Identification of Mid-Polar and Polar AhR Agonists in Cetaceans from Korean Coastal Waters: Application of Effect-Directed Analysis with Full-Scan Screening.

Major aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists were identified in extracts of blubber, liver, and muscle from six long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus capensis) and one fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) collected from Korean coastal waters using effect-directed analysis. Results of the H4IIE-luc bioassay indicated that the polar fractions of blubber and liver extracts from the fin whale exhibited relatively high AhR-mediated potencies. Based on full-scan screening with high-resolution mass spectrometry, 37 AhR agonist candidates, spanning four use categories: pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cosmetics, and natural products, were selected. Among these, five polar AhR agonists were newly identified through toxicological confirmation. Concentrations of polar AhR agonists in cetaceans were tissue-specific, with extracts of blubber and liver containing greater concentrations than muscle extracts. Polar AhR agonists with great log KOA values (>5) were found to biomagnify in the marine food chain potentially. Polar AhR agonists contributed 8.9% of the observed AhR-mediated potencies in blubber and 49% in liver. Rutaecarpine and alantolactone contributed significantly to the total AhR-mediated potencies of blubber, whereas hydrocortisone was a major AhR contributor in the liver of the fin whale. This study is the first to identify the tissue-specific accumulation of polar AhR agonists in blubber and liver extracts of cetaceans.

Characterization of Oxidized Glycerophosphoethanolamines via Radical-Directed Dissociation Tandem Mass Spectrometry and the Paternò-Büchi Derivatization.

Oxidized glycerophosphoethanolamines (oxPEs) represent a subclass of bioactive lipids that have intricate roles in various physiological and pathological events. Conventional mass spectrometric methods cannot provide unambiguous information to locate the OH group and the sites of unsaturation. Herein, we report a combined strategy for in-depth structural characterization of oxPEs, including radical-directed dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (RDD-MS/MS) for localizing the OH group and the Paternò-Büchi derivatization coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for pinpointing carbon-carbon double-bond locations. The RDD-MS/MS method has been integrated on a reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry workflow. It enables the profiling of 24 distinct oxPE molecules with unequivocal assignment of the OH sites at nM sensitivity in bovine liver lipid extract treated by soybean 15-lipoxygenase. These findings showcase that the developed method has a good potential in analyzing biological systems where oxPEs may play important roles.

The phytochemical curcumin inhibits steroid sulfatase activity in rat liver tissue and NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cells.

Curcumin is a phytochemical derived from the spice turmeric that is reported to have therapeutic effects. We are studying the enzyme steroid sulfatase (STS), which removes the sulfate group from inactive steroid hormones in peripheral tissues and we were interested in the effect of curcumin on STS activity due to its structural composition (polyphenolic). We sought to determine if curcumin affects STS activity in two model systems, rat liver and NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. STS assays were performed on tissue extracts of rat liver, and on NIH-3T3 microsomes and cells, with and without curcumin. Male and female rat liver extracts contained substantial amounts of STS activity, with males averaging higher (4-11 %) levels. Estradiol inhibited STS activity in livers of both sexes at 20 and 10 µM. Curcumin acted as a competitive inhibitor of STS activity in rat liver extracts, with a Ki of 19.8 µM in males and 9.3 µM in females. Curcumin also inhibited STS activity in NIH-3T3 microsomes at both 20 µM and 10 µM, and in whole NIH-3T3 cells at 20 µM. These data are the first to demonstrate STS inhibition by curcumin. Inhibition of STS results in lower active steroid hormone (estrogens and androgens) levels in tissues, possibly altering modulation of immune responses by these steroids.

Activation of the xenobiotic metabolism and oxidative stress response by mixtures of organic pollutants extracted with in-tissue passive sampling from liver, kidney, brain and blubber of marine mammals.

