Modulation of metallothionein and metal partitioning in liver and kidney of Solea senegalensis after long-term acclimation to two environmental temperatures.

Juveniles of Solea senegalensis were fed with commercial pellets under controlled conditions at two environmental Mediterranean temperatures (15 and 20°C) for two months. After this period, the accumulation of essential and non-essential metals and metallothionein (MT) levels was measured in liver and kidney by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and pulse polarography, respectively. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) for selected metals in both tissues was calculated in relation to levels present in the feed. Tissue partitioning (liver/kidney) and molar ratios, considering the metal protective mechanisms: MT and Selenium (Se), were included for evaluating the detoxification capacity of each tissue. Ag, Cd, Cu and Mn were preferentially accumulated in the liver whereas Co, Fe, Hg, Se and Zn were found in larger concentrations in the kidney, and higher temperature enhanced the accumulation of some of them, but not all. MT content in liver, but not in kidney, was also influenced by temperature changes and by length of exposure. The BAF revealed that Cu was taken up mainly by the liver whereas Se was efficiently taken up by both tissues. The high molar ratios of MT and most metals denoted the kidney's remarkable spare capacity for metal detoxification through MT binding. Moreover, the potential protective role of Se was also more evident in kidney as a higher Se:Cd and Se:Ag molar ratios were reached in this organ. In contrast to other fish, the storage of Cd in kidney was particularly low.

Performance of a commercial industrial-scale UF-based process for treatment of oily wastewaters.

An evaluation was made of the performance of a commercial industrial-scale ultrafiltration (UF)-based process for treatment of highly concentrated oily wastewaters. Wastewater samples were gathered from two plants treating industrial wastewaters in 2008, and in 2011 (only from one of the plants), from three points of a UF-based treatment train. The wastewater samples were analyzed by measuring the BOD7, COD, TOC and total surface charge (TSC). The inorganic content and zeta potentials of the samples were analyzed and GC-FID/MS analyses were performed. The removal performances of BOD7, COD, TOC and TSC in 2008 and 2011 for both plants were very high. Initial concentrations of contaminants in 2011 were lower than in 2008, therefore the COD and TSC reductions were also lower in 2011 than three years before. Regardless of the high performance of UF-based processes in both plants, at times the residual concentrations were considerable. This could be explained by the high initial concentrations and also by the presence of the dissolved compounds that were characterized. Linear correlation was observed between COD and TOC, and between COD and TSC. The correlation between COD and TSC could be utilized for process control purposes.

Sublethal zinc exposure has a detrimental effect on reproductive performance but not on the cyst hatching success of Artemia parthenogenetica.

The sublethal zinc toxicity to Artemia parthenogenetica as regards the possibility of colonization of zinc polluted salterns by means of cysts has been assessed by a cyst hatching assay and a life table approach. Emergence and hatching at different times as well as the whole hatching profile were taken as end-points for evaluating success of development. Demographic and reproductive parameters calculated according to the Lotka equation were used as an indicator of the chronic toxicity of the population. No adverse effects of waterborne zinc were found on hatching and emergence of cysts of A. parthenogenetica at any of the concentrations tested (0.01 mg/l, 0.1 mg/l, 0.5 mg/l, 1 mg/l, 5 mg/l). Chronic zinc exposure at 0.08 mg/l had detrimental effects on A. parthenogenetica fecundity, as detected by a decrease in the percentage of fertile females, which in turn produces a decrease in r. Chronic toxicity of zinc may be a limiting step for A. parthenogenetica colonization and the establishing of permanent populations in zinc-polluted brine ponds.

Coagulation of wood extractives in chemical pulp bleaching filtrate by cationic polyelectrolytes.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of short-chain cationic polyelectrolytes of different molecular weights and charge densities in reducing turbidity and selectively removing toxic wood extractives from chemical birch pulp filtrate. The effects of chemical type, dosage and temperature were of interest. An effective performance was achieved with a copolymer of acrylamide and methacrylate of medium molecular weight and medium charge density at 72 degrees C and pH 5-6. The dosage range optimum for reducing the turbidity was 102-142 mg/L. Up to 92% of the wood extractives was selectively removed.

