Comparative study of diesel and biodiesel exhausts on lung oxidative stress and genotoxicity in rats.

The contribution of diesel exhaust to atmospheric pollution is a major concern for public health, especially in terms of occurrence of lung cancers. The present study aimed at addressing the toxic effects of a repeated exposure to these emissions in an animal study performed under strictly controlled conditions. Rats were repeatedly exposed to the exhaust of diesel engine. Parameters such as the presence of a particle filter or the use of gasoil containing rapeseed methyl ester were investigated. Various biological parameters were monitored in the lungs to assess the toxic and genotoxic effects of the exposure. First, a transcriptomic analysis showed that some pathways related to DNA repair and cell cycle were affected to a limited extent by diesel but even less by biodiesel. In agreement with occurrence of a limited genotoxic stress in the lungs of diesel-exposed animals, small induction of γ-H2AX and acrolein adducts was observed but not of bulky adducts and 8-oxodGuo. Unexpected results were obtained in the study of the effect of the particle filter. Indeed, exhausts collected downstream of the particle filter led to a slightly higher induction of a series of genes than those collected upstream. This result was in agreement with the formation of acrolein adducts and γH2AX. On the contrary, induction of oxidative stress remained very limited since only SOD was found to be induced and only when rats were exposed to biodiesel exhaust collected upstream of the particle filter. Parameters related to telomeres were identical in all groups. In summary, our results point to a limited accumulation of damage in lungs following repeated exposure to diesel exhausts when modern engines and relevant fuels are used. Yet, a few significant effects are still observed, mostly after the particle filter, suggesting a remaining toxicity associated with the gaseous or nano-particular phases.

Mycoflora and multimycotoxin detection in corn silage: experimental study.

Agricultural activities involve the use of crop preservation such as "trench-type" silo, which can sometimes be contaminated by fungi. To investigate the exposure of livestock and farm workers to fungal spores and mycotoxins, a multimycotoxin analysis method has been developed. Six mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, citrinin, deoxynivalenol, gliotoxin, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone) were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction. An experimental study of fungal species and mycotoxins was conducted in corn silage (Normandy, France) during 9 months of monitoring. The results indicated the recurrence of around 20 different species, with some of them being potentially toxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Fusarium verticillioides, and Monascus ruber, and the detection of aflatoxin B1 (4-34 ppb), citrinin (4-25 ppb), zearalenone (23-41 ppb), and deoxynivalenol (100-213 ppb). This suggested a possible chronic exposure to low levels of mycotoxins.

Characterization of the t(14;18) BCL2-IGH translocation in farmers occupationally exposed to pesticides.

Increasing incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been associated repeatedly with farming occupation and particular attention focused on the role of pesticide exposure to potentially explain part of this trend. A genetic hallmark of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the presence of recurrent chromosomal translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene. Of these, the t(14;18), which deregulates BCL2 expression and inhibits apoptosis, is the most frequent in follicular lymphoma and has been detected consistently in peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy individuals. As BCL2-IGH translocation represents an early step of the malignant process, we evaluated the occurrence and molecular characteristics of BCL2-IGH translocation in 56 individuals occupationally exposed to pesticides in open field farming They were selected from a representative cohort of farmers with a well-defined assessment of pesticide exposure taking into account potential confounding factors, smoking, sunlight, and age. Our results suggest that occupational exposure to pesticides would increase BCL2-IGH prevalence together with the frequency of BCL2-IGH-bearing cells especially during the high pesticide use period. Distribution of BCL2 or IGH breakpoint positions seemed to be independent of pesticide exposure and was similar to those found in other healthy populations or lymphoma patients. Finally, these results provide additional evidence that BCL2-IGH translocation measurements could be a measure of acquired genetic instability in relation to genotoxic exposure in a gene directly relevant in term of lymphomagenesis.

Measurement of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine in peripheral blood mononuclear cells: optimisation and application to samples from a case-control study on cancers of the oesophagus and cardia.

