RESUMO
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the environment as components of fossil fuels and by-products of combustion. These multi-ring chemicals differentially activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in a structurally dependent manner, and induce toxicity via both AHR-dependent and -independent mechanisms. PAH exposure is known to induce developmental malformations in zebrafish embryos, and recent studies have shown cardiac toxicity induced by compounds with low AHR affinity. Unraveling the potentially diverse molecular mechanisms of PAH toxicity is essential for understanding the hazard posed by complex PAH mixtures present in the environment. We analyzed transcriptional responses to PAH exposure in zebrafish embryos exposed to benz(a)anthracene (BAA), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and pyrene (PYR) at concentrations that induced developmental malformations by 120 h post-fertilization (hpf). Whole genome microarray analysis of mRNA expression at 24 and 48 hpf identified genes that were differentially regulated over time and in response to the three PAH structures. PAH body burdens were analyzed at both time points using GC-MS, and demonstrated differences in PAH uptake into the embryos. This was important for discerning dose-related differences from those that represented unique molecular mechanisms. While BAA misregulated the least number of transcripts, it caused strong induction of cyp1a and other genes known to be downstream of the AHR, which were not induced by the other two PAHs. Analysis of functional roles of misregulated genes and their predicted regulatory transcription factors also distinguished the BAA response from regulatory networks disrupted by DBT and PYR exposure. These results indicate that systems approaches can be used to classify the toxicity of PAHs based on the networks perturbed following exposure, and may provide a path for unraveling the toxicity of complex PAH mixtures.
Assuntos
Embrião não Mamífero/anormalidades , Embrião não Mamífero/efeitos dos fármacos , Hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos/química , Hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos/toxicidade , Transcrição Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Transcrição Gênica/genética , Peixe-Zebra/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Peixe-Zebra/genética , Animais , Embrião não Mamífero/patologia , Relação Estrutura-AtividadeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: A phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study was conducted to evaluate safety, tolerability, and pilot efficacy of immunization with beta-amyloid((1-42)) in patients with Alzheimer disease. Six immunizations were planned but were halted when meningoencephalitis was recognized as an adverse event in 6% of immunized patients. OBJECTIVE: To identify biomarkers associated with both the risk of meningoencephalitis and antibody responsiveness. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty-three patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.Main Outcome Measure Association between response to immunization and preimmunization expression levels of 8239 messenger RNA transcripts expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells that had been collected at the screening visit. RESULTS: Expression patterns of genes related to apoptosis and proinflammatory pathways (tumor necrosis factor pathway in particular) were identified as biomarkers of risk for the development of meningoencephalitis. Expression patterns of genes related to protein synthesis, protein trafficking, DNA recombination, DNA repair, and cell cycle were strongly associated with IgG response to immunization. CONCLUSIONS: Candidate biomarkers associated with risk of immunotherapy-related meningoencephalitis were detected in blood collected prior to treatment. In addition, a different set of biomarkers were identified that were associated with the desired outcome of IgG response.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/terapia , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/uso terapêutico , Biomarcadores/análise , Encefalite/etiologia , Imunoterapia/efeitos adversos , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/imunologia , Encefalite/genética , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Humanos , Leucócitos Mononucleares/fisiologia , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos , RNA Mensageiro/análise , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Female mice, rats, and hamsters were exposed to 10, 50, or 250 mg/m(3) pigmentary titanium dioxide (p-TiO(2)) particles for 6 h per day and 5 days per week for 13 weeks with recovery groups held for an additional 4, 13, 26, or 52 weeks postexposure (46 weeks for the p-TiO(2)-exposed hamsters). At each time point p-TiO(2) burdens in the lung and lymph nodes and selected lung responses were examined. The responses studied were chosen to assess a variety of pulmonary parameters, including inflammation, cytotoxicity, lung cell proliferation, and histopathologic alterations. Burdens of