Blood tissue has been used to assess animal health and the environment in which they live. This tissue is easily acquired and has the ability to respond to various adverse conditions. Several ...techniques have been employed in the detection of xenobiotic-induced cell damage in blood cells. In general, traditionally used technologies, such as cellular analysis in blood smears, are time-consuming and require great analytical capacity. The present study proposes flow cytometry as a method to detect changes in blood cell populations. Tilapia (
Oreochromis niloticus
) was selected as a model for plotting the profile of fish blood cell populations after exposure to xenobiotics without euthanizing animals or using cell markers. Populations of erythrocytes and lymphocytes were detected only by combining the techniques of FACSAria cell sorting and light microscopy. Systemic deleterious effects were found through blood analysis, such as an increased lymphocyte-rich population at 48 h of exposure followed by a subsequent decrease. Moreover, the time-dependent expression of Nrf2 suggests its participation in increased membrane disruption, indicating it has a central role in erythrocyte lifespan. The present results shed light on the viability of using flow cytometry for blood analysis of living fish.
This article investigates the effect of sanitation on education at the municipal level in Brazilian cities. We measure the effect of the share of people living in households with access to piped ...water and a bathroom on educational indicators of the population aged 6–14. To take care of the well‐recognized endogeneity between sanitation and education, we estimate a panel‐data instrumental variable model. We use the municipalities that had their sanitation services privatized by other subnational instances as an instrumental variable. The results indicate that an increase of 1 percentage point in access to sanitation increases grade promotion rate by 0.334 pp., decreases age‐grade distortion rate by 0.464 pp., and decreases school dropout by 0.33 pp. We show evidence of complementarity between educational and sanitation policies, and the educational impacts of the latter can be used as leverage to convince politicians of the necessity to provide better water and sanitation conditions, especially to the poor population.
Systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a highly desirable form of plant defense, provides broad-spectrum immunity against diverse pathogens. The recent identification of seemingly unrelated chemical ...inducers of SAR warrants an investigation of their mutual interrelationships. We show that SAR induced by the dicarboxylic acid azelaic acid (AA) requires the phosphorylated sugar derivative glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P). Pathogen inoculation induced the release of free unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) and thereby triggered AA accumulation, because these FAs serve as precursors for AA. AA accumulation in turn increased the levels of G3P, which is required for AA-conferred SAR. The lipid transfer proteins DIR1 and AZI1, both of which are required for G3P- and AA-induced SAR, were essential for G3P accumulation. Conversely, reduced G3P resulted in decreased AZI1 and DIR1 transcription. Our results demonstrate that an intricate feedback regulatory loop among G3P, DIR1, and AZI1 regulates SAR and that AA functions upstream of G3P in this pathway.
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•Systemic acquired resistance is associated with release of free fatty acids•Unsaturated fatty acids undergo cleavage at carbon 9 to form azelaic acid•Azelaic acid functions upstream of the SAR inducer glycerol-3-phosphate•Glycerol-3-phosphate is required for the stability of lipid transfer proteins
The recent identification of several seemingly chemically unrelated mobile inducers suggests that independently functioning diverse signals might regulate systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants. Kachroo and colleagues now provide genetic, biochemical, and molecular evidence in support of a linear pathway connecting azelaic acid and glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P), as well as a cyclic feedback regulatory loop between G3P and the lipid transfer proteins DIR1 and AZI1, in the induction of SAR.
Mucoadhesive polymeric nanocapsules have attracted interest of researchers from different fields from natural sciences because of their ability to interact with the mucosa and increase drug ...permeation. Anesthesia by immersion causes absorption through the skin and gills of fish, so it is important to evaluate the exposure of these organs to drug nanosystems. Benzocaine (BENZ) is one of the most popular anesthetic agents used in fish anesthesia, but it has drawbacks because of its low bioavailability, resulting in weak absorption after immersion. Here we describe method developed for preparing and characterizing chitosan-coated PLGA mucoadhesive nanoparticles containing BENZ (NPMAs) for zebrafish immersion anesthesia. We determined the lowest effective concentration, characterized the interaction of the mucoadhesive system with fish, measured the anesthetic efficacy, and evaluated possible toxic effects in embryos and adults exposed to the nanoformulations. This study opens perspectives for using nanoformulations prepared with BENZ in aquaculture, allowing reduction of dosage as well as promoting more effective anesthesia and improved interaction with the mucoadhesive system of fish.