8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) is a widely used biomarker to evaluate the level of oxidative stress. This study describes in its first part the optimisation of our analytical procedure (HPLC/electrochemical detection). Particular care was exercised to avoid artefactual oxidation and in the precision of measurement, which was evaluated with blood bags from hemochromatosis patients. The best results were obtained with a DNA extraction step using the "chaotropic method" recommended by the European Standards Committee on Oxidative DNA Damage (ESCODD). Other approaches such as anion exchange columns gave ten times as much 8-oxodG as this method. Moreover, a complete DNA hydrolysis using five different enzymes allowed improved precision. The optimised protocol was applied to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) sampled during a case-control study on cancers of the oesophagus and cardia. With 7.2 +/- 2.6 8-oxodG/10(6) 2'-deoxyguanosines (2'-dG) (mean +/- SD), patients (n = 17) showed higher levels of 8-oxodG than controls (4.9 +/- 1.9 8-oxodG/10(6) 2'-dG, n = 43, Student's t-test: p < 0.001). This difference remained significant after technical (storage, sampling period, 2'-dG levels) and individual (age, sex, smoking, alcohol) confounding factors were taken into account (p < 0.0001, Generalised Linear regression Model). To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate an increase of 8-oxodG in PBMCs of patients suffering from a cancer of the upper digestive tract. This elevated level of DNA damage in patients can raise interesting issues: is oxidative stress the cause or the result of the pathology? Could this biomarker be used to evaluate chemoprevention trials concerning digestive tract cancers?

Long-lasting airway inflammation associated with equid herpesvirus-2 in experimentally challenged horses.

The aim of this trial was to investigate the putative involvement of equid herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) in airway inflammation of adult horses. Six horses received corticosteroid treatment, before either mock infection (n=2) or EHV-2 strain LK4 inoculation (n=4). These four horses were also submitted to immunosuppression 84 days post inoculation. EHV-2 was detected by quantitative PCR in respiratory samples up to respectively 21 days and 14 days. Nested PCR, cloning and sequencing allowed the detection of five different 'field' strains throughout the trial. Neutrophils proportions were transiently increased in respiratory fluids; neutrophilia being significantly associated with concomitant EHV-2 detection. The laboratory findings reproduced in this trial were compatible with sub-clinical lower airway inflammation and suggest that EHV-2 infection should be suspected when investigating poorly-performing horses.

Histopathological lesions and DNA adducts in the liver of European flounder (Platichthys flesus) collected in the Seine estuary versus two reference estuarine systems on the French Atlantic coast.

An epidemiological survey was conducted in the Seine estuary and in two smaller and relatively preserved estuaries on the French Atlantic coast in order to estimate the occurrence of liver lesions in European flounder, Platichthys flesus, and also to seek putative risk factors for the recorded pathologies. Four hundred and seventy-eight fish of both sexes and of different size ranges were sampled in the three studied areas, 338 of which in the Seine estuary. All fish were examined for histopathological liver lesions, while DNA adducts and otoliths were analyzed on a subsample. Five categories of hepatic lesions were recorded with the following prevalence for the Seine estuary: 36.7 % inflammations, 8 % parasites (mainly encysted nematodes), 6.5 % foci of cellular alteration (FCA), 5.3 % foci of necrosis or regeneration (FNR), and 1.5 % tumors. Inflammation occurrence increased according to age, contrary to parasitic infestations and FCA which were more prevalent in young fish, notably those of <1 year old (group 0). Tumors were only observed in females of more than two winters. Females exhibited a higher prevalence of tumors (3.0 %) and FCA (6.5 %) than males (0 and 2.6 %, respectively). Parasitic and infectious lesions and FNR were equally distributed in males and females. The prevalence of FNR was also shown to vary according to sampling season, with significantly more occurrences of liver necrosis in the fish collected in summer than in spring. Spatial differences were observed with a higher occurrence of encysted parasites in flounders from the upper Seine estuary, while inflammations predominated in flounders living downstream. Temporal trends were also noted, with an increased prevalence of parasitic infestations, inflammations, and FCA in the 2002-2003 period in comparison to the 1996-1997 one. The three flounder populations from the Seine estuary (Normandy), Ster estuary (Brittany), and Bay of Veys (Normandy) showed different spectra of hepatic lesions. Flounders from the Bay of Veys had relatively few liver lesions as compared to flounders from the two other estuaries. Flounders from the Ster estuary exhibited the highest prevalence of parasites (37.2 %) and inflammations (51.1 %). Finally, FCA and liver tumors occurred at very similar levels in both flounder populations from the Seine and the Ster estuaries. Group 0 flounders inhabiting the upper Seine estuary were more prone to parasitic and pre-neoplastic hepatic lesions and had higher levels of liver DNA adducts than the older ones living downstream. It was postulated that group 0 European flounders may serve as valuable bioindicators for assessing the quality of estuarine waters and the health status of euryhaline fish populations.

