Enhancing the bioavailability and activity of natural antioxidants with nanobubbles and nanoparticles.

KEY POLICY HIGHLIGHTSNanobubbles and nanoparticles may enhance the polyphenols' bioavailabilityNanobubbles may stimulate the activation of Nrf2 and detox enzymesArmoured oxygen nanobubbles may enhance radiotherapy or chemotherapy effects.

Nanoparticles in Medicine: Current Status in Cancer Treatment.

Cancer is still a leading cause of deaths worldwide, especially due to those cases diagnosed at late stages with metastases that are still considered untreatable and are managed in such a way that a lengthy chronic state is achieved. Nanotechnology has been acknowledged as one possible solution to improve existing cancer treatments, but also as an innovative approach to developing new therapeutic solutions that will lower systemic toxicity and increase targeted action on tumors and metastatic tumor cells. In particular, the nanoparticles studied in the context of cancer treatment include organic and inorganic particles whose role may often be expanded into diagnostic applications. Some of the best studied nanoparticles include metallic gold and silver nanoparticles, quantum dots, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and graphene, with diverse mechanisms of action such as, for example, the increased induction of reactive oxygen species, increased cellular uptake and functionalization properties for improved targeted delivery. Recently, novel nanoparticles for improved cancer cell targeting also include nanobubbles, which have already demonstrated increased localization of anticancer molecules in tumor tissues. In this review, we will accordingly present and discuss state-of-the-art nanoparticles and nano-formulations for cancer treatment and limitations for their application in a clinical setting.

Evaluation of Urinary Btex, Nicotine, and Cotinine as Biomarkers of Airborne Pollutants in Nonsmokers and Smokers.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomeric xylenes (BTEX) are by-products of tobacco smoke and traffic emissions. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of cigarette smoking to urinary levels of BTEX present in humans. Nicotine and cotinine, biomarkers of exposure to tobacco smoke, as well as BTEX, were measured in urine of smokers (n = 70) and nonsmokers (n = 65) using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In smokers, a significant correlation was found between urinary BTEX levels and nicotine and cotinine. In addition, significant regression models with nicotine and cotinine as predictors showed that BTEX in smokers' urine was predominantly derived from exposure to tobacco smoke. In nonsmokers a weak correlation between BTEX and nicotine and cotinine was found in urine. Further, there was a lack of significant contribution of BTEX to urinary nicotine and cotinine concentrations in nonsmokers. Thus, it was presumed that vehicle exhaust was the main source of exposure to BTEX in nonsmokers.

70-kDa heat shock cognate protein expression as a putative biomarker of heavy-metal burden in Mytilus galloprovincialis.

BACKGROUND: Heavy metals naturally occur in the marine environment and ecosystems. Due to anthropogenic influence they became common waters and coastal regions pollutants in particular where their concentrations remain hazardously high. We therefore tested a protocol for combined analysis of 6 heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, Fe and Hg) concentrations in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis collected from a coastal industrial zone (shipyard locality) and mariculture facilities in combination with expression analysis of multi xenobiotic resistance related genes and stress-related gene (HSC-70). FINDINGS: In this paper we tested a protocol for heavy-metal levels assessment by use of a highly sensitive analytical method, ICP-OES, combined with expression analysis of multi xenobiotic resistance related genes, including the stress-related gene encoding 70-kDa heat shock cognate protein on mussels (Mytillus Galloprovincialis). Mussels from the shipyard locality had higher heavy metal concentrations, except Fe. Higher metal concentrations did not influence expression of multi xenobiotic resistance related genes with exception of stress-related gene (HSC-70) encoding 70-kDa heat shock cognate protein. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that mussels sampled in the industrial area have increased metal concentrations in comparison with the aquaculture locality, that are accompanied by increased transcript levels of HSC-70.

