Nanomaterials in the environment and their pragmatic voyage at various trophic levels in an ecosystem.

In the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials (NMs) have a huge credential in advancing the existing follow-ups of analytical and diagnosis techniques, drug designing, agricultural science, electronics, cosmetics, sports, textiles and water purification. However, NMs have also grasped attention of researchers onto their toxicity. In the present review, initially the development of notable NMs such as metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles (NPs), magnetic NPs, carbon-based NMs and quantum dots intended to be commercialized along with their applications are discussed. This is followed by the current scenario of NMs in the environment to widen the outlook on the concentration of NPs in the environmental compartments and the frequency of organism exposed to NPs at varied trophic levels. In order to understand the physiochemical and morphological significance of NPs in exhibiting toxicity, fate of NPs in the environment is briefly deliberated. This is further geared-up to glance in-sightedly on the organisms starting from primary producer to primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer and decomposers encountering NPs in their habitual niche. The state of NPs to which organisms are exposed, mechanism of NP uptake and toxicity, anomalies faced at each trophic level, concentration of NPs that is liable to cause toxicity and, biotransfer of NPs to the next generation and trophic level are detailed. Finally, the future prospects on bioaccumulation and biomagnification of NP-based products are conversed. Thus, the review would be noteworthy in unveiling the significance of NPs in forthcoming years combined with threat towards each organism in an ecosystem.

Exploring the Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and miRNA Expression in the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis by Unveiling the Pathways: a Systematic Review.

Endometriosis, characterized by endometrial-like mucosal tissue outside the uterine cavity, is a reproductive disorder afflicting about 10% of women within the reproductive age. The pathogenesis of endometriosis has been attributed to factors like genetics, environmental particles, and hormones. A comprehensive review of studies from July 2010 to July 2023 across multiple databases was done to aid in a better understanding of the same. The investigation focused on studies delineating the correlation between endocrine disruptors, microRNAs, and endometriosis. To optimize the search scope, keywords and subject headings were used as search terms. Then, two authors rigorously assessed studies using criteria, selecting 27 studies from various databases. Notably, dioxins, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls exhibited a solid connection for endometriosis, while bisphenol A and phthalates yielded conflicting results. The heightened presence of bisphenol A, polychlorinated biphenyls, and phthalates was linked to altered gene expression, including genes like AKR1B10, AKR1C3, and FAM49B. MicroRNAs like miRNA-31, miRNA-144, and miRNA-145 emerged as vital factors in the onset of endometriosis and progression. Furthermore, elevated expression of miR-1304-3p, miR-544, and miR-3684 and reduced expression of miR-3935 and miR-4427 exert substantial influence on signaling pathways like NF-κB, MAPK, and Wnt/ß-catenin. Currently, literature shows an independent link between endocrine disruptor exposure and endometriosis and between microRNA dysregulation and endometriosis. However, research lacks the combination of all three factors. The review delves into the effects of endocrine disruptors and microRNAs on the pathogenesis of endometriosis to improve our understanding of the disorder and in finding therapies.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Exposure Alter Neuroendocrine Factors, Disrupt Cardiac Functions and Provokes Hypoxia Conditions in Zebrafish Model.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an increasingly popular vertebrate model used for assessing the toxicity of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on living beings. The zebrafish features high genetic homology to mammals, because of its rapid embryonic development, optical transparency of phenotypic screening embryos, high throughput genetic and chemical screening which make them a powerful toxicological model. This systematic review aimed to assess the recent literature on the use of zebrafish model in EDCs toxicity studies. We capture the data on the types of EDCs used, zebrafish life stages associated with the toxicity, and its effects on the alterations in neuroendocrine factors and cardiac hypoxia in zebrafish. A total of 17 articles published between 2010 and 2020 were curated. The information gathered highlighted the association of EDCs with cardiological outcomes and neurobehavioral effects and distorted expression of genes. The genes that were highlighted in the paper include bdnf, ntrk2a, grin2cb, VTG-1, HIF-1α, tnnt2, ntrk1, and pax6b. The effect of EDCs on cardiac hypoxia and neurodevelopmental and behavioral factors of zebrafish were described in all the papers chosen for this review. The involvement of EDCs in altered regulation of gene expression can be studied further to identify the potential EDC compounds on its toxicological and endocrine disruption function at the molecular level.

Comprehending the Role of Endocrine Disruptors in Inducing Epigenetic Toxicity.