Benzo[a]pyrene, aflatoxine B1 and acetaldehyde mutational patterns in TP53 gene using a functional assay: relevance to human cancer aetiology.

Mutations in the TP53 gene are the most common alterations in human tumours. TP53 mutational patterns have sometimes been linked to carcinogen exposure. In hepatocellular carcinoma, a specific G>T transversion on codon 249 is classically described as a fingerprint of aflatoxin B(1) exposure. Likewise G>T transversions in codons 157 and 158 have been related to tobacco exposure in human lung cancers. However, controversies remain about the interpretation of TP53 mutational pattern in tumours as the fingerprint of genotoxin exposure. By using a functional assay, the Functional Analysis of Separated Alleles in Yeast (FASAY), the present study depicts the mutational pattern of TP53 in normal human fibroblasts after in vitro exposure to well-known carcinogens: benzo[a]pyrene, aflatoxin B(1) and acetaldehyde. These in vitro patterns of mutations were then compared to those found in human tumours by using the IARC database of TP53 mutations. The results show that the TP53 mutational patterns found in human tumours can be only partly ascribed to genotoxin exposure. A complex interplay between the functional impact of the mutations on p53 phenotype and the cancer natural history may affect these patterns. However, our results strongly support that genotoxins exposure plays a major role in the aetiology of the considered cancers.

DNA adduct variations in non-smoking crop farmers: potential relationship with occupational exposure to pesticides?

Genotoxic impact of the occupational exposure was measured in farmers from Normandy, France. White blood cell DNA-adduct levels were measured for 116 non-smoking French crop farmers, using the (32)P-postlabelling method. A single blood sample was collected per farmer, at a randomised period of the year. Significantly higher bulky DNA-adduct levels were observed for samples collected from April to July, compared with samples collected during the other months. Agricultural practices were not significantly different between these two groups of farmers, but interestingly, the mean and the median duration without exposure to pesticides were significantly shorter for farmers sampled between April and July. These data, obtained in a homogeneous population of farmers, indicate a genotoxic impact for a sub-group, with a potential association with the use of pesticides. From the rest of the group, this study also gives for the first time additional information on the background fluctuations of this biomarker over the year.

8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine as a biomarker of oxidative damage in oesophageal cancer patients: lack of association with antioxidant vitamins and polymorphism of hOGG1 and GST.