•Chlorella fusca cultivated with 120 ppm of fly ashes exhibited 47.6% of protein.•The protein content was not impaired in the cultivations with 0.75 g L−1 of NaNO3.•Chlorella fusca reached up to ...35.2% of carbohydrates using 0.75 g L−1 of NaNO3.•The carbohydrates increased up to 25% with a reduction in the nitrogen supply.•CO2 and fly ashes are a strategy to reduce costs of nutrients in algae growth.
Fly ashes present several minerals that along with carbon dioxide (CO2) represent a promising nutrient source and an alternative to reduce environmental problems. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate if CO2, thermoelectric fly ashes and reduction in nitrogen supply alters the production of macromolecules in Chlorella fusca LEB 111. For this purpose, 1.5 or 0.75 g L−1 of NaNO3, injection of 10% (v v−1) of CO2 as well as 0, 40 and 120 ppm of fly ashes were studied. The protein content was not impaired in cultivations with 0.75 g L−1 of NaNO3 since nitrogen was not fully consumed. Nevertheless, this cultivation strategy increased carbohydrate content by up to 25%, which could be fermented to produce bioethanol. Therefore, Chlorella fusca presented not only potential for CO2 biofixation and assimilation of nutrients from fly ashes but also for enhancement of carbohydrates accumulation when the nitrogen supply was reduced.
Cisplatin is an antineoplastic agent used to treat various tumors. In mammals, it can cause nephrotoxicity, tissue damage, and inflammation. The release of inflammatory mediators leads to the ...recruitment and infiltration of immune cells, particularly neutrophils, at the site of inflammation. Cisplatin is often used as an inducer of acute kidney injury (AKI) in experimental models, including zebrafish (
), due to its accumulation in kidney cells. Current protocols in larval zebrafish focus on studying its effect as an AKI inducer but ignore other systematic outcomes. In this study, cisplatin was added directly to the embryonic medium to assess its toxicity and impact on systemic inflammation using locomotor activity analysis, qPCR, microscopy, and flow cytometry. Our data showed that larvae exposed to cisplatin at 7 days post-fertilization (dpf) displayed dose-dependent mortality and morphological changes, leading to a decrease in locomotion speed at 9 dpf. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin
,
, and
increased after 48 h of cisplatin exposure. Furthermore, while a decrease in the number of neutrophils was observed in the glomerular region of the pronephros, there was an increase in neutrophils throughout the entire animal after 48 h of cisplatin exposure. We demonstrate that cisplatin can have systemic effects in zebrafish larvae, including morphological and locomotory defects, increased inflammatory cytokines, and migration of neutrophils from the hematopoietic niche to other parts of the body. Therefore, this protocol can be used to induce systemic inflammation in zebrafish larvae for studying new therapies or mechanisms of action involving neutrophils.
Phenolic compounds from jussara fruit pulp (PO) were extracted and microencapsulated with maltodextrin (MD), inulin (IN), and gum arabic (GA). Subsequently, physical-chemical analysis was performed. ...The samples (PO, MD, IN, and GA) were submitted to an in vitro-simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Anthocyanin, polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity were measured before and after digestion to investigate the bioaccessibility. In addition, microcapsules were incorporated into the gelatine model-system to study the degradation kinetics. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied complemented with Dunnett and Tukey's tests (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed for bioaccessibility of anthocyanin between samples. Concerning phenolic contents, GA (44.65%) presented higher recovery percentage compared to PO (30.32%, p < 0.05). In gelatine model-system, degradation constant (k) was: GA (0.0047)> MD (0.0043)> IN (0.0039) for anthocyanins, and MD (0.0153)> IN (0.0114)> GA (0.0052) for polyphenols. The color trend observed in gelatine vary from blueto red (h°). In vitro bioaccessibility of anthocyanins and polyphenols were similar in microcapsules. The results suggest that the incorporation of microencapsulated inulin is promising as it provided protection to pigment and color during storage.
•In vitro bioaccessibility of polyphenols were similar between microcapsules.•Jussara fruit, a rich source of anthocyanins, is a promising natural dye for food industry.•Inulin microcapsules conferred color stability throughout storage.
