Encapsulation of Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837 in Alginate-Na Beads as a Tomato Seedling Inoculant.

Encapsulation is an immobilization method characterized by restricting microbial cells to a delimited area while preserving their metabolic viability. This technique represents an alternative to improve the adaptive capacity of bacteria in the face of interactions with native microorganisms and environmental factors that limit their inoculation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837 encapsulated in alginate-Na beads as an inoculant of tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L) seedlings. Two inoculation treatments were carried out: liquid and encapsulated, and the control without microorganisms. Physiological variables, microbial viability, and the presence of A. vinelandii were determined by qPCR. Inoculation with A. vinelandii in liquid and encapsulated form favored seedling growth. Plants with the encapsulated inoculum significantly increased germination percentage (20%), stem diameter (38%), seedling height (34%), root length (69%), NO3 concentration (41%), and Na (30%); compared to the control. Encapsulation of A. vinelandii in alginate-Na macrocapsules allowed its establishment in the rhizosphere and was corroborated by viable count and molecular methods. The viability of the bacteria was maintained for 28 days using both inoculation methods, and not detected in the control treatment.

Nuclear abnormalities in umbilical cord blood lymphocytes of newborns from the Ahome and Guasave municipalities in Sinaloa, Mexico.

AIM: We measured the frequency of nuclear abnormalities of 210 blood samples from the umbilical cord, since human fetuses are exposed to environmental mixtures of pesticides that induce DNA damage. METHODS: The determinations were made through the micronucleus assay test in lymphocytes from the umbilical cord blood of newborns whose mothers live in Ahome (n = 105) and Guasave (n = 105), Sinaloa, Mexico. RESULTS: The average frequency of anomalies in 1000 cells were, respectively: micronucleus 0.4 vs. 2.9, pyknotic cells 18.3 vs. 109.2, chromatin condensation 7.7 vs. 150.1, karyolitic cells 1.8 vs. 24.4, and binucleated cells 4.9 vs. 74.6. The calculated Pearson correlation factors of nuclear abnormality frequencies between both municipalities were low and negative, suggesting that they did not correlate between the Ahome and Guasave newborns and indicating a higher number of mothers exposed in Guasave. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that monitoring nuclear abnormalities in umbilical cord blood samples could be a useful tool to identify transplacental mutagens perfusion that is being discharged into the local environment.

In vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Furia®180 SC (zeta-cypermethrin) and Bulldock 125®SC (ß-cyfluthrin) pyrethroid insecticides in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

In the present study, human peripheral blood lymphocytes were exposed in vitro to 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 µg/mL Furia®180 SC (zeta-cypermethrin) and 0, 6.3, 12.5, 18.8, 25, and 31.3 µg/mL Bulldock®125 SC (ß-cyfluthrin). Exposure to 32 µg/mL bleomycin for 24 h served as a positive control. The cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of each insecticide were analyzed using alkaline comet and trypan blue dye exclusion assays. DNA damage was evaluated through three genotoxicity parameters: tail length (TL), tail moment (TM) and tail intensity (TI). Furia®180 SC and Bulldock®125 SC pyrethroid insecticides and bleomycin significantly increased DNA damage in a concentration-dependent manner. Bulldock®125 SC induced more DNA damage than Furia. Lymphocyte viability did not change after exposure to different concentrations of the two pyrethroid insecticides and bleomycin. Moreover, genotoxic results demonstrated that Furia®180 SC and Bulldock®125 SC insecticides caused in vitro DNA damage in human peripheral lymphocytes.

Inverse correlation among organochlorine pesticide levels to total lipid serum contents: a preliminary study in Veracruz, México.

