Embryonic exposure to benzo[a]pyrene causes age-dependent behavioral alterations and long-term metabolic dysfunction in zebrafish.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are products of incomplete combustion which are ubiquitous pollutants and constituents of harmful mixtures such as tobacco smoke, petroleum and creosote. Animal studies have shown that these compounds exert developmental toxicity in multiple organ systems, including the nervous system. The relative persistence of or recovery from these effects across the lifespan remain poorly characterized. These studies tested for persistence of neurobehavioral effects in AB* zebrafish exposed 5-120 h post-fertilization to a typical PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (BAP). Study 1 evaluated the neurobehavioral effects of a wide concentration range of BAP (0.02-10 µM) exposures from 5 to 120 hpf during larval (6 days) and adult (6 months) stages of development, while study 2 evaluated neurobehavioral effects of BAP (0.3-3 µM) from 5 to 120 hpf across four stages of development: larval (6 days), adolescence (2.5 months), adulthood (8 months) and late adulthood (14 months). Embryonic BAP exposure caused minimal effects on larval motility, but did cause neurobehavioral changes at later points in life. Embryonic BAP exposure led to nonmonotonic effects on adolescent activity (0.3 µM hyperactive, Study 2), which attenuated with age, as well as startle responses (0.2 µM enhanced, Study 1) at 6 months of age. Similar startle changes were also detected in Study 2 (1.0 µM), though it was observed that the phenotype shifted from reduced pretap activity to enhanced posttap activity from 8 to 14 months of age. Changes in the avoidance (0.02-10 µM, Study 1) and approach (reduced, 0.3 µM, Study 2) of aversive/social cues were also detected, with the latter attenuating from 8 to 14 months of age. Fish from study 2 were maintained into aging (18 months) and evaluated for overall and tissue-specific oxygen consumption to determine whether metabolic processes in the brain and other target organs show altered function in late life based on embryonic PAH toxicity. BAP reduced whole animal oxygen consumption, and overall reductions in total basal, mitochondrial basal, and mitochondrial maximum respiration in target organs, including the brain, liver and heart. The present data show that embryonic BAP exposure can lead to neurobehavioral impairment across the life-span, but that these long-term risks differentially emerge or attenuate as development progresses.

The Inhibitory Effect of Wood Creosote on the Movement of Anisakis Larvae: An Implication for the Treatment of Acute Anisakiasis.

INTRODUCTION: Anisakiasis is a common disease in countries such as Japan, where raw or undercooked marine fish are frequently consumed. The disease is caused by accidental ingestion of a live larva of Anisakis in raw or undercooked marine fish. In typical cases, it causes abrupt gastrointestinal symptoms, such as epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. According to a published report, the disease was alleviated by oral ingestion of an over-the-counter drug containing wood creosote. METHODS: We performed an in vitro experiment to elucidate whether wood creosote can inhibit the motor activity of Anisakis larvae, using infrared locomotion tracking and agarose gel penetration techniques. RESULTS: Our results clearly demonstrate that wood creosote inhibits the motor activity of Anisakis larvae. The concentration of wood creosote used in our experiment is similar to that found in stomach juice when a usual oral dose is taken of the medicine containing wood creosote. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the potential usefulness of the medicine containing wood creosote in the treatment of acute Anisakis infection of the gastrointestinal tract.

Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase by Wood Creosote and Simple Phenolic Compounds.