We used in-tissue passive equilibrium sampling using the silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to transfer chemical mixtures present in organs from marine mammals with lipid contents between 2.3 and 99%into in vitro bioassays. Tissues from five harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), one harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and one orca (Orcinus orca) from the North and Baltic Seas were sampled until thermodynamic equilibrium was reached. Mixture effects were quantified with cellular reporter gene bioassays targeting the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR-CALUX), the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ-bla) and the oxidative stress response (AREc32), with parallel cytotoxicity measurements in all assays. After removing co-extracted lipids and other matrix residues with a non-destructive cleanup method (freeze-out of acetonitrile extract followed by a primary secondary amine sorbent extraction), the activation of the PPARγ and AREc32 were reduced by factors of on average 4.3 ± 0.15 (n = 22) and 2.5 ± 0.23 (n = 18), respectively, whereas the activation of the AhR remained largely unaltered: 1.1 ± 0.075 (n = 6). The liver extracts showed the highest activation, followed by the corresponding kidney and brain extracts, and the blubber extracts of the animals were the least active ones. The activation of the PPARγ by the liver extracts was reduced after cleanup by a factor of 11 ± 0.26 (n = 7) and the AREc32 activity by a factor of 1.9 ± 0.32 (n = 4). The blubber extracts did not activate the AhR up to concentrations where cytotoxicity occurred or up to an acceptable lipid volume fraction of 0.27% as derived from earlier work, whereas all liver extracts that had undergone cleanup activated the AhR. The developed in-tissue passive sampling approach allows a direct comparison of the bioassay responses between different tissues without further normalization and serves as a quantitative method suitable for biomonitoring of environmental biota samples.

Improved Annotation of Untargeted Metabolomics Data through Buffer Modifications That Shift Adduct Mass and Intensity.

Annotation of untargeted high-resolution full-scan LC-MS metabolomics data remains challenging due to individual metabolites generating multiple LC-MS peaks arising from isotopes, adducts, and fragments. Adduct annotation is a particular challenge, as the same mass difference between peaks can arise from adduct formation, fragmentation, or different biological species. To address this, here we describe a buffer modification workflow (BMW) in which the same sample is run by LC-MS in both liquid chromatography solvent with 14NH3-acetate buffer and in solvent with the buffer modified with 15NH3-formate. Buffer switching results in characteristic mass and signal intensity changes for adduct peaks, facilitating their annotation. This relatively simple and convenient chromatography modification annotated yeast metabolomics data with similar effectiveness to growing the yeast in isotope-labeled media. Application to mouse liver data annotated both known metabolite and known adduct peaks with 95% accuracy. Overall, it identified 26% of ∼27 000 liver LC-MS features as putative metabolites, of which ∼2600 showed HMDB or KEGG database formula match. This workflow is well suited to biological samples that cannot be readily isotope labeled, including plants, mammalian tissues, and tumors.

Application of a Novel Mass Spectral Data Acquisition Approach to Lipidomic Analysis of Liver Extracts from Sitaxentan-Treated Liver-Humanized PXB Mice.

The application of a data-independent acquisition (DIA) method ("SONAR") that employs a rapidly scanning quadrupole is described for the lipidomic analysis of complex biological extracts. Using this approach, the MS acquisition window can be varied between 1 and 25 Da, enabling the isolation of ions prior to their entering the collision cell. By rapidly scanning the resolving quadrupole window over a specified mass range, co-eluting precursor ions are transmitted sequentially into the collision cell, where collision energies are cycled between low and elevated levels to induce fragmentation. This method of data generation provides both precursor and fragment ion information at high specificity, allowing for greater accuracy of compound identification, whether using a database, spectral libraries, or comparison to authentic standards. The value of the approach in simplifying and "de-cluttering" the spectra of co-eluting lipids is shown with examples from lipidomic profiles obtained in investigations of the composition of organic extracts of livers obtained from SCID and chimeric liver-humanized mice administered under various experimental conditions.

Optimal conditions for cordycepin production in surface liquid-cultured Cordyceps militaris treated with porcine liver extracts for suppression of oral cancer.