One of the most impact issues in recent years refers to the COVID-19 pandemic, the consequences of which thousands of deaths recorded worldwide, are still inferior understood. Its impacts on the ...environment and aquatic biota constitute a fertile field of investigation. Thus, to predict the impact of the indiscriminate use of azithromycin (AZT) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in this pandemic context, we aim to assess their toxicological risks when isolated or in combination, using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system. In summary, we observed that 72 h of exposure to AZT and HCQ (alone or in binary combination, both at 2.5 μg/L) induced the reduction of total protein levels, accompanied by increased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, hydrogen peroxide, reactive oxygen species and nitrite, suggesting a REDOX imbalance and possible oxidative stress. Molecular docking analysis further supported this data by demonstrating a strong affinity of AZT and HCQ with their potential antioxidant targets (catalase and superoxide dismutase). In the protein-protein interaction network analysis, AZT showed a putative interaction with different cytochrome P450 molecules, while HCQ demonstrated interaction with caspase-3. The functional enrichment analysis also demonstrated diverse biological processes and molecular mechanisms related to the maintenance of REDOX homeostasis. Moreover, we also demonstrated an increase in the AChE activity followed by a reduction in the neuromasts of the head when zebrafish were exposed to the mixture AZT + HCQ. These data suggest a neurotoxic effect of the drugs. Altogether, our study demonstrated that short exposure to AZT, HCQ or their mixture induced physiological alterations in adult zebrafish. These effects can compromise the health of these animals, suggesting that the increase of AZT and HCQ due to COVID-19 pandemic can negatively impact freshwater ecosystems.
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•AZT and HCQ dispersed in the water are uptake by zebrafish•Zebrafish exposed to AZT and HCQ show REDOX imbalance•Combined exposure to AZT + HCQ induces cholinesterase activity in zebrafish•Superficial neuromats are affected by AZT and HCQ•Mechanisms of action of drugs are proposed by in silico analysis
Principal component analysis (PCA) is a dimensionality reduction method that has identified significant differences in older adults' motion analysis previously not detected by the discrete ...exploration of biomechanical variables. This systematic review aims to synthesize the current evidence regarding PCA use in the study of movement in older adults (kinematics and kinetics), summarizing the tasks and biomechanical variables studied. From the search results, 1685 studies were retrieved, and 19 studies were included for review. Most of the included studies evaluated gait or quiet standing. The main variables considered included spatiotemporal parameters, range of motion, and ground reaction forces. A limited number of studies analyzed other tasks. Further research should focus on the PCA application in tasks other than gait to understand older adults' movement characteristics that have not been identified by discrete analysis.
Background
The present study aimed to verify the proportion and factors associated with hospital‐acquired malnutrition in the paediatric unit of a tertiary care hospital.
Methods
A retrospective ...study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. Demographic and clinical data on children and adolescents were collected from medical records and the data regarding weight, height and z‐scores of anthropometric indicators were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) Anthro® and WHO Anthro Plus® applications. Those with weight‐for‐height z‐score (< 5 years) and a body mass index (BMI)/age z‐score (≥ 5 years) < −2 SD at admission were considered to be malnourished. Patients who presented a decrease of > 0.25 SD between the z‐score of BMI‐for‐age (BMIZ) at admission and at discharge were classified as having hospital‐acquired malnutrition. Weight loss was also evaluated and was considered significant when it was > 2% between the weight measured at admission and the one before discharge. Logistic regression analysis was performed to verify the factors associated with hospital‐acquired malnutrition.
Results
The median age was 4.7 years and the length of stay was 21 days; 26.8% of patients had significant weight loss during hospitalisation and a greater proportion had hospital‐acquired malnutrition (34.9%). Gastroenteropathies, neuropathies and malnutrition on admission were significantly associated with hospital‐acquired malnutrition.
Conclusions
The occurrence of hospital‐acquired malnutrition is still a problem in paediatric patients. Thus, providing adequate nutritional support from admission is essential when aiming to avoid deterioration of the nutritional status of paediatric patients during hospitalisation.
Key points
Hospital‐acquired malnutrition comprises a further deterioration of the patient's nutritional status in relation to their nutritional status at admission.
The present study was conducted with 473 children and adolescents admitted to a tertiary care hospital.
In the study, during hospitalisation, it was observed that a significant percentage of patients had a weight loss of > 2% and one‐third had hospital‐acquired malnutrition.
Gastroenteropathies, neuropathies and malnutrition on admission were significantly associated with hospital‐acquired malnutrition.
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