Anisakiasis is common in countries where raw or incompletely cooked marine fish are consumed. Currently, effective therapeutic methods to treat anisakiasis are unavailable. A recent study found that wood creosote inactivates the movement of Anisakis species. Essential oil of Origanum compactum containing carvacrol and thymol, which are similar to the constituents of wood creosote, was reported to inactivate Anisakis by inhibiting its acetylcholinesterase. We examined whether wood creosote can also inhibit acetylcholinesterase. We examined the effect of components of wood creosote using the same experimental method. A computer simulation experiment (molecular docking) was also performed. Here, we demonstrate that wood creosote inactivated acetylcholinesterase in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 0.25 mg/mL. Components of wood creosote were also tested individually: 5-methylguaiacol, p-cresol, guaiacol, o-cresol, 2,4-dimethylphenol, m-cresol, phenol and 4-methylguaiacol inactivated the enzyme with an IC50 of 14.0, 5.6, 17.0, 6.3, 3.9, 10.0, 15.2 and 27.2 mM, respectively. The mechanism of acetylcholinesterase inactivation was analyzed using a computer-based molecular docking simulation, which employed a three-dimensional structure of acetylcholinesterase and above phenolic compounds as docking ligands. The simulation indicated that the phenolic compounds bind to the active site of the enzyme, thereby competitively blocking entry of the substrate acetylcholine. These findings suggest that the mechanism for the inactivation of Anisakis movement by wood creosote is due to inhibition of acetylcholinesterase needed for motor neuron activity.

[Specific features of materials for initial pulpitis treatment].

The aim of the current study was to assess antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of Biodentine (Septodont), Rootdent (TehnoDent) and adhesive Futurabond НР (Voco). Two lines of experiments were carried out using cements water solutions and firm tablet-like samples (made by means of special pattern). Citotoxic activity was tested on NCTC L929 mice line fibroblasts culture. All the examined materials showed antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, C. albiсans, St. faecalis, mostly evident in Futurabond and the poorest in Biodentine samples. As for cytotoxic properties, Biodentine proved not to suppress metabolic activity stimulating odontotropic impact. The results confirm the analyzed materials to be a useful tool for deep caries lesions and initial pulpitis treatment.

Two cases of gastric Anisakiasis for which oral administration of a medicine containing wood creosote (Seirogan) was effective.

Anisakiasis is a disease characterized by an abrupt onset of sharp epigastric pain, which occurs typically a few hours after eating raw or undercooked seafood. Anisakiasis was a Japanese localized disease in the past, however has become an illness of concern in many countries where eating Japanese style raw or undercooked seafood has become popular. At present, the only effective treatment is an endoscopic removal of the nematode. Development of an effective medicine is expected. We report two cases of Anisakiasis, the symptoms of which were ameliorated after the administration of an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine containing wood creosote (Seirogan). Also, we examined the in vitro effect of the Seirogan on the viability of the nematode. In the two cases, the strong epigastric pain was subdued promptly after oral intake of the Seirogan. The exposure of Seirogan suppressed the viability of Anisakis Larva in vitro dose dependently. The oral administration of medicine containing wood creosote might be effective as a first aid to ameliorate the symptoms of Anisakiasis.

Endodontic microorganism susceptibility by direct contact test.

The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the duration of the antimicrobial effect of endodontic sealers by means of the Direct Contact Test. The sealers tested were: Endomethasone - Septodont, Endomethasone C-Septodont, Endion-Voco, Diaket-ESPE, Pulp Canal Sealer-SybronEndo, and AH26-Dentsply DeTrey. The endodontopathic microorganisms (MO) confronted were: Staphylococcus aureus (Sa), Candida albicans (Ca), Enterococcus faecalis (Ef), Prevotella intermedia (Pi), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn). Test specimens of each sealer were prepared and placed on the surface of agar plates that had been inoculated with each MO, and after predetermined periods, transfers were made from the contact area between the test specimen and the cultured agar and from the area that had not been in contact with the test specimens (control). The results were read as presence/absence of microbial growth and analyzed statistically using the Kruskal-Wallis test. It was concluded that the structural features and virulence of endodontopathic microorganisms determine their response to the sealers, independently of the time during which sealers act and the mechanism by which the antiseptic reaches the microorganism, which in this case was by direct contact.

Wood creosote prevents CRF-induced motility via 5-HT3 receptors in proximal and 5-HT4 receptors in distal colon in rats.