Cordycepin is one of the most crucial bioactive compounds produced by Cordyceps militaris and has exhibited antitumor activity in various cancers. However, industrial production of large amounts of cordycepin is difficult. The porcine liver is abundant in proteins, vitamins, and adenosine, and these ingredients may increase cordycepin production and bioconversion during C. militaris fermentation. We observed that porcine liver extracts increased cordycepin production. In addition, air supply (2 h/d) significantly increased the cordycepin level in surface liquid-cultured C. militaris after 14 days. Moreover, blue light light-emitting diode irradiation (16 h/d) increased cordycepin production. These findings indicated that these conditions are suitable for increasing cordycepin production. We used these conditions to obtain water extract from the mycelia of surface liquid-cultured C. militaris (WECM) and evaluated the anti-oral cancer activity of this extract in vitro and in vivo. The results revealed that WECM inhibited the cell viability of SCC-4 oral cancer cells and arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction (mitochondrial fission) were observed in SCC-4 cells treated with WECM for 12 hours. Furthermore, WECM reduced tumor formation in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis through the downregulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, vascular endothelial growth factor, and c-fos expression. The results indicated that porcine liver extracts irradiated with blue light light-emitting diode and supplied with air can be used as a suitable medium for the growth of mycelia and production of cordycepin, which can be used in the treatment of oral cancer.

Analysis of cytokine immune response profile in response to inflammatory stimuli in mice with genetic defects in fetal and adult hemoglobin chain expression.

Injections of a crude fetal sheep liver extract (FSLE) containing fetal hemoglobin, MPLA, and glutathione (GSSH) reversed cytokine changes in aged mice. To investigate the role of fetal hemoglobin we derived mice with homzygous deletions for either of the two major ßchains, HgbßmaKO or HgbßmiKO. Hgbßmi is the most prominent fetal Hgbß chain, with Hgbßma more prominent in adult mice. Mice lacking another fetal Hgb chain, HgbεKO, died in utero. CHO cells transfected with cloned Hgb chains were used to produce proteins for preparation of rabbit heteroantibodes. Splenocytes from HgbßmaKO mice stimulated in vitro with Conconavalin A showed a higher IL-2:IL-4 ratio than cells from HgbßmiKO mice. Following immunization in vivo with ovalbumin in alum, HgbßmaKO mice produced less IgE than HgbßmiKO mice, suggesting that in the absence of HgbßmiKO mice had a predeliction to heightened allergic-type responses. Using CHO cells transfected with cloned Hgb chains, we found that only the fetal Hgb chain, Hgbε, was secreted at high levels. Secretion of Hgbßma or Hgbßmi chains was seen only after genetic mutation to introduce the two N-linked glycosylation sites present in Hgbε, but absent in the Hgbß chains. We speculated that a previously unanticipated biological function of a naturally secreted fetal Hgb chain may be partly responsible for the effects reported following injection of animals with fetal, not adult, Hgb. Mice receiving injections of rabbit anti-Hgbε but not either anti-Hgbßma or anti-Hgbßmi from day 14 gestation also showed a bias towards the higher IL-2:IL-4 ratios seen in HgbßmiKO mice.

Mechanisms of chromosomal aberrations induced by sesamin metabolites in Chinese hamster lung cells.

Sesamin is a major lignan in sesame seeds and oil. We previously demonstrated that sesamin induces chromosomal aberrations (CA) in Chinese hamster lung (CHL/IU) cells in the presence of a metabolic activation system (S9 mix), although no genotoxicity was detected in vivo. To clarify the mechanism of CA induction by sesamin, we identified its principal active metabolite. A mono-catechol derivative, [2-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-6-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabi-cyclo[3.3.0]octane (SC-1)], was previously identified in culture medium when sesamin was incubated with S9 mix. In the present study, we show that SC-1 induces CA in CHL/IU cells but not in human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) cells. SC-1 was unstable in culture medium. Addition of glutathione (GSH) to the incubation mixture decreased the rate of decomposition and also suppressed induction of CA in CHL/IU cells. These results indicate that SC-1 itself may not contribute to the induction of CA. Two GSH adducts of SC-1 were identified when SC-1 was incubated with GSH, suggesting that SC-1 was converted to the semiquinone/quinone form and then conjugated with GSH in the culture medium. Sodium sulfite (a quinone-responsive compound) also suppressed CA induction by SC-1. These findings strongly suggest that SC-1 is oxidized to semiquinone/quinone derivatives extracellularly in culture medium, that these derivatives are responsible for the induction of CA in CHL/IU cells, and therefore that the positive results obtained with sesamin in in vitro CA tests using CHL/IU cells may not be relevant to the assessment of in vivo activity.

Comparison of trout hepatocytes and liver S9 fractions as in vitro models for predicting hepatic clearance in fish.