Organochlorine pesticides, due to their hydrophobic nature and persistence, accumulate in tissues rich in lipids, which had been used as a biomarker for environmental pollution. In humans, organochlorine pesticides are continuously circulating and equilibrating among body compartments. The objective of the study was to evaluate the concentrations of organochlorine pesticides in blood serum and compare their levels to the total lipid contents in Veracruz, México inhabitants. Our hypothesis is that concentrations of organochlorine pesticides will increase just as lipid concentrations. Levels of organochlorine pesticides were divided in ascending tertils according to their total lipid content. The linear trend model applied surprisingly reveals that the average level of all organochlorine pesticides decreases as the lipid concentration increases. From one tertil to the next ß-HCH, it shows a decrease of -3.19 mg kg(-1) on lipid basis, pp.'DDE levels decrease by -3.70 mg kg(-1) on lipid basis and pp.'DDT levels decrease -1.13 mg kg(-1) on lipid basis. We conclude that the levels and the orderly sequence of organochlorine pesticide distributions in the blood serum maintain an inverse relationship to total lipid blood serum concentrations.

Micro problems with macro consequences: accumulation of persistent organic pollutants and microplastics in human breast milk and in human milk substitutes.

Industrial activities provide a modern human lifestyle with advances and comforts in every field. However, such scenario has brought several negative issues. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and a growing plastic usage together with the degradation byproducts, namely microplastics (MPs), are current environmental problems present in every ecosystem, disturbing all forms of life. POPs and MPs are also found in human consumption products including animal and vegetal derivatives, human milk substitutes, and in human breast milk. To date, it is currently unknown what are the effects of MPs and POPs when ingested during the first and most important stage for health programming of the offspring, the first 1000 days of life. Here, we add epidemiological and clinical evidence supporting major sources of POPs and MPs in the ecosystem; and we will precisely describe the effect of POP and MP accumulation in animal- or plant-based infant formulas and human breast milk, modulating health outcomes in the newborn. This review provides a rational to incentive the POP and MP identification in human breast milk and human milk substitutes for avoiding susceptibility to negative health outcomes for the newborn.

Preterm Delivery in Obese Mothers Predicts Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Levels in Breast Milk.

Background: Breast milk (BM) is a nutritive fluid that is rich in bioactive components such as hormones and cytokines that can shape the newborn's feeding habits and program the newborn's immature immune system. BM components can change under different scenarios that include maternal body mass index (BMI) and premature birth. This study aimed to study the interaction of premature status or maternal obesity on the hormonal and cytokine profile in BM according to the sex of the offspring. Materials and Methods: We recruited 31 women with preterm births from the Centro de Alta Especialidad Dr. Rafael Lucio in Mexico. Luminex multiplexing assay was used for quantifying cytokine profile of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)1-ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, and hormones insulin, ghrelin, leptin, and glucagon in mature BM samples. Biological modeling was performed to predict the interaction between cytokines and hormones, maternal BMI status, infant birth sex, parity, and gestational age. Results: BM multiplex analysis showed positive correlations for TNF-α and increasing prematurity and for higher maternal BMI and IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6 cytokines. Multiple regression models identified an interaction between maternal BMI and gestational weeks in male infants that is associated to TNF-α accumulation in BM. Biological modeling predicts that preterm delivery in mothers with obesity modulates TNF- α levels in mature BM of women with male offspring. Conclusion: Prematurity and obesity modify BM's immune profile. TNF- α expression increases as prematurity increases, and maternal BMI correlates positively with increases in IL-2, IL-6, and IL-4. Our multiple regression model also shows that maternal BMI and gestational weeks in male infants predict TNF-α.

Breast Milk and the Importance of Chrononutrition.

During pregnancy the human fetus receives timed cues from the circadian rhythms of temperature, metabolites, and hormones from the mother. This influence is interrupted after parturition, the infant does not secrete melatonin and their circadian rhythms are still immature. However, evolution provided the solution to this problem. The newborn can continue receiving the mother's timed cues through breastmilk. Colostrum, transitional, and mature human milk are extraordinary complex biofluids that besides nutrients, contain an array of other non-nutritive components. Upon birth the first milk, colostrum, is rich in bioactive, immunological factors, and in complex oligosaccharides which help the proper establishment of the microbiome in the gut, which is crucial for the infants' health. Hormones, such as glucocorticoids and melatonin, transfer from the mother's plasma to milk, and then the infant is exposed to circadian cues from their mother. Also, milk components of fat, proteins, amino acids, and endogenous cannabinoids, among others, have a markedly different concentration between day and night. In the present review, we give an overview of nutritive and non-nutritive components and their daily rhythms in human milk and explore their physiological importance for the infant. Finally, we highlight some interventions with a circadian approach that emphasize the importance of circadian rhythms in the newborn for their survival, proper growth, and development. It is estimated that ~600,000 deaths/year are due to suboptimal breastfeeding. It is advisable to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding, during the day and night, as was established by the evolution of our species.