Wood creosote has been used as an herbal medicine against acute diarrhea caused by food poisoning and has an inhibitory effect on colonic motility and enterotoxin-induced ion secretion. Since no previous studies have examined the effects of wood creosote on stress-induced alteration of colonic motility, we examined the effects on the colonic motility altered by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which is a key mediator in responses to stress. We recorded motor activity in proximal and distal colon of unrestrained conscious rats via two manometory catheters. The frequencies of phase III-like contraction and the % motor indices in both proximal and distal colon were measured. At the same time the number of fecal pellets excreted was counted. I.c.v. injection of CRF increased the motor activity in both proximal and distal colon, and these effects were completely antagonized by i.c.v. injection of a selective CRF type 1 antagonist but not by a CRF type 2 antagonist. Changes in colonic motility induced by CRF were reversed by intravenously administered wood creosote. Intraluminal administration of the 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist granisetron, or the 5-HT(4) receptor antagonist SB 204070 blocked the increase in colonic motility induced by i.c.v. injection of CRF. Wood creosote prevented the increase in colonic motility induced by the 5-HT(3) receptor agonist SR57227A in the proximal colon, while it prevented the increase in colonic motility induced by the 5-HT(4) receptor agonist RS67506 in the distal colon. These results indicate that wood creosote prevents the increase in colonic motility induced by CRF via 5-HT(3) receptors in the proximal colon, and via 5-HT(4) receptors in the distal colon, suggesting that wood creosote might be useful to treat stress-induced diarrhea.

The effect of creosote on vitellogenin production in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

As part of a broader investigation into the effects of creosote treatments on the aquatic biota in pond microcosms, we examined the possible implications for vitellogenin (Vtg) production in Oncorhynchus mykiss [rainbow trout (RT)]. Vtg is the precursor of egg yolk protein and has emerged as a useful biomarker of exposure to estrogenic substances. Our a priori intent was to assess the ability of the creosote treatments (nominal cresoste concentrations were 0, 3, and 10 microl/L immediately after the last subsurface addition) to induce estrogenic responses in RT. The data showed no evidence of an estrogenic response in the treated fish. During the course of the experiment, however, the fish matured and began to produce Vtg, probably in response to endogenous estrogen. A posteriori analysis of the Vtg data from the maturing fish showed that after 28 days, the plasma Vtg concentrations were about 15-fold lower in fish from the creosote-treated microcosms compared with fish from the reference microcosm. Although the experiment design does not permit mechanistic insights, our observation suggests that exposure of female fish to PAH mixtures such as creosote can impair the production of Vtg with possible health implications for embryos and larvae.

New views on antidiarrheal effect of wood creosote: is wood creosote really a gastrointestinal antiseptic?

Wood creosote, the principal ingredient in Seirogan, has a long history as a known gastrointestinal microbicidal agent. When administered orally, the intraluminal concentration of wood creosote is not sufficiently high to achieve this microbicidal effect. Through further animal tests, we have shown that antimotility and antisecretory actions are the principal antidiarrheal effects of wood creosote. Wood creosote inhibits intestinal secretion induced by enterotoxins by blocking the Cl(-) channel on the intestinal epithelium. Wood creosote also decreases intestinal motility accelerated by mechanical, chemical, or electrical stimulus by the inhibition of the Ca(2+) influx into the smooth muscle cells. In this overview, the antimotility and antisecretory effects of wood creosote are compared with those of loperamide. Wood creosote was observed to inhibit stimulated colonic motility, but not normal jejunal motility. Loperamide inhibits normal jejunal motility, but not stimulated colonic motility. Both wood creosote and loperamide inhibit intestinal secretion accelerated by acetylcholine. Wood creosote was found to have greater antisecretory effects in the colon than loperamide. Based upon these findings, we conclude that the antidiarrheal effects of wood creosote are due to both antisecretory activity in the intestine and antimotility in the colon, but not due to the microbicidal activity as previously thought. Wood creosote was found to have no effects on normal intestinal activity. These conclusions are supported by the results of a recent clinical study comparing wood creosote and loperamide, which concluded that wood creosote was more efficacious in relieving abdominal pain and comparable to loperamide in relieving diarrhea.