Isolated hepatocytes and liver S9 fractions have been used to collect in vitro biotransformation data for fish as a means of improving modeled estimates of chemical bioaccumulation. To date, however, there have been few direct comparisons of these 2 methods. In the present study, cryopreserved trout hepatocytes were used to measure in vitro intrinsic clearance rates for 6 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These rates were extrapolated to estimates of in vivo intrinsic clearance and used as inputs to a well stirred liver model to predict hepatic clearance. Predicted rates of hepatic clearance were then evaluated by comparison with measured rates determined previously using isolated perfused livers. Hepatic clearance rates predicted using hepatocytes were in good agreement with measured values (<2.1-fold difference for 5 of 6 compounds) under 2 competing binding assumptions. These findings, which may be attributed in part to high rates of PAH metabolism, are similar to those obtained previously using data from liver S9 fractions. For 1 compound (benzo[a]pyrene), the in vivo intrinsic clearance rate calculated using S9 data was 10-fold higher than that determined using hepatocytes, possibly due to a diffusion limitation on cellular uptake. Generally, however, there was good agreement between calculated in vivo intrinsic clearance rates obtained using either in vitro test system. These results suggest that both systems can be used to improve bioaccumulation assessments for fish, particularly when vitro rates of activity are relatively high, although additional work is needed to determine if the chemical domain of applicability for each system differs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:463-471. Published 2016 SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

Which Molecular Features Affect the Intrinsic Hepatic Clearance Rate of Ionizable Organic Chemicals in Fish?

Greater knowledge of biotransformation rates for ionizable organic compounds (IOCs) in fish is required to properly assess the bioaccumulation potential of many environmentally relevant contaminants. In this study, we measured in vitro hepatic clearance rates for 50 IOCs using a pooled batch of liver S9 fractions isolated from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The IOCs included four types of strongly ionized acids (carboxylates, phenolates, sulfonates, and sulfates), three types of strongly ionized bases (primary, secondary, tertiary amines), and a pair of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). Included in this test set were several surfactants and a series of beta-blockers. For linear alkyl chain IOC analogues, biotransformation enzymes appeared to act directly on the charged terminal group, with the highest clearance rates for tertiary amines and sulfates and no clearance of QACs. Clearance rates for C12-IOCs were higher than those for C8-IOC analogues. Several analogue series with multiple alkyl chains, branched alkyl chains, aromatic rings, and nonaromatic rings were evaluated. The likelihood of multiple reaction pathways made it difficult to relate all differences in clearance to specific molecular features the tested IOCs. Future analysis of primary metabolites in the S9 assay is recommended to further elucidate biotransformation pathways for IOCs in fish.

Shotgun Lipidomics Approach to Stabilize the Regiospecificity of Monoglycerides Using a Facile Low-Temperature Derivatization Enabling Their Definitive Identification and Quantitation.

Monoglycerides play a central role in lipid metabolism and are important signaling metabolites. Quantitative analysis of monoglyceride molecular species has remained challenging due to rapid isomerization via α-hydroxy acyl migration. Herein, we describe a shotgun lipidomics approach that utilizes a single-phase methyl tert-butyl ether extraction to minimize acyl migration, a facile low temperature diacetyl derivatization to stabilize regiospecificity, and tandem mass spectrometric analysis to identify and quantify regioisomers of monoglycerides in biological samples. The rapid and robust diacetyl derivatization at low temperatures (e.g., -20 °C, 30 min) prevents postextraction acyl migration and preserves regiospecificity of monoglyceride structural isomers. Furthermore, ionization of ammonium adducts of diacetyl monoglyceride derivatives in positive-ion mode markedly increases analytic sensitivity (low fmol/µL). Critically, diacetyl derivatization enables the differentiation of discrete monoglyceride regioisomers without chromatography through their distinct signature fragmentation patterns during collision induced dissociation. The application of this approach in the analysis of monoglycerides in multiple biologic tissues demonstrated diverse profiles of molecular species. Remarkably, the regiospecificity of individual monoglyceride molecular species is also diverse from tissue to tissue. Collectively, this developed approach enables the profiling, identification and quantitation of monoglyceride regioisomers directly from tissue extracts.