Immunomodulation of cell-mediated cytotoxicity after chronic exposure to vapors.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells represent two major types of immune cytotoxic cells that have a crucial role in innate immunity. Urban air pollution represents a common and difficult problem in the majority of metropolises, which contain high levels of traffic congestion generating great amounts of genotoxic substances. Diesel exhaust particles act as adjuvant in the immune response and may lead to the enhancement of proinflammatory and proallergic response without exposure to allergen. The activities of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) and their benzene extracts may cause the increasing respiratory mortality and morbidity. Since the lung inflammatory response to DEPs is compartmentalized, the importance of finding the suppressive substances, whose function will be to elucidate the DEPs effects, is fundamental. The objectives of this study were to examine the NK-mediated cytotoxicity against human NK-sensitive target, as well as the values of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers) in urine in people from industrial area and those from rural fields. NK-mediated cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was investigated against human NK-sensitive K-562 tumor cell line. BTEX were analyzed from urine by a HS-SPME method. All exposed individuals were demonstrated the significant decreased of NK-mediated cytotoxicity against human NK-sensitive target and increasing BTEX values. BTEX-analyze in urine and determination of NK-mediated cytotoxicity, as an important methods represent good markers in environmental monitoring, which contribute to the better protection of air pollutants and quicker diagnosis of environmental diseases.

Determination of enzyme matrix metalloproteinases-9 and immune status as indicators of development of the environmental diseases.

The majority of environmental diseases are multifactorial airway illnesses, including genetic background and exposure to different kind of airborne irritants and allergens. Altered lifestyle and changes in environmental exposures contribute to the occurring of these diseases. The term of environmental illnesses includes the disease primarily caused by pollution of air and water, chemical and physical agents, radiation, contaminated food and direct contact with the toxins we are exposed to natural and/or working environment. The members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family are involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. MMPs comprise a large family of structurally related zinc metalloendopeptidases with different substrate specificities and possibilities to degrade protein constituents of the extracellular matrix. We investigated immunological status and level of MMP-9 in workers occupationally exposed to volatile aromatic hydrocarbons compared to urban residents and rural areas. The phenotypic profiles of peripheral blood lymphocytes were done by flow cytometry. The method of enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) was used to determine enzyme expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). The occupationally exposed group had a significantly elevated level of enzyme MMP-9 in the urine, accompanied with augmentation of cells of innate immunity in peripheral blood, which could contribute to the monitoring, early detection of environmental diseases and consequent earlier and more effective treatment.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) monitoring in environmental diseases.

The prevalence of environmental diseases is increasing worldwide and these diseases are an onerous burden both to the individual and to the public health. Urban air pollution is a grave problem in majority of metropolises, which contain high levels of traffic congestion generating great amounts of genotoxic substances. The contribution of such environmental exposure to increase prevalence of many allergic, environmental diseases and multiple chemical sensitivity or other related syndromes, as a result of an abnormal immune response based on environmental damage of lymphocyte subsets, is marked. Benzene is one of the most important air pollutants that are emitted by oil industry, since they are involved in almost every refinery process. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a major group of air pollutants and play a crucial role in ecological damages, disturbing the ecosystem and human health. The variability of pollutants is an important factor in determining human exposure to these chemicals. The immune system possess a capacity to distinguish between innocuous and harmful foreign antigens and controls this action by mechanisms of central and peripheral tolerance, where crucial role play regulatory T cells (Tregs). We analyzed the characteristics of human Tregs of inhabitants living near gasoline industry which have assessed moderate spyrometric tests and compared them with those situated in rural areas. Our data demonstrate that the chronic inhalation exposure increases the percentage of Tregs cells, but contrary those of inhabitants with decreased spirometry values have shown diminished number of Tregs, which may contribute to the new therapeutic approach of environmental diseases.

Metallothioneins and heat shock proteins 70 in marine mussels as sensors of environmental pollution in Northern Adriatic Sea.

In an attempt to assess the intensity of environmental pollution in industrial zones of Kvarnerian Bay in Northern Adriatic Sea and the reactivity of Mytilus galloprovincialis to these changes, in this study we estimated the concentration of heavy metals at four locations in both sea-sediment and in the mussels. Further we tried to correlate these changes with seasonal variations in environmental temperature, pH and salinity, as well as with the expression of metallothioneins (MTs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the digestive tract of the mussels. Sampling in vivo was performed monthly, during the year 2008, while under the laboratory conditions the reactivity of acclimated mussels were tested to increasing concentrations of CdCl(2) and to thermal stress. The data have shown that the induction of MTs and HSP isoforms of the 70-kDa size class were highly affected by model agents treatment including contamination of sea-sediment by Pb, Hg and Cd, implying that these stress proteins might be power biomarkers of marine pollution.