Endocrine disruptors are natural or man-made chemicals that interfere with the body's endocrine system leading to hormone synthesis and production defects. These chemicals are categorized as plasticizers and cosmetic chemicals, heavy metals, phytoestrogens, pesticides, detergents, surfactants, and flame retardants. Some of the most common endocrine disruptors are dioxins, bisphenol A, phthalates, perchlorate, perfluoroalkyl, and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), phytoestrogens, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), triclosan, atrazine, lead, arsenic, mercury, organophosphate pesticides, and glycol ethers. Epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and miRNA regulation have been observed to play a major role in many diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, PCOS, cardiovascular diseases, and various other disorders. In recent times, there has been a focus on endocrine-disrupting chemicals in epigenetic alterations. This review concentrates on estrogen and androgen disrupting effects, placental, and fetal effects, thyroid disrupting effects, and transgenerational effects of endocrine disruptors.

Impact of chronic sub-lethal methylparaben exposure on cardiac hypoxia and alterations in neuroendocrine factors in zebrafish model.

BACKGROUND: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been shown to cause toxicity in different systems of the body including the endocrine, cardiovascular and nervous systems. This study aims to analyze the adverse effects of Methylparaben (MP) on cardiac functions, neurodevelopment, and behavior of zebrafish. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adult male and female zebrafish were exposed to MP for 30 days to study the toxicity effects. Zebrafish were grouped into control, solvent control, 1/10th (110 ppb), 1/100th, and 1/1000th (1 ppb) lethal concentration 50 of MP. Neurobehavioral assays, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, serotonin levels, and expression of genes-Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha, Neurotrophic Receptor Tyrosine Kinase, Paired box protein Pax-6, and tnnt2 were investigated in zebrafish. Results of the study showed more anxiety-like behavior in MP-treated female zebrafish when compared to males on chronic exposure. There was a dose-dependent reduction of AChE activity in both male and female zebrafish. Female zebrafish showed a dose-dependent increase in serotonin level on MP exposure while male zebrafish showed a dose-independent decrease in serotonin level. On MP exposure, there was also a dose-dependent dysregulation in the expression of cardiac hypoxia and neuronal differentiation-related genes in female zebrafish while a dose-independent change was observed in male zebrafish. CONCLUSION: Chronic MP exposure affects cardiac functions, neuronal functions, and behavior of zebrafish by exhibiting changes in AChE activity, serotonin levels, and altering the expression of genes related to cardiac hypoxia and neuronal differentiation even at sub-lethal doses.

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol-A altered miRNA-224 and protein expression of aromatase in ovarian granulosa cells concomitant with elevated serum estradiol levels in F1 adult offspring.

This study was aimed to predict bisphenol-A (BPA)-responsive miRNA's using an in silico approach and to study their expression in granulosa cells of animals exposed prenatally to BPA. Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to BPA through water (25 µg/L, 250 µg/L, and 2.5 mg/L) during gestation. The expression of miRNA-133b, miRNA-378 and miRNA-224 were analyzed in ovarian granulosa cells. BPA affected the postnatal developmental landmarks such as weight of the pups at birth and reduced anogenital distance. BPA exposed animals showed elevated serum estradiol (E2) levels, while follicle-stimulating hormone levels were reduced. The expression of miRNA-224 and aromatase protein levels were found to be increased. This preliminary finding reveals the impact of early life exposure to BPA on the long-term ovarian functions that may be mediated through miRNA-based granulosa cell response. Besides, it is also a compelling indicator for the subclinical response that could have important consequences on female fertility.

Biodegradation of acephate and methamidophos by a soil bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain Is-6.

The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize a new acephate-degrading bacteria from agricultural soil and to investigate its biodegradation ability and pathway of degradation. A bacterial strain Is-6, isolated from agriculture soil could completely degrade and utilize acephate as the sole carbon, phosphorus and energy sources for growth in M9 medium. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence and phenotypic analysis suggested that the strain Is-6 was belonging to the genus Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Strain Is-6 could completely degrade acephate (50 mg L(-1)) and its metabolites within 96 h were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electron spray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analyses. When exposed to the higher concentration, the strain Is-6 showed 92% degradation of acephate (1000 mg L(-1)) within 7 days of incubation. It could also utilize dimethoate, parathion, methyl parathion, chlorpyrifos and malathion. The inoculation of strain Is-6 (10(7) cells g(-1)) to acephate (50 mg Kg(-1))-treated soil resulted in higher degradation rate than in noninoculated soils. These results highlight the potential of this bacterium to be used in the cleanup of contaminated pesticide waste in the environment.