Optimization of a UDP-glucuronosyltransferase assay for trout liver S9 fractions: activity enhancement by alamethicin, a pore-forming peptide.

1. An existing assay for UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) activity in trout liver microsomes was optimized using trout liver S9 fractions. Individual experiments were conducted to determine the time dependence of UGT activity as well as optimal levels of S9 protein, uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA), substrate (p-nitrophenol) and alamethicin, a pore-forming agent added to eliminate latency. 2. Addition of Mg2+ (to 1 mM) or bovine serum albumin (BSA; to 2% w/v) had variable effects on activity, but these effects were minor. Eliminating alamethicin from the system resulted in very low levels of activity. A portion of this activity could be recovered by adding Triton X-100 or Brij 58; however, the optimal concentration range for either detergent was very narrow. 3. When expressed on a pmol/min/g liver basis, UGT activities determined using this updated assay were substantially higher than those reported previously for uninduced trout. 4. These results clearly demonstrate the advantages of using alamethicin for the removal of latency in UGT activity studies with trout and may have broad implications for the study of UGTs in other fish species.

Developmental Stage-Specific Embryonic Induction of HepG2 Cell Differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Although hepatocellular carcinoma cells can sometimes undergo differentiation in an embryonic microenvironment, the mechanism is poorly understood. AIM: The developmental stage-specific embryonic induction of tumor cell differentiation was investigated. METHODS: Both chick and mouse liver extracts and hepatoblast-enriched cells at different developmental stages were used to treat human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and the effects on the induction of differentiation were evaluated. The nuclear factors controlling differentiation, hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-4α, HNF-1α, HNF-6 and upstream stimulatory factor-1 (USF-1), and the oncogene Myc and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were measured. HNF-4α RNA interference was used to verify the role of HNF-4α. Embryonic induction effects were further tested in vivo by injecting HepG2 tumor cells into immunodeficient nude mice. RESULTS: The 9-11-days chick liver extracts and 13.5-14.5-days mouse hepatoblast-enriched cells could inhibit proliferation and induce differentiation of HepG2 cells, leading to either death or maturation to hepatocytes. The maturation of surviving HepG2 cells was confirmed by increases in the expressions of HNF-4α, HNF-1α, HNF-6, and USF-1, and decreases in Myc and AFP. The embryonic induction of HepG2 cell maturation could be attenuated by HNF-4α RNA interference. Furthermore, the 13.5-days mouse hepatoblast culture completely eliminated HepG2 tumors with inhibited Myc and induced HNF-4α, confirming this embryonic induction effect in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that developmental stage-specific embryonic induction of HepG2 cell differentiation might help in understanding embryonic differentiation and oncogenesis.

[DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN UMBILICAL CORD MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS INTO HEPATOCYTES INDUCED BY RAT FIBROTIC LIVER TISSUE EXTRACTS].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differentiation potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs) into hepatocytes induced by rat fibrotic liver tissue extracts. METHODS: Liver fibrosis was induced in the Sprague Dawley rats (weighting, 180-220 g) by repeated intraperitoneal injections of 3% thioacetamide-saline at a dose of 200 mg/kg twice a week for 4 weeks; fibrotic liver tissues were used to prepare liver homogenate supernatants. The HUCMSCs at passage 3 were cultured in DMEM/F12 with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (control group) and in DMEM/F12 with 10% FBS and 50 g/L liver homogenate supernatants (experimental group) for 7 days. The morphological changes of the cells were recorded; the protein levels of cytokeratin 18 (CK18), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), and CYP3A4 were measured using Western blot. The glycogen storing ability of the cells was detected by periodic acid-schiff (PAS) staining. Furthermore, the synthesis of albumin (ALB) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was measured. RESULTS: In experimental group, after 1 day of induction, the stem cells of fusiform shape began to lose sharp edges and progressively shrunk, and then they changed into hepatocyte-like cells with round and irregular shape at 7 days. Positive expressions of AFP, CK18, and CYP3A4 were observed in the experimental group, but negative expression in the control group. The concentrations of BUN and ALB were (0.43 ± 0.07) mmol/L and (8.08 ± 0.41) µg/mL in the control group and were (2.52 ± 0.20) mmol/L and (41.48 ± 4.11) µg/mL in the experimental group, showing significant differences (t=24.160, P = 0.000; t = 19.810, P = 0.000). PAS staining results showed navy blue nucleus and lavender cytoplasm in the control group, but dark purple cell body and visible nucleus in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: HUCMSCs could differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells induced by rat fibrotic liver tissue extracts, which have hepatocyte biomarkers (AFP, CK18, and CYP3A4) and hepatocyte-specific functions of glycogen storage, urea production and ALB secretion, so they could partially replace the function of hepatocytes, that may be one of the therapeutic mechanisms of stem cell transplantation.