p-TiO(2) in the lungs and in the lung-associated lymph nodes increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Retained lung burdens following exposure were greatest in mice. Rats and hamsters had similar lung burdens immediately postexposure when assessed as milligrams of p-TiO(2) per gram of dried lung. Particle retention data suggested that pulmonary overload was achieved in both rats and mice at the exposure levels of 50 and 250 mg/m(3). Under the conditions of the present study, hamsters were better able to clear p-TiO(2) particles than were similarly exposed mice and rats. Pulmonary histopathology revealed both species and concentration-dependent differences in p-TiO(2) particle retention patterns. Inflammation was noted in all three species at 50 and 250 mg/m(3), as evidenced by increases in macrophage and neutrophil numbers and in soluble indices of inflammation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF; rats > mice, hamsters). In mice and rats, the BALF inflammatory responses remained elevated relative to controls throughout the entire postexposure recovery period in the most highly exposed animals. In comparison, inflammation in hamsters eventually disappeared, even at the highest exposure dose, due to the more rapid clearance of particles from the lung. Pulmonary lesions were most severe in rats, where progressive epithelial- and fibroproliferative changes were observed in the 250 mg/m(3) group. These epithelial proliferative changes were also manifested in rats as an increase in alveolar epithelial cell labeling in cell proliferation studies. Associated with these foci of epithelial proliferation were interstitial particle accumulation and alveolar septal fibrosis. In summary, there were significant species differences in pulmonary responses to inhaled p-TiO(2) particles. Under conditions in which the lung p-TiO(2) burdens were similar and likely to induce pulmonary overload, rats developed a more severe and persistent pulmonary inflammatory response than either mice or hamsters. Rats also were unique in the development of progressive fibroproliferative lesions and alveolar epithelial metaplasia in response to 90 days of exposure to a high concentration of p-TiO(2) particles.
Assuntos
Pulmão/efeitos dos fármacos , Titânio/toxicidade , Administração por Inalação , Animais , Carga Corporal (Radioterapia) , Líquido da Lavagem Broncoalveolar/citologia , Divisão Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Cricetinae , Feminino , Pulmão/patologia , Linfonodos/patologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos , Tamanho da Partícula , Pigmentos Biológicos/farmacocinética , Pigmentos Biológicos/toxicidade , Ratos , Ratos Endogâmicos , Especificidade da Espécie , Fatores de Tempo , Titânio/farmacocinética , Testes de Toxicidade CrônicaRESUMO
Alpha-lactalbumin, a 14-kD protein, plays a central biochemical role in the mammary gland as the regulatory subunit of lactose synthase, and also plays a nutritional role for the rapidly growing neonate as the protein in highest concentration in human milk. The current study was undertaken to better characterize alpha-lactalbumin concentrations in human milk from a variety of countries. Mature human milk (lactation duration > or =1 month) was collected from at least 50 women from nine different countries on five continents. Alpha-lactalbumin concentration was determined by HPLC. The mean +/- SD for 452 samples was 2.44 +/- 0.64 g/L. The mean value of the samples from the United States was significantly higher than that from any other country, and the mean in Mexico was significantly lower than that from every country except China and Canada. Alpha-lactalbumin concentration decreased with increasing duration of lactation and was positively correlated with total nitrogen. On average, alpha-lactalbumin contributed 16% of the total nitrogen content of human milk and consequently an important part of the amino acid content.
Assuntos
Lactalbumina/metabolismo , Leite Humano/química , Adolescente , Adulto , Humanos , Lactalbumina/análise , Lactação , México , Nitrogênio/análise , Nitrogênio/metabolismo , Valores de Referência , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Sodium and potassium cyanide are highly toxic, produced in large amounts by the chemical industry, and linked to numerous high-profile crimes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified cyanide as one of the most probable agents to be used in a chemical terrorism event. We investigated whether stable C and N isotopic content of sodium and potassium cyanide could serve as a forensic signature for sample matching, using a collection of 65 cyanide samples. Upon analysis, a few of the cyanide samples displayed nonhomogeneous isotopic content associated with degradation to a carbonate salt and loss of hydrogen cyanide. Most samples had highly reproducible isotope content. Of the 65 cyanide samples, >95% could be properly matched based on C and N isotope ratios, with a false match rate <3%. These results suggest that stable C and N isotope ratios are a useful forensic signature for matching cyanide samples.