Expression Analysis of miRNAs and Their Potential Role as Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer Detection.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cancer diagnosed in men worldwide. The detection methods for PCa are either unreliable, like prostate-specific antigen (PSA), or extremely invasive, such as in the case of biopsies. Therefore, there is an urgent necessity for reliable and less invasive detection procedures that can differentiate between patients with benign diseases and those with cancer. In this matter, microRNAs (miRNAs) are suggested as potential biomarkers for cancer. MiRNAs have been found to be dysregulated in several different cancers, and these genetic alterations may present specific signatures for a given malignancy. Here, we examined the expression of miR141-3p, miR145-5p, miR146a-5p, and miR148b-3p in human tissue samples of PCa (n = 41) and benign prostatic diseases (BPD) (n = 30) using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We combined the expression results with patient clinicopathological characteristics in logistic regression models to create accurate PCa predictive models. A model including information of miR148b-3p and patient age showed relevant prediction results (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.818, precision = 0.763, specificity = 0.762, and accuracy = 0.762). A model including all four miRNAs and patient age presented outstanding prediction results (AUC = 0.918, precision = 0.861, specificity = 0.861, and accuracy = 0.857). Our results represent a potential novel procedure based on logistic regression models that utilize miRNA expressions and patient age to assist with PCa diagnosis.

Applying the Global Monitoring Plan and analysis of POPs results in atmospheric air in Mexico (2017-2018).

Air is one of the target matrices of the Global Monitoring Plan (GMP) of the Stockholm Convention to determine concentrations and transport of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Mexico participates in the GMP for POPs in ambient air through the AIR-Global Environment Facility (GEF) program. The objective of this study was to analyze the results of POPs monitoring of air samples collected in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, between 2017 and 2018. Passive samplers were used for the determination of chlorinated basic POPs, indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (Ind. PCBs), polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs). A principal component analysis was applied to determine relationships between pollutants and groups present in the ambient air of the rural study area. Of the total POPs analyzed, 85.56% were detected in ambient air samples from Mexico. Organochlorine compounds, as DDT derivatives, were identified mainly, as well as PBDEs, PCDDs, and PCDFs. The prevalence of compounds differed according to the seasonality of sampling, with no change in average concentration between monitoring years.

Breastfeeding Contributes to Physiological Immune Programming in the Newborn.

The first 1,000 days in the life of a human being are a vulnerable stage where early stimuli may program adverse health outcomes in future life. Proper maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy modulates the development of the fetus, a physiological process known as fetal programming. Defective programming promotes non-communicable chronic diseases in the newborn which might be prevented by postnatal interventions such as breastfeeding. Breast milk provides distinct bioactive molecules that contribute to immune maturation, organ development, and healthy microbial gut colonization, and also secures a proper immunological response that protects against infection and inflammation in the newborn. The gut microbiome provides the most critical immune microbial stimulation in the newborn in early life, allowing a well-trained immune system and efficient metabolic settings in healthy subjects. Conversely, negative fetal programming by exposing mothers to diets rich in fat and sugar has profound effects on breast milk composition and alters the immune profiles in the newborn. At this new stage, newborns become vulnerable to immune compromise, favoring susceptibility to defective microbial gut colonization and immune response. This review will focus on the importance of breastfeeding and its immunological biocomponents that allow physiological immune programming in the newborn. We will highlight the importance of immunological settings by breastfeeding, allowing proper microbial gut colonization in the newborn as a window of opportunity to secure effective immunological response.

Clothianidin and Thiacloprid Mixture Administration Induces Degenerative Damage in the Dentate Gyrus and Alteration in Short-Term Memory in Rats.