Wood creosote inhibits calcium mobilization in Guinea pig colonic smooth muscle.

Wood creosote, a mixture of simple phenolic compounds, has long been used as an herbal antidiarrheal medicine. Previous studies have shown that wood creosote has antimotility activity on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, although its mechanism of action is not completely understood. The in vitro efficacy of wood creosote on calcium mobilization in guinea pig colonic smooth muscle was evaluated using a digital video camera system mounted on an inverted fluorescence microscope. The effects of wood creosote on spontaneous periodic increases in the free cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), acetylcholine (ACh)-enhanced periodic increases in [Ca(2+)](i), and tetrodotoxin- or nifedipine-resistant spontaneous periodic increases in [Ca(2+)](i) were evaluated. Wood creosote decreased the amplitude of spontaneous (IC(50)=21 microg/ml) and ACh-enhanced (IC(50)=40 microg/ml) periodic increases in [Ca(2+)](i) in guinea pig colonic smooth muscle. Wood creosote also decreased the amplitude of both tetrodotoxin- and nifedipine-resistant spontaneous periodic increases in [Ca(2+)](i). These results suggest that antimotility activity through inhibition of Ca(2+) mobilization in the GI tract is at least partially responsible for the antidiarrheal activity of wood creosote. Wood creosote may exert its antimotility effect, at least in part, on network regions of interstitial cells of Cajal, which act as pacemaker cells and mediators of neurotransmission in the GI tract.

Characteristics of bacterial strains inhabiting the wood of coniferous trees.

The presented studies embraced samples of wood chips from coniferous trees which contained layers of duramen, alburnum and bark. Microbiological analysis involved qualitative and quantitative determination of bacterial flora inhabiting the studied wood material. The wood chips were found to contain primarily species belonging to the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas. The presence of the potentially pathogenic species Bacillus cereus 1, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Aeromonas salmonicida and Chryseomonas luteola was also demonstrated.

Seirogan (wood creosote) inhibits stress-induced ion secretion in rat intestinal epithelium.

Acute stress in often associated with abnormalities in gastrointestinal function, including enhanced secretion of water and electrolytes that leads to diarrhea. The goal of our study was to investigate whether Seirogan inhibits stress-induced intestinal secretion in Wistar-Kyoto rats. Electrogenic ion secretion was measured in modified Ussing chambers as an increase in basal short-circuit current (Isc) across isolated rat jejunal or colonic mucosal sheets. Mucosal preparations from rats exposed to cold restraint stress showed a significant increase in basal Isc compared to controls. The cumulative addition of Seirogan to the Ussing chamber caused a concentration-dependent reduction of the stress-induced increase of basal Isc to levels resembling nonstressed controls. In a separate experiment, Seirogan (15 mg/kg) administered by oral gavage inhibited stress-induced secretion and normalized basal Isc in the jejunum and colon. The results suggest that Seirogan may be an effective therapy for patients with stress-associated diarrhea.

Tolerance to creosote oil of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas isolated from the wood of coniferous trees.

A number of Pseudomonas sp. strains isolated from wood shavings not preserved with chemical agents were characterized by tolerance to concentrated creosote oil. Of eleven strains subjected to closer scrutiny, five showed good or very good growth in minimal medium with creosote oil as sole carbon and energy source. These isolates can be of potential use for the biodegradation of waste wood conserved with creosote oil.

Effects of seirogan (wood creosote) on propulsive colonic motility and stool characteristics in ambulatory mini-pigs.

