Evaluation of the Acute Effects of Arsenic on Adults of the Neotropical Native Fish Cnesterodon decemmaculatus Using a Set of Biomarkers.

Neotropical fish Cnesterodon decemmaculatus were exposed to different sublethal concentrations (0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mg As/L) of sodium arsenite (As III) to determine the median lethal concentration (LC50; 96 h) and to evaluate the response of a set of biomarkers (genotoxic, behavioral, biochemical, and metabolic). At the end of the exposure (96 h), fish were video-recorded for behavior assessment. We used the micronucleus and nuclear abnormality tests and the comet assay in peripheral blood as genotoxicity biomarkers. In regard to biochemical and metabolic biomarkers, we dissected the brain for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity; the liver for glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activity and glutathione content (GSH); the gills for GSH content; and muscle for AChE, energy metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, and the electron transport system activity of the mitochondrial chain. We calculated an index using metabolic biomarkers, to determine the cellular energy allocation. The LC50 value was 7.32 mg As/L. The As affected some swimming parameters in females. No significant differences in micronucleus were found compared with the control, whereas nuclear aberrations increased significantly at 1.0 and 5.0 mg As/L. The genomic damage index and the percentage of cells with DNA damage (measured by the comet assay) showed a significant increase in the As-treated groups, and this technique was the most sensitive for detecting genotoxic damage. The As affected the antioxidant system (mainly GSH, CAT, and GST) and reduced the lipid content. A preliminary baseline was generated for the response of C. decemmaculatus exposed to sublethal concentrations of As, when it alters swimming behavior and the antioxidant system, has genotoxic effects, and reduces lipid content. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1246-1259. © 2022 SETAC.

Effects on suicidal risk: Comparison of clozapine to other newer medicines indicated to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Clozapine is the only treatment with regulatory-recognition of lowering suicidal risk, at least in schizophrenia patients. It remains uncertain whether such effects extend to other drugs for psychosis. METHODS: We searched for reports on rates of suicidal behavior during treatment with clozapine and other modern drugs for psychosis (aripiprazole, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, and ziprasidone) versus comparison or control treatments and analyzed the contrasts by random-effect meta-analysis to obtain pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: We identified 35 paired comparisons of modern drugs for psychosis versus comparison or control treatments in 18 reports. There was moderate overall superiority of all agents tested over alternatives (OR = 0.522, p = 0.004). With clozapine, this effect was large (OR = 0.229, p < 0.0001) and consistent (7/7 trials), but significant antisuicidal effects were not found with other drugs for psychosis in 28 other trials (OR = 0.941, p = 0.497). Apparent efficacy of specific agents ranked: risperidone ⩾ olanzapine ⩾ aripiprazole ⩾ ziprasidone ⩾ mixed drugs for psychosis ⩾ quetiapine, but none of these differences was significant. CONCLUSIONS: An ability of clozapine to reduce risk of suicides and attempts in schizophrenia patients appears to be a unique effect not shared with other modern medicines indicated for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

First baseline for bioenergetic biomarkers in Cnesterodon decemmaculatus as test organism in ecotoxicological studies.

Cnesterodon decemmaculatus is a Neotropical teleost fish frequently used in ecotoxicological evaluations, whose biology has been thoroughly studied. Although there is considerable information on its response to different toxicants, no range of reference values has been so far established for the different biological parameters proposed as biomarkers of effect or exposure. Moreover, no study has yet examined the possible influence of the metabolic status of the exposed animals on their response to toxic stress. Therefore, the aim of this work was to provide a first baseline for a set of bioenergetic biomarkers in C. decemmaculatus adults exposed to a control medium under previously standardized conditions, and to assess their possible intrinsic seasonal variability. The responses of the biomarkers obtained from the controls were contrasted with those from the reference toxicant (Cadmio-Cd) and receiving waters (surface waters of the Reconquista River RR, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). We conducted four 12-day assays (one in each season) of exposure to control media, (reconstituted moderate hard water, MHW) and two assays of exposure to Cd in MHW and surface river water (RR) in both summer and autumn. The variables recorded were: Food intake (In), fecal production (F), specific assimilation (A) and cumulative mortality, oxygen extraction efficiency (OEE), specific metabolic rate (SMR), ammonia excretion (N), ammonia quotient (AQ) and scope for growth (SFG). The seasonal variation shown by some physiological parameters, points to the need for establishing a baseline obtained from standardized media, preferably on a seasonal basis. Moreover, SFG and A appeared as the most sensitive biomarkers, emphasizing the importance to consider the metabolic status of the test organisms for the appropriate interpretation of results from ecotoxicological studies performed under controlled experimental conditions. The obtained results provide useful information on C. decemmaculatus as model species in ecotoxicological bioassays involving biomarkers of early effect.