RESUMO
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is well known for mediating the toxic effects of TCDD and has been a subject of intense research for over 30 years. Current investigations continue to uncover its endogenous and regulatory roles in a wide variety of cellular and molecular signaling processes. A zebrafish line with a mutation in ahr2 (ahr2(hu3335)), encoding the AHR paralogue responsible for mediating TCDD toxicity in zebrafish, was developed via Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) and predicted to express a non-functional AHR2 protein. We characterized AHR activity in the mutant line using TCDD and leflunomide as toxicological probes to investigate function, ligand binding and CYP1A induction patterns of paralogues AHR2, AHR1A and AHR1B. By evaluating TCDD-induced developmental toxicity, mRNA expression changes and CYP1A protein in the AHR2 mutant line, we determined that ahr2(hu3335) zebrafish are functionally null. In silico modeling predicted differential binding of TCDD and leflunomide to the AHR paralogues. AHR1A is considered a non-functional pseudogene as it does not bind TCCD or mediate in vivo TCDD toxicity. Homology modeling, however, predicted a ligand binding conformation of AHR1A with leflunomide. AHR1A-dependent CYP1A immunohistochemical expression in the liver provided in vivo confirmation of the in silico docking studies. The ahr2(hu3335) functional knockout line expands the experimental power of zebrafish to unravel the role of the AHR during development, as well as highlights potential activity of the other AHR paralogues in ligand-specific toxicological responses.
Assuntos
Mutação/genética , Receptores de Hidrocarboneto Arílico/genética , Proteínas de Peixe-Zebra/genética , Peixe-Zebra/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Hidrocarboneto de Aril Hidroxilases/metabolismo , Sequência de Bases , Osso e Ossos/anormalidades , Osso e Ossos/efeitos dos fármacos , Osso e Ossos/patologia , Embrião não Mamífero/anormalidades , Embrião não Mamífero/efeitos dos fármacos , Embrião não Mamífero/patologia , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento/efeitos dos fármacos , Isoxazóis/química , Isoxazóis/farmacologia , Leflunomida , Ligantes , Modelos Moleculares , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Dibenzodioxinas Policloradas/química , Dibenzodioxinas Policloradas/toxicidade , Isoformas de Proteínas/química , Isoformas de Proteínas/genética , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Receptores de Hidrocarboneto Arílico/química , Receptores de Hidrocarboneto Arílico/metabolismo , Pele/efeitos dos fármacos , Pele/patologia , Termodinâmica , Peixe-Zebra/embriologia , Proteínas de Peixe-Zebra/química , Proteínas de Peixe-Zebra/metabolismoRESUMO
Tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME) is a gasoline fuel additive used to reduce emissions. Understanding the metabolism and distribution of TAME is needed to assess potential human health issues. The effect of dose level, duration of exposure and route of administration on the metabolism and distribution of TAME were investigated in male and female F344 rats and CD-1 mice following inhalation or gavage administration. By 48 h after exposure, >96% of the administered radioactivity was expired in air (16-71%) or eliminated in urine and feces (28-72%). Following inhalation exposure, mice had a two- to threefold greater relative uptake of [14C]TAME compared with rats. Metabolites were excreted in urine of rats and mice that are formed by glucuronide conjugation of tertiary amyl alcohol (TAA), oxidation of TAA to 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutane and glucuronide conjugation of 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutane. A saturation in the uptake and metabolism of TAME with increased exposure concentration was indicated by a decreased relative uptake of total [14C]TAME equivalents and an increase in the percentage expired as volatiles. A saturation of P-450 oxidation of TAA was indicated by a disproportional decrease of 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutane and its glucuronide conjugate with increased exposure concentration.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/farmacocinética , Éteres Metílicos/farmacocinética , Administração Oral , Poluentes Atmosféricos/sangue , Poluentes Atmosféricos/urina , Animais , Dióxido de Carbono/metabolismo , Radioisótopos de Carbono , Fezes/química , Feminino , Exposição por Inalação , Masculino , Éteres Metílicos/administração & dosagem , Éteres Metílicos/sangue , Éteres Metílicos/urina , Camundongos , Pentanóis/urina , Ratos , Fatores Sexuais , Especificidade da Espécie , Distribuição TecidualRESUMO