Our goal was to determine whether Seirogan, an herbal medicine used as an antidiarrheal agent, modifies colonic function, including motility. Experiments were performed on four female Yucatan mini-pigs with established permanent cecal fistulas providing direct access to the colon. Long-term recordings of proximal colonic motility were accomplished by a solid-state probe (six pressure ports 10 cm apart), and a motility index was calculated. Stool viscosity was also measured. The laxative bisacodyl (15 mg/kg) was used to induce colonic motility (increase in motility index) and stool softening, prior to investigating the effect of Seirogan (2-15 mg/kg per os twice a day) or a vehicle control. Seirogan (15 mg/kg), but not the placebo, reversed the bisacodyl-induced stool softening and restored the motility index to normal values by reducing the number of propagating contractions. Taken together the results suggest that inhibition of proximal colonic motility by Seirogan may contribute to its antidiarrheal action.

In vitro effects of wood creosote on enterotoxin-induced secretion measured electrophysiologically in the rat jejunum and colon.

Secretory diarrhea occurs when the balance between intestinal absorption and secretion is disturbed by excessive secretion caused by enterotoxins produced by the pathogen. Wood creosote has long been used as a traditional antidiarrheal remedy. The goal of our study was to extend our knowledge about the antisecretory action of wood creosote against Escherichia coli enterotoxin-induced secretion in the small intestine and colon. Experiments were performed in mucosal sheets of rat jejunum and colon which were stripped of the external muscle layers to eliminate interactions with smooth muscle activity and local blood flow. Mucosal sheets were placed in modified Ussing chambers and hypersecretory conditions were induced by heat-labile (LT) or heat-stable (STa) E. coli enterotoxins added cumulatively (0.01-10 microg/ml) to the mucosal bathing solution. Intestinal secretion was monitored electrophysiologically as transmucosal short circuit current (Isc). LT induced a concentration-dependent increase in Isc in the rat jejunum, with no effect in the colon. In contrast, STa induced a significant increase in colonic Isc, without causing any change in Isc across the jejunum. In separate experiments the effects of increasing concentrations of wood creosote (0.1-50 microg/ml), added to the mucosal or serosal bathing solution, were examined against the secretory responses induced by LT or STa. In the small intestine the antisecretory activity of wood creosote against LT-induced secretion was more potent following serosal application, whereas in the colon wood creosote inhibited STa-induced secretion with equal potency following either serosal or mucosal addition. In summary, our findings demonstrate that wood creosote possesses antidiarrheal activity suppressing E. coli enterotoxin-induced secretion in both the small intestine and colon.

Antidiarrheal activity of wood creosote: inhibition of muscle contraction and enterotoxin-induced fluid secretion in rabbit small intestine.

Wood creosote has long been used as an antidiarrheal agent, but its mechanism of action is not well understood. To elucidate the mechanism of its antidiarrheal activity, we have addressed questions whether it inhibits fluid secretion induced by Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) in rabbit jejunum in vivo, and whether it inhibits muscle contraction of isolated rabbit ileum ex vivo. Wood creosote (10-100 mg/l) instilled in a ligated loop of jejunum inhibited STa-induced fluid secretion (p < 0.05). It also inhibited the spontaneous phasic, acetylcholine-induced tonic and Ba2+-induced tonic contractions of longitudinal and circular muscles of ileum dose-dependently with IC(50) values of 130-530 mg/l. These data provide further evidence that the antidiarrheal activity of wood creosote is attributable to its antisecretory and antimotility effects.

