Recovery ability of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) after a short-term exposure to terbuthylazine.

Effects of a high terbuthylazine concentration (3.3 mg/1) on Cyprinus carpio were studied using a commercial herbicide formulation Click 500 SC (terbuthylazine 500 g/l). The fish were exposed to the pesticide for 24 h and allowed to recover for 6 days. Biometric parameters, plasma biochemical parameters and biomarkers of oxidative stress as well as histopathological changes in selected tissues were assessed on day 1 and 7. After a 24-h exposure, there were significant alterations found in the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) as well as in the plasma concentrations of glucose, natrium, chlorides, calcium and phosphorus. Hepatosomatic index, plasma albumin and lactate reflected the treatment with a delay. Ion levels and ALT were found to be restored after a 6-day recovery period, which was too short for AST activity and glucose to diminish to the control levels. The histopathological examination revealed disorders in the gills of the exposed fish, however, the changes were not detected after a 6-day recovery period. The study shows high regeneration potential of the fish.

Effects of subchronic exposure to atrazine on zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subchronic exposure to atrazine on fish growth and the development of histopathological changes in selected organs (gill, kidney, liver) in Danio rerio. Juvenile growth tests were performed on D. rerio according to OECD method No. 215. For 28 days, fish at an initial age of 30 days were exposed to the environmental atrazine concentration commonly detected in Czech rivers (0.3 microg/L) and a range of sublethal concentrations of atrazine (3.0, 30.0 and 90.0 microg/L). The results showed decreasing growth rates and morphological changes in the liver (dystrophic lesions of hepatocytes) at 90.0 microg/L of atrazine. The environmental concentration of atrazine in Czech rivers did not have any effect on fish growth and development of histopathological changes in D. rerio. The value of NOEC was 30.0 microg/L and the value of LOEC was 90.0 microg/L.

Significance of pre-treatment immunological parameters in colorectal cancer patients with unresectable metastases to the liver.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In this study, we have compared the profiles of peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) subsets and serum cytokine levels of healthy individuals with those of patients with unresectable liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma before starting regional chemoimmunotherapy. Since the therapeutic responses are limited only to a subset of patients, we hypothesize that the initial status of immunity and individual immune response to a tumor might be significant to the therapeutic outcome. METHODOLOGY: Cellular and humoral immunological parameters were compared between 10 patients with colorectal cancer metastases to the liver responding and non-responding to regional intra-arterial chemo-immunotherapy, and 5 healty individuals. Analyses included a flow cytometric immunophenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD25, CD28, CD56, CD57, CD80 and HLA.DR), estimation of serum cytokine levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and other immunological parameters are soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), gastrointestinal cancer-associated antigen (CA 19-9), and C-reactive acute phase protein (CRP). A significantly lower proportion of CD8 lymphocytes and a trend for decreased CD19, CD28 and CD80 was detected among colorectal cancer patients before liver-directed chemotherapy compared to healthy controls. RESULTS: The cancer patients showed a significantly increased population of peripheral NK cells as detected by both CD56+ and CD57+ phenotypes. Elevated serum levels of CRP, IL-4 and TNF-alpha, sIL-2R, but not IL-2, were also demonstrated in cancer patients as compared to controls. Activated CD25+ lymphocytes correlated negatively with CD28+ lymphocytes (r = -0.68, p < 0.01) and less significantly with CD4+ lymphocytes (r = -0.56, p < 0.05). The CD8+ cytotoxic cell subset might be negatively influenced by serum IL-4 (r = -0.57, p < 0.05). Positive correlation was found between sIL-2R and CRP (r = -0.78, p < 0.01), and between sIL-2R and TNF-alpha (r = 0.64, p < 0.05) serum levels in patients with progressive disease during the course of therapy, the initial proportions of CD4+, CD19+ and CD28+ lymphocytes were significantly lower than those among responders. Among humoral parameters, only sIL-2R showed a marginal correlation with therapeutic response, being more elevated among non-responding patients. Pre-treatment serum levels of CEA and CA 19-9 showed correlation with neither therapeutic response nor with any of the cellular or humoral immunological parameters analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The results may serve as an initial guideline to open a discussion on the rationale of such a panel of tests, hopefully leading to standardized laboratory pre-selection and monitoring of patients treated with regional chemoimmunotherapy.