Metal and metallothionein content in tissues from wild and farmed Anguilla anguilla at commercial size.

Metallothionein and metal content (Cd, Zn, Hg, Cu, Fe, Pb and Mn) were determined in various organs of commercially available eel (Anguilla anguilla) of similar size obtained from a local farm and from The Albufera Lake in Valencia (Spain). Farmed fish showed statistically significant higher Cd concentrations in liver and kidney whereas wild individuals had higher levels of Pb in blood and Zn in kidney. Significant positive correlations were found between metallothionein and Cd in kidney of farmed eel and between metallothionein and Cu in liver of wild ones. No statistically significant differences were found between the two populations in the concentration of any of the metals analyzed in muscle and in all instances these levels were lower than the limits established by the Spanish legislation for fish destined for human consumption.

Investigation of multimodal zeta potential and size distribution in chemical pulp process water.

Multimodal zeta potential distribution in chemical birch pulp process water was studied by filtrating the water into fractions and subsequently measuring zeta potential, charge quantity, turbidity and organic substances. Filtrations were made using 12 microm, 1.6 microm, 1.2 microm, 0.45 microm and 0.1 microm membranes. The number of populations with different zeta potentials diminished with filtration. With the unfiltrated water, 12 microm and 1.6 microm filtrates, three or four different zeta potentials were observed. When the filtration was performed with a 1.2 microm membrane or smaller, only two populations of different zeta potentials were detected. The charge quantity steadily approached zero from unfiltrated water towards a 1.6 microm fraction filtrate. After that, it remained constant. Turbidity constantly decreased when using smaller membranes. The amount of wood extractives decreased to half with 0.1 microm filtration. No significant difference in the amount of carbohydrates and lignin between the filtrated fractions and the unfiltrated water was detected. A comparison dealing with particle size analysis between two different apparatuses was also made.

Electrocoagulation treatment of peat bog drainage water containing humic substances.

Electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of 100 mg/L synthetic wastewater (SWW) containing humic acids was optimized (achieving 90% CODMn and 80% DOC removal efficiencies), after which real peat bog drainage waters (PBDWs) from three northern Finnish peat bogs were also treated. High pollutant removal efficiencies were achieved: Ptot, TS, and color could be removed completely, while Ntot, CODMn, and DOC/TOC removal efficiencies were in the range of 33-41%, 75-90%, and 62-75%, respectively. Al and Fe performed similarly as the anode material. Large scale experiments (1 m(3)) using cold (T = 10-11 °C) PBDWs were also conducted successfully, with optimal treatment times of 60-120 min (applying current densities of 60-75 A/m(2)). Residual values of Al and Fe (complete removal) were lower than their initial values in the EC-treated PBDWs. Electricity consumption and operational costs in optimum conditions were found to be low and similar for all the waters studied: 0.94 kWh/m(3) and 0.15 €/m(3) for SWW and 0.35-0.70 kWh/m(3) and 0.06-0.12 €/m(3) for the PBDWs (large-scale). Thus, e.g. solar cells could be considered as a power source for this EC application. In conclusion, EC treatment of PBDW containing humic substances was shown to be feasible.

Occurrence of pancreatic ductal cell dysplasia in rats fed with a high fat diet and ethanol.