Interest in understanding the biological behavior of aliphatic ethers has increased owing to their use as gasoline additives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the blood pharmacokinetics of the oxygenate tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME), its major metabolite tertiary amyl alcohol (TAA) and acetone in rats and mice following inhalation exposure to TAME. Species differences in the area under the curve (AUC) for TAME were significant at each exposure concentration. For rats, the blood TAME AUC increased in proportion with an increase in exposure concentration. For mice, an increase in exposure concentration (100-500 ppm) resulted in a disproportional increase in the TAME AUC. Mice had greater (two- to threefold) blood concentrations of TAA compared with rats following exposure to 2500 or 500 ppm TAME. Mice had a disproportional increase in the TAA AUC with an increase in exposure concentration (100-500 ppm). This difference could result from saturation of a process (e.g. oxidation, glucuronide conjugation) that is involved in the further metabolism of TAA. For each species, gender and exposure concentration, acetone increased during exposure and returned to control values by 16 h following exposure. The source of acetone could be both as a metabolite of TAA or an effect on endogenous metabolism produced by exposure to TAME.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/sangue , Éteres Metílicos/sangue , Acetona/sangue , Poluentes Atmosféricos/farmacocinética , Animais , Área Sob a Curva , Feminino , Meia-Vida , Exposição por Inalação , Masculino , Éteres Metílicos/farmacocinética , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos , Modelos Biológicos , Nariz , Ratos , Ratos Endogâmicos F344 , Fatores Sexuais , Especificidade da Espécie , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Formaldehyde induced squamous-cell carcinomas in the nasal passages of F344 rats in two inhalation bioassays at exposure levels of 6 ppm and above. Increases in rates of cell proliferation were measured by T. M. Monticello and colleagues at exposure levels of 0.7 ppm and above in the same tissues from which tumors arose. A risk assessment for formaldehyde was conducted at the CIIT Centers for Health Research, in collaboration with investigators from Toxicological Excellence in Risk Assessment (TERA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in 1999. Two methods for dose-response assessment were used: a full biologically based modeling approach and a statistically oriented analysis by benchmark dose (BMD) method. This article presents the later approach, the purpose of which is to combine BMD and pharmacokinetic modeling to estimate human cancer risks from formaldehyde exposure. BMD analysis was used to identify points of departure (exposure levels) for low-dose extrapolation in rats for both tumor and the cell proliferation endpoints. The benchmark concentrations for induced cell proliferation were lower than for tumors. These concentrations were extrapolated to humans using two mechanistic models. One model used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) alone to determine rates of delivery of inhaled formaldehyde to the nasal lining. The second model combined the CFD method with a pharmacokinetic model to predict tissue dose with formaldehyde-induced DNA-protein cross-links (DPX) as a dose metric. Both extrapolation methods gave similar results, and the predicted cancer risk in humans at low exposure levels was found to be similar to that from a risk assessment conducted by the U.S. EPA in 1991. Use of the mechanistically based extrapolation models lends greater certainty to these risk estimates than previous approaches and also identifies the uncertainty in the measured dose-response relationship for cell proliferation at low exposure levels, the dose-response relationship for DPX in monkeys, and the choice between linear and nonlinear methods of extrapolation as key remaining sources of uncertainty.