Identification of compounds from high-fat and extra virgin olive oil-supplemented diets in whole mouse liver extracts and isolated mitochondria using mass spectrometry.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a fatty liver disorder that could be improved with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) supplementation in diet. We propose the monitoring, in whole mouse liver extracts and in isolated mitochondria, of the absorption of compounds from three different diets: standard (CT), high-fat (HFD) and high-fat supplemented with EVOO (HFSO). Male mice were submitted to one of the following three diets: CT or HFD for 16 weeks or HFD for 8 weeks followed by additional 8 weeks with HFSO. Following this period, liver was extracted for histological evaluation, mitochondria isolation and mass spectrometry analyses. Diets, liver extracts and Percoll-purified mitochondria were analyzed using ESI-MS and the lipidomics approach. Morphological, histological and spectrometric results indicated a decrease in NASH severity with EVOO supplementation in comparison with animals maintained with HFD. Spectrometric data also demonstrated that some compounds presented on the diets are absorbed by the mitochondria. EVOO was shown to be a potential therapeutic alternative in food for NASH. Our results are in accordance with the proposition that the major factor that influences different responses to diets is their composition - and not only calories - especially when it comes to studies on obesity.

Toxic Identification and Evaluation of Androgen Receptor Antagonistic Activities in Acid-Treated Liver Extracts of High-Trophic Level Wild Animals from Japan.

Sulfuric acid-treated liver extracts of representative high-trophic level Japanese animals were analyzed by toxic identification and evaluation (TIE) with chemically activated luciferase expression (CALUX) and chemical analysis to elucidate androgen receptor (AR) antagonistic activities and potential contributions of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The activities were detected in striped dolphins (n = 5), Stejneger's beaked whales (n = 6), golden eagle (n = 1), and Steller's sea eagle (n = 1) with CALUX-flutamide equivalents (FluEQs) as follow: 38 (20-52), 47 (21-96), 5.0, and 80 µg FluEQ/g-lipid, respectively. The AR antagonism was detected in limited number of specimens at lower levels for finless porpoise, raccoon dog, and common cormorant. Theoretical activities (Theo-FluEQs) were calculated using the concentration of OCPs and PCBs and their IC25-based relative potency (REP) values. These total contribution to CALUX-FluEQ was 126%, 84%, 53%, 55%, and 44% for striped dolphin, Steller's sea eagle, Stejneger's beaked whale, finless porpoise, and golden eagle, respectively, and the main contributor was p,p'-DDE. However, most of the activities for raccoon dog (7.6%) and common cormorant (17%) could not be explained by OCPs and PCBs. This suggests other unknown compounds could function as AR antagonists in these terrestrial species.

A comparison of the chemical and liver extract-induced hepatic differentiation of adipose derived stem cells.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been put forward as promising therapeutics for end-stage liver disease (ESLD). In the present study, we compared the effects of defined chemicals and liver extract on the hepatic differentiation of ADSCs. ADSCs were isolated according to the method described in our previously published study. Subsequently, the differentiation of ADSCs was induced separately by chemicals (including hepatic growth factor (HGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and oncostatin M (OSM)) and liver extract (30 µg/ml) in a total period of 21 d. The efficiency of hepatic differentiation was evaluated by changes in the cell morphology, gene expression, and cellular function. The results showed that the liver extract promoted the hepatic differentiation of ADSCs to a significantly greater extent than the chemicals. In the group of ADSCs treated with liver extract, changes in the cell morphology began sooner, and the expression of alpha-FP and albumin genes was higher than that in the chemically treated group. The ADSCs in both the groups stained positive for anti-alpha trypsin (AAT) and albumin markers. The cells also exhibited glycogen storage capacity. Therefore, we concluded that the liver extract could efficiently induce the differentiation of ADSCs into hepatocyte-like cells. This study reveals the potential of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation in the liver extract, which supports further preclinical and clinical research on the application of ADSCs in ESLD treatment.