The effects of alcohol and diet on acute pancreatitis were studied in 192 male Wistar rats. The animals were fed with standard laboratory food up to three months of age and, after that, were divided into four groups of 48 animals, each group receiving a different diet: standard, fat-rich, protein-rich or carbohydrate-rich. In each diet group, 24 animals obtained 15% (v/v) ethanol in their drinking solution while the other 24 rats had water ad libitum. The diet period lasted for 12 weeks, after which acute experimental pancreatitis was induced under diethyl ether anesthesia by ductal injection of rat bile into the pancreatic ducts. Moderate or severe ductal cell dysplasia developed in three of the 15 survivors in the group fed with a high-fat diet and 15% ethanol in their drinking solution. Mild acute pancreatitis was histologically found in 13 rats and moderate pancreatitis in one rat in this group. One rat did not show any pancreatic parenchymal changes. Two of the rats with ductal cell dysplasia had mild pancreatitis and the pancreas of the third rat was normal in this respect. Dysplastic changes were not found in any other experimental group used in the study. The observation is statistically significant at p less than 0.025 level. The results indicate that alcohol and a high fat diet together might have a carcinogenic effect on pancreatic ductal epithelium in rats.

Assessment of feeding response of tumor-bearing rats to hypothalamic injection and infusion of neuropeptide Y.

Tumor-bearing rats exhibited significant decreases in 1- to 4-h intake of rat chow following the intrahypothalamic injection of 2 micrograms neuropeptide Y (NPY). This refractory feeding response was present prior to the onset of anorexia and became more severe as anorexia worsened. The constant infusion of NPY (125 ng/h) into the perifornical hypothalamus of TB and control rats elicited increased feeding for only 2 days. Because chromatography revealed minipump NPY to be intact after 10 infusion days, downregulation of NPY receptors may have occurred. Daily injection of increasing doses of NPY stimulated ad lib feeding in non-TB rats, while having no effect on TB rats. Desensitization to NPY-induced feeding following daily injections of the peptide was suggested by the loss of feeding response to a dose (500 ng) of NPY that increased food intake prior to the daily NPY treatments. These results suggest that hypothalamic NPY feeding systems are refractory in TB rats, even before they exhibit anorexia. In addition, a rapid loss of the feeding response occurred in rats with constant infusion of NPY into hypothalamic tissue or with daily intrahypothalamic injections of the peptide, suggesting possible NPY receptor-mediated alterations. Therefore, control of obesity or anorexia through NPY feeding mechanisms may prove difficult due to rapid compensatory receptor changes.

Cadmium effect on zinc metabolism in human trophoblast cells: involvement of cadmium-induced metallothionein.

Isolated trophoblast cells from human placenta at term were used to investigate the effect of cadmium exposure on the placental transport of zinc. Cells were exposed to cadmium acetate (0-2 microM) for 18 h. These concentrations were found to be non-cytotoxic as determined by protein recovery and the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase. Primary trophoblast cultures showed a cadmium-dependent increase in metallothionein content. After incubation with 65Zn for different times 65Zn contents were compared between control and cadmium-exposed cells. Zinc uptake by the cells after cadmium pre-exposure was increased in a cadmium dose-dependent manner. The additional amount of zinc that was taken up by the cadmium pre-exposed cells with respect to the control cells remained constant during a 30-min incubation of the same cells in a metal-free medium. The cytosol of cadmium-exposed cells showed a higher content of zinc than that of control cells. Most of the zinc in the cytosol is in the metallothionein fraction. We have thus demonstrated that cadmium-induced metallothionein binds zinc in the trophoblast, making this essential element less available to the fetal circulation.