BACKGROUND: The present report was designed to investigate the origins of elevated oxidative stress measured in cancer patients in our previous work related to a case-control study (17 cases, 43 controls) on oesophageal cancers. The aim was to characterize the relationship between the levels of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), antioxidant vitamins and genetic susceptibility. METHODS: 8-oxodG was analysed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection (HPLC-ED). Analysis of gene polymorphisms in GSTM1 and GSTT1 was performed by multiplex PCR and in GSTP1 and hOGG1 by a PCR-RFLP method. Reversed-phase HPLC with UV detection at 294 nm was used to measure vitamins A and E in serum from the same blood samples. RESULTS: We observed that in our combined population (cases and control, n = 60), there was no statistically significant correlation between the levels of 8-oxodG and (i) the serum concentration of antioxidant vitamins, vitamin A (P = 0.290) or vitamin E (P = 0.813), or (ii) the incidence of the Ser326Cys polymorphic variant (P = 0.637) of the hOGG1 gene. Also, the levels of 8-oxodG were not significantly associated with polymorphisms in metabolite-detoxifying genes, such as GSTs, except for the positive correlation with Val/Val GST P1 allele (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The weakness of our cohort size notwithstanding, vitamins levels in serum and genetic polymorphisms in the hOGG1 or GST genes do not appear to be important modulators of 8-oxodG levels.

Expression of p53 family members and CD44 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in relation to tumorigenesis.

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) are described as the result of a multistep tumorigenesis process. In order to develop useful diagnosis of pre-malignant lesions, expression of p53 family members and the cancer stem cell (CSCs) marker, CD44v6, were studied in histologically normal oral epithelium, precancerous lesions and succeeding invasive OSCCs. p53 was expressed focally in normal epithelium adjacent to tumors, while expression was high in intra-epithelial neoplasia and moderate in OSCC. p63 nuclear staining was important in basal and suprabasal layers of histologically normal oral mucosa and in immature compartments of premalignant lesions and cancer. In epithelium without neoplasia, intense p73 staining was observed in the basal layer, while focal expression was present in suprabasal layers. Most immature dysplastic areas showed either high or moderate staining, whereas those in OSCCs expressed low and moderate p73 level expression. CD44v6 was only expressed in poorly differentiated areas of epithelium, altered or not. p53, p63 and p73 positive stainings were statistically related in intra-epithelial neoplasia to tumours. Analysis of TP53 mutations in 17% of tumours principally revealed G>A and A>G transitions. No relation was observed between this mutational profile and different immunostainings. In conclusion, our results support that immunostaining of p53 family members might be helpful in diagnosis and monitoring of high-risk pre-malignant lesions of oral epithelium. The combination of staining patterns of p63, p73alpha and CD44v6 enabled us to isolate phenotypic undifferentiated or transient amplifying areas, reflecting the immaturity of the tumour cell lineage. While CD44v6 expression is an interesting marker of such epithelial cells, it is not specific enough to be useful alone and other phenotypic markers are needed.

Herpesviruses in respiratory liquids of horses: putative implication in airway inflammation and association with cytological features.

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence and the potential role of equine herpesviruses (EHVs) detection in both bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and tracheal wash (TW). The population included a control group (CTL; 37 TW and 25 BAL) and a pathological group (PAT; 259 TW and 387 BAL), including horses either suffering from respiratory diseases including syndrome of tracheal inflammation, inflammatory airway disease, recurrent airway obstruction, or submitted to respiratory investigation because of exercise intolerance or poor performance. Each respiratory liquid was submitted to a standardised cytological analysis, mentioning the morphological abnormalities of exfoliated epithelial cells (ECAb) and ciliocytophthoria (CCPh) as markers of potential viral infection, as well as PCR assays including a consensus PCR and virus-specific PCR for both equine alphaherpesviruses (EHV-1; EHV-4) and gammaherpesviruses (EHV-2; EHV-5). The EHV infections were more prevalent in the TW of PAT group (P=0.004), with the highest prevalence being for EHV-2 (P=0.006). The EHV detection in BALs was not significantly different between groups. The EHVs detection in TW was correlated to the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) counts in the respiratory liquid but not with CCPh or ECAb. CCPh or ECAb were associated with both consensus PCR and EHV-2 and EHV-5 virus-type PCR in the BAL only. The significant detection of EHVs in the TW of PAT group in association with the PMN increased counts could lead to further investigations about their putative role in equine syndrome of tracheal inflammation.