Concentration dependence of biotransformation in fish liver S9: Optimizing substrate concentrations to estimate hepatic clearance for bioaccumulation assessment.

In vitro bioassays to estimate biotransformation rate constants of contaminants in fish are currently being investigated to improve bioaccumulation assessments of hydrophobic contaminants. The present study investigates the relationship between chemical substrate concentration and in vitro biotransformation rate of 4 environmental contaminants (9-methylanthracene, pyrene, chrysene, and benzo[a]pyrene) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) liver S9 fractions and methods to determine maximum first-order biotransformation rate constants. Substrate depletion experiments using a series of initial substrate concentrations showed that in vitro biotransformation rates exhibit strong concentration dependence, consistent with a Michaelis-Menten kinetic model. The results indicate that depletion rate constants measured at initial substrate concentrations of 1 µM (a current convention) could underestimate the in vitro biotransformation potential and may cause bioconcentration factors to be overestimated if in vitro biotransformation rates are used to assess bioconcentration factors in fish. Depletion rate constants measured using thin-film sorbent dosing experiments were not statistically different from the maximum depletion rate constants derived using a series of solvent delivery-based depletion experiments for 3 of the 4 test chemicals. Multiple solvent delivery-based depletion experiments at a range of initial concentrations are recommended for determining the concentration dependence of in vitro biotransformation rates in fish liver fractions, whereas a single sorbent phase dosing experiment may be able to provide reasonable approximations of maximum depletion rates of very hydrophobic substances.

Homeopathic Oscillococcinum® for preventing and treating influenza and influenza-like illness.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a highly infectious viral disease that is particularly common in the winter months. Oscillococcinum® is a patented homeopathic medicine that is made from a 1% solution of wild duck heart and liver extract, which is then serially diluted 200 times with water and alcohol. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether homeopathic Oscillococcinum® is more effective than placebo in the prevention and/or treatment of influenza and influenza-like illness in adults or children. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL (2014, Issue 8), MEDLINE (1966 to August week 4, 2014), MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations (4 September 2014), AMED (2006 to September 2014), Web of Science (1985 to September 2014), LILACS (1985 to September 2014) and EMBASE (1980 to September 2014). We contacted the manufacturers of Oscillococcinum® for information on further trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised, placebo-controlled trials of Oscillococcinum® in the prevention and/or treatment of influenza and influenza-like illness in adults or children. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three review authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias in the eligible trials. MAIN RESULTS: No new trials were included in this 2014 update. We included six studies: two prophylaxis trials (327 young to middle-aged adults in Russia) and four treatment trials (1196 teenagers and adults in France and Germany). The overall standard of trial reporting was poor and hence many important methodological aspects of the trials had unclear risk of bias. There was no statistically significant difference between the effects of Oscillococcinum® and placebo in the prevention of influenza-like illness: risk ratio (RR) 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17 to 1.34, P value = 0.16. Two treatment trials (judged as 'low quality') reported sufficient information to allow full data extraction: 48 hours after commencing treatment, there was an absolute risk reduction of 7.7% in the frequency of symptom relief with Oscillococcinum® compared with that of placebo (risk difference (RD) 0.077, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.12); the RR was 1.86 (95% CI 1.27 to 2.73; P value = 0.001). A significant but lesser effect was observed at three days (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.56; P value = 0.03), and no significant difference between the groups was noted at four days (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.27; P value = 0.10) or at five days (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.16; P value = 0.25). One of the six studies reported one patient who suffered an adverse effect (headache) from taking Oscillococcinum®. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient good evidence to enable robust conclusions to be made about Oscillococcinum® in the prevention or treatment of influenza and influenza-like illness. Our findings do not rule out the possibility that Oscillococcinum® could have a clinically useful treatment effect but, given the low quality of the eligible studies, the evidence is not compelling. There was no evidence of clinically important harms due to Oscillococcinum®.