Evaluation of the relationship between preoperative risk scores, postoperative and total length of stays and hospital costs in coronary bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Several risk indices have been developed for the prediction of postoperative mortality and morbidity in coronary artery bypass operations, in which the risk scores are currently recorded as routine praxis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the risk scores can be used to predict the hospital (LOS) and postoperative (POS) lengths of stay and total costs among coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients. METHODS: All first-time CABG patients (n=2104) treated at Helsinki University Central Hospital during 1997-1998 were preoperatively scored using the Cleveland Clinic preoperative model. A multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the effects of the risk scores on the LOS and POS and total costs. RESULTS: The mean preoperative risk score for the patients was 1.69. The increase in preoperative risk score was associated with an increase in the LOS (0.8 days by point), and POS (with 0.55 days by point). An age over 74 years increased the LOS by an extra day. The mean total cost for the CABG procedure was 8750 euros (SD 4430 euros). The costs increased as the risk score increased. Compared with the zero risk score, a score value of 2 was associated with a 1300 euros increase in total cost and a score value of over 6 was associated with an over 7000 euros cost increase. On average, the costs increased by 6980 euros (80%) for one major complication and by 935 euros (10%) in the elderly (>74 years of age). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that increasing risk scores were associated with longer postoperative hospital lengths of stay (POS and LOS) and with increased total costs. An age over 74 years appears to be an independent risk factor in increased POS, LOS and total cost. These results may help to estimate the impact of the preoperative risk profile on the resource requirement in CABG surgery.

The importance of ligand speciation in environmental research: a case study.

The speciations of EDTA and DTPA in process, waste and river waters are modelled and simulated, specifically to the mode of occurrence in the pulp and paper mill effluents and subsequently in receiving waters. Due to relatively short residence times in bleaching process and waste water treatment and slow exchange kinetics, it is expected that the thermodynamic equilibrium is not necessarily reached. Therefore, the initial speciation plays a key role. As such, the simulations have been extended to the process waters of the pulp and paper industry taking into account estimated average conditions. The results reveal that the main species are; Mn and Ca complexes of EDTA and DTPA in pulp mill process waters; Fe(III) and Mn complexes of EDTA and DTPA in waste waters; Fe(III) and Zn complexes of EDTA and DTPA in receiving waters. It is also shown how the increasing concentration of complexing agents effects the speciation. Alkaline earth metal chelation plays a significant role in the speciation of EDTA and DTPA when there is a noticeable molar excess of complexing agents compared with transition metals.

Adsorption of metal-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid chelates onto lake sediment.

The adsorption of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and its metal complexes, Cu, Fe(III), Hg, Mn and Ni, onto lake sediment was studied. The results reveal that EDTA and metal-EDTA complexes, even though being hydrophilic compounds, are indeed adsorbed within one months' contact time to some extent (6.3-24.8%). Less than 10% of Ni-EDTA, Cu-EDTA and EDTA salt was adsorbed, while the mass amount of Mn EDTA, Hg-EDTA and Fe(III)-EDTA found in sediment exceeded 15% after the contact period. Thus, adsorption of metal-EDTA chelates might be a relevant process in their removal from the aquatic environment. The metal-EDTA chelates in aqueous and solid phases were determined by gas chromatography-nitrogen phosphorus detection (GC-NPD) system. The complexes were extracted by phosphate solution prior to analysis. The ability of EDTA to desorb adsorbed heavy metals from sediments is also discussed.

Cadmium, mercury, and lead effects on gill tissue of freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard).

Intermolt adult crayfish P. clarkii were used for this work. After acclimatization to laboratory conditions crayfish were exposed to sublethal concentrations of cadmium, mercury, and lead for 96 h. Gills of control and exposed crayfish were removed and ATPase activity and oxygen uptake rate were determined. Structural damage of gill filaments was also observed. Gill tissue respiration rates were measured for individual crayfish using a Gilson differential respirometer. Lead causes a decrease of gill oxygen uptake, but neither cadmium nor mercury seems to affect it at the concentrations employed. Although all metals studied alter gill filament structure, lead damage is the most apparent. In the same way, significant differences in gill ATPase activity owing to metal exposure were only observed in lead treated crayfish.

Cadmium binding proteins induced in exposed freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii.

