery on the ...postoperative level of pain, use of analgesics, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The study enrolled 42 patients who underwent elective thoracic surgery in a one-year period at the University Hospital Dubrava (Zagreb, Croatia). Based on a computer-generated randomization list the patients were assigned to the dexmedetomidine (
= 18) or dexamethasone (
= 24) group. Postoperatively, patients of dexmedetomidine group reported lower pain (VAS value 1 h post surgery, 3.4 ± 2.7
5.4 ± 1.8, dexmedetomidine
dexamethasone,
< 0.01) and had lower anal-gesic requirements in comparison with dexamethasone group. Thus, dexmedetomidine in comparison with dexamethasone was more efficient in lowering pain and analgesia requirements 24 h after the surgery. On the contrary, dexamethasone had better anti-inflammatory properties (CRP level 24 h post surgery, 131.9 ± 90.7
26.0 ± 55.2 mg L
, dexmedetomidine
dexamethasone,
< 0.01). Both dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone exhibited antioxidant effects, however, their antioxidant properties should be further explored. The results of this study improve current knowledge of pain control in thoracic surgery.
Abstract
Exposure to toxic metals and metalloids is a significant public health concern and can seriously affect human health. The aim of this study was to establish the presence of toxic metals and ...metalloids in the urine of non‐professional sportsmen who participated in a mountain ultramarathon using a benchtop total reflection x‐ray fluorescence (TXRF) system. TXRF allows for easy and rapid sample preparation and is therefore a potential candidate for simple and cost‐effective analysis. In this work, the TXRF‐Mo system was used for multielement analysis of the urine samples of 21 non‐professional athletes who ran a 53 km mountain ultra‐marathon. Urine samples were collected at four time points, at the beginning of the race (pre‐race samples), immediately, and 12 and 24 h post‐race. Al, As, Ba, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, V, and Tl were detected in the collected urine samples. The accuracy and precision of the proposed methods were verified by the analysis of reference materials (Seronorm™ Trace Elements Urine Level 2). The TXRF results were in agreement with the reference values and no significant differences were observed at the 95% confidence level. The detection limits for the elements of interest were also reasonable considering their concentration ranges in real samples. Changes were observed over time with increasing average urinary metals and metalloids levels, but only two significant results, were an increase in As and Rb. The results indicate a high degree of inter‐subject variability. The results obtained show that the content of toxic metals and metalloids increases in the urine samples collected after the race, which could confirm the statement that physical activity can increase the excretion of toxic metals and metalloids from the body. The simplicity of the TXRF method as well as its fast performance make it suitable for routine analysis.
Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a neurodegenerative mycotoxin produced by Fusarium verticiloides mould that contaminates maize worldwide. FB1 toxicity has been connected with deregulation of sphingolipid ...metabolism, but the mechanism of cytotoxicity remains controversial. In cell cultures of rat primary astrocytes and human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y), we found that FB1 inhibits mitochondrial complex I, which leads to a decrease in the rate of mitochondrial and cellular respiration, depolarisation of the mitochondrial membrane, induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in mitochondria and deregulation of calcium signalling. Despite the increase in ROS production, the intracellular level of glutathione (GSH) was significantly increased. After 24h of FB1 exposure, no cell death was observed. Thus, mitochondria appear to be the primary target of FB1, which leads to sustained deregulation of calcium homeostasis and presumably to cell death.
Multielemental analysis of whole blood can provide significant information for the evaluation of nutritional status and diagnosis of certain diseases as well as for the assessment of exposure to ...potentially toxic metals. However, the quantification of multiple elements in whole blood is not easy partly because of the wide variation in element concentrations (from ng L
−1
to g L
−1
) and the complex matrix. The aim of this work was to develop a fast, sustainable, and reliable analytical method, in combination with low-power TXRF, for multielemental analysis of blood samples. Firstly, a set of experiments were carried out to select the best diluent type and dilution factor using the control material SeronormTM Trace Elements Whole Blood L-1. A critical evaluation of the parameters affecting the sample deposition on the reflector was also carried out including a study of the shape and element distribution of the deposited residue on the reflector by micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Using the best analytical conditions, limits of detection estimated were in the low milligrams per kilogram range and similar to those obtained using more complex sample treatments such as digestion. Accuracy and precision of the results were in most cases acceptable (recoveries 89–102%, RSD 6–8%,
n
= 5). Only underestimated values were obtained for light elements such as potassium. To prove the applicability of the method, several blood samples from control and thyroid disease patients were analyzed. Despite the fact that more samples need to be analyzed, it seems that Zn and Br contents in some of the patients are significantly higher compared to control samples.
Graphical abstract
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