Characterization of toxic effects of sediment-associated organic pollutants using the lambda transgenic medaka.

A novel sediment-contact assay using embryos of the transgenic medaka was developed to fully characterize the toxic effects induced by exposure to a mixture of organic pollutants in sediments. Embryos of the lambda transgenic medaka were exposed for 10 days to a clean reference sediment spiked with either the solvent alone, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), or three concentrations (0.3x, 1x, and 2x) of an organic extract (OE) of sediments from the Seine estuary. The 1 x OE-spiked sediment contained concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls similar to those in field-collected sediment. Exposure to this sediment, but not to the B[a]P-spiked sediment, significantly increased embryo-larval mortality and prevalence of spinal deformities. Mutant frequency at the cII mutation target gene in the liver of 10-week-old medaka was significantly increased following exposure to either B[a]P or the three doses of OE. The predominant OE-induced liver mutations were G:C to T:A transversions, consistent with PAHs being the major contributors to the mutation induction. Liver and gonadal tumors were observed in 35-week-old medaka exposed to either B[a]P (1/25) or to the 1 x OE (1/24). The benefits of medaka as a fish model for toxicological assessment and the benefits of the cII mutation assay for mutation detection combine to provide comprehensive assessment of a wide range of genotoxic and nongenotoxic effects of aquatic pollutants.

Urine mutagenicity of farmers occupationally exposed during a 1-day use of chlorothalonil and insecticides.

OBJECTIVES: A study was conducted to evaluate the genotoxic impregnation consecutive to a 1-day open-field spraying of pesticides. METHODS: From 14 farmers (five smokers and nine non-smokers), three urine samples were collected at the end of the spraying season: the morning (S1) of the day of spraying, the evening (S2) and the morning (S3) of the following day. A fourth sample (S0) was obtained before the pesticide-handling period. Mutagenicity of urine extracts was evaluated with the Ames test, using strains TA97a, TA98, TA100 and TA102, with and without S9 mix. RESULTS: The ratio of induced vs spontaneous revertants (induction ratio) was > or =2 in five farmers (including three smokers), with only one strain responding in each. Applying the SALM software proposed by Kim and Margolin in combination with the ANOVA-Dunnett test on crude data (number of revertants), urine extracts were found to be mutagenic on at least one Salmonella strain in 57% and 96% of non-smokers and smokers, respectively. The proportion of mutagenic responses tended to increase from S1 to S3 (not statistically significant) in non-smokers only. Finally, there were no relationships between the relative changes in the number of revertants (adjusted for urine concentration) and any exposure parameters available: area sprayed, number of tanks prepared and time free of exposure to any pesticide. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of significant relationships between urine mutagenicity and exposure data argues against a direct role of the pesticides sprayed, on this impregnation. This result should be considered with caution since the number of farmers involved may limit the significance of the study.

BCL-2/JH translocation in peripheral blood lymphocytes of unexposed individuals: lack of seasonal variations in frequency and molecular features.

BCL-2/J(H) rearrangement has been proposed as a biomarker for evaluating the genotoxicity of occupational and environmental exposures. Available data on time-related modification of this rearrangement in peripheral blood lymphocytes in unexposed healthy individuals is scarce. We investigated the characteristics of BCL-2/J(H) rearrangements in 33 adults unexposed to genotoxins at 2 seasonal time points: winter and spring. BCL-2/J(H) rearrangement was detected in 79% of individuals (detection limit = 8.48 x 10(-8)). Its frequency ranged from <1 to 40 translocations per million lymphocytes with a significant (p = 0.04) positive correlation with age. No significant modifications of BCL-2/J(H) rearrangement frequency or in the number of clones harboring this rearrangement were observed according the 2 time points. No obvious influence of season-related environmental factors on frequency or molecular features of BCL-2/J(H) rearrangements was found in this population suggesting that this would not be a confounding factor.