Environmental exposure to organophosphate pesticides: assessment of endocrine disruption and hepatotoxicity in pregnant women.

In utero exposure is the first point of contact with environmental xenobiotics that may affect the maternal-placental-fetal balance. Considering that maternal pathophysiological changes affect intrauterine development, this pilot study was conducted to address how environmental exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPs) during pregnancy may contribute to maternal endocrine disruption and disturbed hepatic function. A prospective study was carried out with pregnant women (n=97) living in a rural area of the Rio Negro province where OPs are intensively applied throughout 6 months of the year. Blood samples were obtained and biomarkers of OPs exposure (cholinesterases and ß-glucuronidase), cortisol (CT) and progesterone (PG) levels, as well as glycemia, were determined. Parameters of liver injury were assayed by measuring aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT); liver function was assayed by measuring albumin. Biomonitoring carried out during the pre-spraying period (PreS) and spraying period (SP) showed that the population studied was exposed to OPs, proven by the fact that plasma (PCh) and erythrocyte cholinesterase (AChE) decreased very significantly (p<0.01) during SP. CT values increased very significantly (p<0.01) in the first trimester of pregnancy during SP with respect to PreS. Individual values above the upper limit of the CT and PG reference range were found both in PreS and SP. This finding could be associated with changes in hormone metabolism pathways produced by OPs exposure. During the second trimester of pregnancy there were increases in ALT values and the AST/ALT ratio in SP, suggesting subclinical hepatotoxicity. In SP, glycemia was unchanged while albuminemia increased. Although anthropometric newborn parameters and pregnancy alterations were within normal values for the general population, the increase in CT in the maternal compartment may lead to impaired newborn health later in life.

Ausência de mutagenicidade e antimutagenicidade do extrato obtido das flores do ipê roxo [Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. ex DC.) Standl.] / Absence of mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of the extract obtained from the flowers of "ipê roxo" Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. ex DC.) Standl

A Tabebuia impetiginosa, conhecida popularmente como ipê-roxo, é uma planta nativa das florestas tropicais chuvosas da América do Sul e Central. Componentes químicos obtidos da casca têm mostrado efeito terapêutico, como antiinflamatório, antifúngico e antibacteriano. Porém, pela falta de dados na literatura, pouco se sabe sobre os efeitos do extrato das flores. Assim, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o potencial mutagênico e antimutagênico do extrato obtido das flores da T. impetiginosa, em três diferentes concentrações (100, 300 e 500 mg kg-1 p.c.) pelo teste do micronúcleo. Para o teste de mutagenicidade, a doxorrubicina (DXR, 90 mg kg-1 p.c.) foi utilizada como indutor de danos no DNA e para o teste de antimutagenicidade, os tratamentos com o extrato foram realizados simultaneamente com este agente químico. O sangue periférico dos animais foi coletado 24 horas após os tratamentos. A comparação da frequência de eritrócitos policromáticos (PCEs) em 400 eritrócitos/animal entre os diferentes grupos não demonstrou qualquer citotoxicidade do extrato. Em relação às frequências de micronúcleos em PCEs (PCEMNs), não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os grupos tratados com as diferentes concentrações de extrato e o controle negativo. Da mesma forma, todos os grupos de animais que receberam os tratamentos simultâneo do extrato (100, 300 ou 500 mg kg-1 p.c.) com a DXR, apresentaram valores de PCEMNs muito próximos quando comparados com os dados observados no grupo de animais que recebeu somente a DXR. Esses resultados apresentados indicam ausência de efeito mutagênico e antimutagênico do extrato obtido das flores da T. impetiginosa em sistema teste in vivo.

T. impetiginosa, known as "ipê-roxo", is a plant native to tropical rain forests of Central and South Americas. Chemical compounds obtained from its bark have shown anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial therapeutic effect. However, due to the lack of data in the literature, little is known about the effects of its flower extract. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the mutagenic and antimutagenic potential of the extract obtained from T. impetiginosa flowers at three different concentrations (100, 300 and 500 mg kg-1 p.c.) by the micronucleus test. For the mutagenicity test, doxorubicin (DXR, 90 mg kg-1 p.c.) was used as DNA-damage inducer, while for the antimutagenicity test, treatments with the extract were performed simultaneously with this chemical agent. The peripheral blood of animals was collected 24 hours after the treatments. The frequency of polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) in 400 erythrocytes/animal was compared among the different groups and showed no extract cytotoxicity. As regards the frequency of micronuclei in PCEs (PCEMNs), there were no significant differences between the groups treated with different concentrations of extract and the negative control. Similarly, all groups of animals that received the simultaneous extract treatments (100, 300 or 500 mg kg-1 p.c.) with DXR showed very similar values of PCEMNs when compared with the data observed for the group of animals that received DXR alone. These results indicate no mutagenic and antimutagenic effect of the extract obtained from T. impetiginosa flowers in the testing system in vivo.

Cytogenetic study of chronic ethanol consumption in rats.

Ethanol was supplied in the drinking water of Wistar rats at a concentration of 20% v/v for up to 30 days. The animals treated with ethanol demonstrated a nonsignificant increase in chromosomal aberration frequency when compared with control animals. The mitotic index values obtained indicated no significant differences between ethanol treatment and control groups. The final weights of control rats were significantly greater than those of the ethanol-treated group. Chronic administration of ethanol showed no clastogenic or cytotoxic effect. After chronic ethanol consumption, the cytochromes P450 activity increases, thus possibly preventing the ethanol that has entered the circulation from reaching excessive levels, leading to metabolic adaptation and/or tolerance.

Comparative study of the effects of vitamin C and bleomycin on smokers' and non-smokers' lymphocytes in clastogenicity assays.

Free radicals are products of metabolic reactions and of external factors that can injure different biological molecules. However, different antioxidant agents can prevent the action of these reactive species and the damage they cause. Vitamin C (VC) is an important micronutrient found in the diet, which presents defense mechanisms against the free radicals that challenge the cells of the organism. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of VC as a modulator of the damage induced in DNA by bleomycin (BLM) in lymphocytes from smokers and non-smokers. The difference in response to the mutagenic potential of BLM between smokers and non-smokers was also investigated. Peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures were treated simultaneously with BLM (20 microg/ml) and/or VC (100, 200, and 400 microg/ml) in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. The results obtained did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in the response to the antitumor agent BLM between smokers and non-smokers. The data also showed that VC had no significant modulating effect on the frequency of chromosome aberrations induced by BLM in the cells of smokers and non-smokers under the experimental conditions used.

Protective effects of the amino acid glutamine and of ascorbic acid against chromosomal damage induced by doxorubicin in mammalian cells.

The interaction of antioxidants can provide an essential protection against the damaging effects of free radicals. Beneficial interactions include radioprotection, protection against acute toxicity of chemicals, and antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activity. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of the amino acid glutamine (GLN) and ascorbic acid (AA) on the frequency of chromosomal aberrations induced by the antineoplastic agent doxorubicin (DXR). These micronutrients were tested separately and simultaneously in Wistar rat bone marrow and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The treatments with GLN and/or AA significantly decreased the frequency of DXR-induced clastogenic damage in both test systems.