Neonicotinoids are pesticides that act as agonists of nicotinic receptors for acetylcholine in insects' central nervous system (CNS). Chronic exposure to neonicotinoids in humans is related to autism, memory loss, and finger tremor. In this article, we evaluate the effect of subchronic oral administration of two neonicotinoids in the same mixture: clothianidin and thiacloprid. Decreasing doses of both pesticides were administered to rats starting from the lethal dose 50 (LD50) reported by the manufacturer. Our results indicate that the administration of three doses of decreasing amounts of LD50 (5/10, 4/10, and 3/10 LD50) resulted in 100% death in all cases. Ten administration times of 2/10 LD50 of the mixture caused only 20% of death cases after twenty-seven days, which was determined as a subchronic administration scheme. The animals administered 2/10 LD50 showed behavioral alterations after the first and second administration. Electrographic studies showed abnormal discharge patterns in the CNS. 72 h after the tenth dose, learning and memory tests were performed in the Morris water maze. Our results revealed significant decreases in permanence at the quadrant and the number of crosses (P=0.0447, P=0.0193, respectively), which represent alterations in the short-term memory test, but there were no significant changes in a long-term memory test. Likewise, the brains of these animals showed tissue architecture loss, nucleosomal retraction, and a significant increase in the pycnosis of the granular neurons of the dentate gyrus analyzed at 72 h after the last dose (P=0.0125). Toxic effects and cognitive deterioration that have been found in communities living near contaminated areas are probably related to the agricultural use of neonicotinoids.

Growth, respiratory activity and chlorpyrifos biodegradation in cultures of Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837.

This study aimed to evaluate the growth, respiratory activity, and biodegradation of chlorpyrifos in cultures of Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837. A strategy based on the modification of culture media and aeration conditions was carried out to increase the cell concentration of A. vinelandii, in order to favor and determine its tolerance to chlorpyrifos and its degradation ability. The culture in shaken flasks, using sucrose as a carbon source, significantly improved the growth compared to media with mannitol. When the strain was cultivated under oxygen-limited (5.5, 11.25 mmol L-1 h-1) and no-oxygen-limited conditions (22 mmol L-1 h-1), the growth parameters were not affected. In cultures in a liquid medium with chlorpyrifos, the bacteria tolerated a high pesticide concentration (500 ppm) and the growth parameters were improved even under conditions with a reduced carbon source (sucrose 2 g L-1). The strain degraded 99.6% of chlorpyrifos at 60 h of cultivation, in co-metabolism with sucrose; notably, A. vinelandii ATCC 12837 reduced by 50% the initial pesticide concentration in only 6 h (DT50).

First report of a Mexican family with mutation in the CDH1 gene.

BACKGROUND: Germline mutations in E-cadherin (CDH1) gene are associated with autosomal-dominantly inherited cancer syndrome characterized by diffuse gastric cancer, lobular breast cancer, and in some families, cleft lip/palate. However, there may be generations in which these neoplasms do not occur at all in a family and later on, one or another carcinoma arises, which makes it difficult for physicians to think about hereditary origin. METHODS: We report the first Mexican family with CDH1 mutation (variant c.377del). RESULTS: An asymptomatic young woman underwent a search for mutations in susceptibility genes for breast cancer due to the history of this neoplasm in her mother and maternal aunt. A CDH1 mutation was detected. After an endoscopy, a diffuse gastric carcinoma was found. Later on, three generations of this family were studied. The findings are presented. CONCLUSION: Medical communities should be aware of the contribution of this gene in the development of hereditary diffuse gastric carcinoma (HDGC) and breast cancer.

Induced cytotoxic damage by exposure to gasoline vapors: a study in Sinaloa, Mexico.