Lack of oncogenicity of wood creosote, the principal active ingredient of Seirogan, an herbal antidiarrheal medication, in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Seirogan, an herbal medicine containing wood creosote (tablets, 10.0% w/w), has been developed and marketed for almost a century in various countries for the control of acute diarrhea and treatment of associated symptoms, such as abdominal cramping. Wood creosote (CAS no. 8021-39-4) is a mixture of simple phenolic compounds, including guaiacol and creosol and related compounds, and is chemically distinct from, and should not be confused with, coal tar creosote, a known carcinogen. In the current study, the oncogenic potential of wood creosote was assessed in a 96/103-week oral gavage study in Sprague-Dawley rats. Groups of 60 rats/sex received wood creosote at dose levels of 20, 50, or 200 mg/kg body weight [bw]/day. An additional group of rats received the vehicle, 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose in deionized, distilled water, at the same dose volume as the treatment groups (10 ml/kg) and served as the controls. Treatment-related decreases in survival, body weight, and food consumption, as well as increased incidences of clinical signs that included rales, decreased activity, and salivation, were noted at 200 mg/kg bw/day when compared with the control group. There was an increased incidence of reddened and edematous lungs in rats from the 200 mg/kg bw/day group that died during the study. The lung findings were suggestive of test article aspiration during dose administration or agonal aspiration preceding and possibly resulting in death, especially because these observations were not seen in animals that survived to scheduled sacrifice. Additionally, phenols are generally recognized as having corrosive properties. There were no changes in clinical pathology and no increases in neoplastic or non-neoplastic lesions, excluding the lung findings, related to treatment with wood creosote at any dose level. Although the results of this study indicate that the maximum tolerated dose of wood creosote was met or exceeded at 200 mg/kg bw/day, there was no evidence of oncogenicity at any dose level. The lack of any evidence of oncogenicity supports the safety profile of the active ingredient in Seirogan, wood creosote.

Leaching behaviour of wood treated with creosote.

The results of a laboratory investigation on the leaching behaviour of wood treated with creosote and of untreated wood are reported. A special leaching test derived from the German standard method DEV S4 test (DIN 38414) has been developed. Samples were leached in deionized water, in a solution buffered at pH 4.7 and in a solution of humic substances. The organic fraction of the leachate was extracted using liquid-liquid extraction. The extracts were analysed qualitatively with GC/MSD and quantified with GC/FID. The results were compared with those of Soxhlet-extracts from creosote-treated wood.

Comparison of the antidiarrheal effects of wood creosote and loperamide in the rat jejunum and colon in vitro.

Wood creosote, a mixture of guaiacol, creosol and related compounds, has long been used as an antidiarrheal agent. The goal of our study was to investigate the antisecretory effect of wood creosote and to compare it to the effect of loperamide, a synthetic opioid widely used in the treatment of diarrhea. Experiments were performed in rat jejunal and colonic mucosal sheets, mounted in modified Ussing chambers. Active electrogenic transport was monitored electrically as short circuit current (Isc) and hypersecretory responses were induced by acetylcholine (ACh). Neither loperamide nor wood creosote had any significant effect on basal lsc, when added to the serosal bathing solution at concentrations of 0.1-50microg/ml. In contrast, under hypersecretory conditions, both agents showed concentration-dependent (0.1--100microg/ml) antisecretory effects inhibiting ACh-induced responses in the jejunum and colon. However, the effects suggest regional differences, with loperamide being most potent in the jejunum, while wood creosote showed equal potency in both jejunum and colon. Based upon these in vitro findings, we conclude that like loperamide, the antidiarrheal action of wood creosote is due, at least in part, to its antisecretory activity.

Effect of wood creosote and loperamide on propulsive motility of mouse colon and small intestine.

To elucidate a mechanism of the antidiarrheal activity of wood creosote, its effect on the propulsive motility of mouse colon and small intestine was studied using a charcoal meal test and a colonic bead expulsion test. The effect was compared with that of loperamide. At an ordinary therapeutic dose, wood creosote inhibited the propulsive motility of colon, but not of small intestine. On the other hand, loperamide inhibited the propulsive motility of small intestine, but not of colon. The results indicate that at least a part of the antidiarrheal activity of wood creosote and loperamide is attributable to their antikinetic effect predominantly on colon of the former and predominantly on small intestine of the latter.