This work describes results on the characterization of cadmium binding proteins (Cd-BPs) obtained from cadmium exposed freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii. After acclimation to laboratory conditions, induction of Cd-BPs was achieved by water exposure at a concentration of 100 micrograms Cd/L during 2, 15, and 30 d. In accordance with the method followed by Engel and Brouwer, in each case two midgut glands were minced and homogenized in Tris-HC1 buffer with PMSF to prevent protease activity and DTT to maintain reducing conditions. The homogenate was centrifuged, heat treated, applied to a column of Sephadex G-75, and eluted with the same buffer (pH 8.6). Absorbances of the fractions collected were measure at 254 and 280 nm. Cadmium concentrations were determined by flame photometry. In midgut glands of two-d treated crayfish, significant levels of cadmium occurred in the void volume, and no cadmium-binding protein peak was resolved. On the contrary, a cadmium peak was clearly resolved in samples of 15 and 30 d. Cadmium was accumulated in the low molecular weight fractions (about 20,000). These fractions had high ultraviolet absorption at 254 nm and a higher 254/280 ratio.

Degradation of EDTA and DTPA in chlorine dioxide bleaching conditions.

The decomposition of EDTA and DTPA was studied in simulated chlorine dioxide bleaching conditions. Under the investigated conditions EDTA and DTPA decomposed readily. Accordingly, feeding the chelating agents to the first chlorine dioxide stages (D0) should be reconsidered, when successful metal removal is desired. On the other hand, chlorine dioxide water may be utilized to degrade the chelating agents.

Histamine is required for H3 receptor-mediated alcohol reward inhibition, but not for alcohol consumption or stimulation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Conflicting data have been published on whether histamine is inhibitory to the rewarding effects of abused drugs. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of neuronal histamine and, in particular, H3 receptors in alcohol dependence-related behaviours, which represent the addictive effects of alcohol. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Alcohol-induced conditioned place preference (alcohol-CPP) was used to measure alcohol reward. Alcohol-induced locomotor stimulation, alcohol consumption and kinetics were also assessed. mRNA levels were quantified using radioactive in situ hybridization. KEY RESULTS: Low doses of H3 receptor antagonists, JNJ-10181457 and JNJ-39220675, inhibited alcohol reward in wild-type (WT) mice. However, these H3 receptor antagonists did not inhibit alcohol reward in histidine decarboxylase knock-out (HDC KO) mice and a lack of histamine did not alter alcohol consumption. Thus H3 receptor antagonists inhibited alcohol reward in a histamine-dependent manner. Furthermore, WT and HDC KO mice were similarly stimulated by alcohol. The expression levels of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors, STEP61 and DARPP-32 mRNA in striatal subregions were unaltered in HDC KO mice. No differences were seen in alcohol kinetics in HDC KO compared to WT control animals. In addition, JNJ-39220675 had no effect on alcohol kinetics in WT mice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These data suggest that histamine is required for the H3 receptor-mediated inhibition of alcohol-CPP and support the hypothesis that the brain histaminergic system has an inhibitory role in alcohol reward. Increasing neuronal histamine release via H3 receptor blockade could therefore be a novel way of treating alcohol dependence.

Effect of ivermectin on the liver of gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata: a proteomic approach.

Gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata is the most commercialized Mediterranean aquacultured fish species. Ivermectin has recently (experimentally) started to be used to control ectoparasitic infestations in Mediterranean cultured marine fish. The potential hepatotoxicity of ivermectin was investigated in gilthead sea bream juveniles (35g) following oral administration at the recommended dose of 0.2 mgkg(-1) fish for 10d. Difference Gel Electrophoresis Technology (DIGE) was used to study the effect of this treatment in gilthead sea bream liver protein profile under routine culture conditions. The 2D-DIGE protein maps obtained were analyzed using the DeCyder 6.5 software. The results obtained showed significant changes in the expression of 36 proteins respect to the control group. Among these proteins, six increased in abundance, and 30 decreased. Spot showing differential expression respect to the control were analyzed by mass spectrometry and database search, which resulted in three positive identifications corresponding to hepatic proteins involved in lipid metabolism (apoA-I), oxidative stress responses and energy generation (beta-globin, ATP synthase subunit beta). These proteins have not been previously associated to invermectin effect.