Gasoline is a blend of organic compounds used in internal combustion engines. Gasoline-station attendants are exposed to gasoline vapors, which pose a potentially mutagenic risk. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, exposure to gasoline and engine exhaust is possibly carcinogenic to humans. We determined the frequency of micronucleus and other nuclear abnormalities, such as pyknotic nuclei, chromatin condensation, cells with nuclear buds, karyolytic cells, karyorrhexis, and binucleated cells in buccal mucosal smears of 60 gasoline-station attendants and 60 unexposed controls. In addition, we explored if factors such as smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and worked years exert an additional synergistic cytotoxic effect. There were statistically significant higher frequencies (p < 0.05) of nuclear abnormalities among exposed attendants compared to the controls. No statistical significant (p > 0.05) additional effect of lifestyle habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption or worked years on the cytotoxicity was observed. The results showed that from the beginning exposure to gasoline vapors increased the frequency of nuclear abnormalities in buccal epithelial cells. Our results provide valuable information on cytotoxic damage for an early pre-symptomatic diagnosis.

Cytogenetic biomonitoring of occupationally exposed workers to ashes from burning of sugar cane in Ahome, Sinaloa, México.

Burning the sugar cane field before harvesting has a negative impact on both air and human health, however this issue had not been explored in Mexico. The objective of this work was to determine the chromosomal damage in workers from sugar cane burning fields in Sinaloa, México. To this purpose, we analyzed 1000 cells of buccal exfoliated epithelia from 60 exposed workers and 60 non-exposed controls to determine micronucleus frequencies and other nuclear abnormalities. The results indicated significant higher values of micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities such as binucleate cells, pyknosis, karyolysis, chromatin condensation and nuclear buds frequencies in the exposed subjects compared to those that were not exposed. Our data indicates that sugar cane burning, that generates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, represents a genotoxic risk for workers in this important sugar cane producing area in Mexico.

Evaluation of genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in human peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed in vitro to neonicotinoid insecticides news.

Calypso (thiacloprid), Poncho (clothianidin), Gaucho (imidacloprid), and Jade (imidacloprid) are commercial neonicotinoid insecticides, a new class of agrochemicals in México. However, genotoxic and cytotoxic studies have not been performed. In the present study, human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were exposed in vitro to different concentrations of the four insecticides. The genotoxic and cytotoxic effects were evaluated using the alkaline comet and trypan blue dye exclusion assays. DNA damage was evaluated using two genotoxicity parameters: tail length and comet frequency. Exposure to 9.5 × 10(-6) to 5.7 × 10(-5) M Jade; 2.8 × 10(-4) to 1.7 × 10(-3) M Gaucho; 0.6 × 10(-1) to 1.4 × 10(-1) M Calypso; 1.2 × 10(-1) to 9.5 × 10(-1) M Poncho for 2 h induced a significant increase DNA damage with a concentration-dependent relationship. Jade was the most genotoxic of the four insecticides studied. Cytotoxicity was observed in cells exposed to 18 × 10(-3) M Jade, 2.0 × 10(-3) M Gaucho, 2.0 × 10(-1) M Calypso, 1.07 M Poncho, and cell death occurred at 30 × 10(-3) M Jade, 3.3 × 10(-3) M Gaucho, 2.8 × 10(-1) M Calypso, and 1.42 M Poncho. This study provides the first report of genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in PBL following in vitro exposure to commercial neonicotinoid insecticides.

Genotoxic biomonitoring of agricultural workers exposed to pesticides in the north of Sinaloa State, Mexico.

Genotoxic damage was evaluated in 70 agricultural workers, 25 women and 45 men, exposed to pesticides in Las Grullas, Ahome, Sinaloa, Mexico, with an average of 7 years of exposure. The effect was detected through the sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in lymphocytes of peripheral blood and micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear anomalies (NA) in buccal exfoliated cells. Also, the influence on cellular proliferation kinetics (CPK) was studied by means of the replication index (RI) and the cytotoxic effect was examined with the mitotic index (MI). The non-exposed group consisted of 70 other persons, 21 women and 47 men from the city of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Significant differences between the exposed and the non-exposed groups were observed in SCE, CPK, MI, MN and NA. Analysis of variance revealed that age, gender, smoking and alcohol consumption did not have a significant effect on genetic damage. However, there was a correlation between exposure time to pesticides and SCE frequency. These results could have been due to the exposure of workers to pesticides containing different chemical compounds. This study afforded valuable data to estimate the possible risk to health associated with pesticide exposure.