The COVID-19 Outbreak and Subjects With Mental Disorders Who Presented to an Italian Psychiatric Emergency Department.

ABSTRACT: We performed a retrospective study from January to May 2020 to establish the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with mental health problems who arrived at an Italian emergency department during the COVID-19 outbreak. We divided the sample into two groups taking as a watershed March 11, when the World Health Organization announced COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Chi-square/t-tests, adjusted p values (Bonferroni method), and regression analysis were performed. Patients who arrived at the emergency department during the lockdown decreased by 56%; showed greater active suicidal ideation, more tension, and more severe psychopathological state; were living alone more frequently; and were taking home treatment mainly based on second-generation antipsychotics. According to our study, it seems that patients with mental disorders have consulted psychiatric services less frequently during the pandemic, but the economic, health, and social distress may be linked with an increase in suicidal risk and the severity of the psychopathological state.

Resilience, trauma, and hopelessness: protective or triggering factor for the development of psychopathology among migrants?

BACKGROUND: Recently, many studies have investigated the role of migration on mental health. Nonetheless, only few focused on the consequences of childhood trauma, hopelessness, and resilience on migrants' psychopathology, including psychiatric disorders and symptoms. METHOD: 119 migrants were recruited between May 2017 and April 2018, among those applying for assessment to the Mental Health Operational Unit of the National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (NIHMP) in Rome, Italy. Assessment included the following: Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Beck's Suicide Intent Scale (SIS), Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ), Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI). RESULTS: 53.39% of migrants scored above the PCL-5 cut-off score (mean score was 39.45). SDS scores below the cutoff suggested the presence of depression in 42.37%, while According to SAS scores anxiety levels were low in 38.98% of migrants. During childhood, physical abuse and neglect were reported respectively by 56.78 and 69.49% of migrants. CONCLUSION: We found that Post Traumatic Stress Disorders play the role of mediators for the relation between the childhood traumatic experiences and aggressiveness, anxious and depressive symptomatology, while hopelessness is a mediator between the childhood traumatic experiences and the development of depression in adulthood. Hopelessness seems to influence the strength of the relation between childhood traumatic experiences and the individual's current intensity of suicidal attitudes, plans, and behaviors. Further developments and future perspectives of the research project are to address key gaps in the field of resilience by means of a longitudinal evaluation study in migrants, including a native population control group, acceding to NIHMP.

Clinical Differences Between Single and Multiple Suicide Attempters, Suicide Ideators, and Non-suicidal Inpatients.

Single suicide attempters (SSAs) and multiple suicide attempters (MSAs) represent distinct subgroups of individuals with specific risk factors and clinical characteristics. This retrospective study on a sample of 397 adult psychiatric inpatients analyzed the main sociodemographic and clinical differences between SSAs and MSAs and the possible differences between SSAs, MSAs, and psychiatric patients with and without suicidal ideation (SI). Clinical variables collected included psychiatric diagnoses (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview), presence of substance use, current suicide risk status (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale), Clinical Global Impression at admission, Global Assessment of Functioning improvement between admission and discharge, age at onset of psychiatric illness, duration of untreated illness in years, number of hospitalizations in psychiatric settings, and lethality of the most severe suicide attempt. A multinomial logistic regression model with groups showed that MSAs had a higher lethality of their last suicide attempt as compared to SSAs. In addition, MSAs had distinct sociodemographic characteristics compared to both SSAs and patients with SI. Although the study was limited by the relatively small sample size and retrospective nature, the present results suggest that identifying MSAs could be useful in predicting suicide risk and designing ad hoc prevention strategies.

Use of integrated biomarker indexes for assessing the impact of receiving waters on a native neotropical teleost fish.

In the field of aquatic ecotoxicology, indexes obtained from a battery of biomarkers have proved to be a useful tool for assessing quantifiable and integrated health responses of organisms exposed to pollutants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of exposure to the Reconquista River water (RR) on adults of Cnesterodon decemmaculatus using different integrated indexes. We conducted a 12-d laboratory assay involving the exposure of fish to RR, a negative control (moderately hard water - MHW medium), and a positive control (for genotoxicity with MHW + Cyclophosphamide, CP). There were measured metabolic (food intake and specific assimilation, specific metabolic rate, oxygen extraction efficiency, ammonia excretion, and ammonia quotient), genotoxic (comet assay, micronucleus test, and nuclear abnormalities), morphological variables (total length, body and liver weight) and biochemical variables (Electron Transport System - ETS, Acetylcholinesterase activity - AChE, Catalase - CAT, Glutathione-S-transferase - GST, Glutathione content - GSH and tissue proteins). These variables were grouped into different indexes: morphological (Condition Factor - K and Liver Somatic Index-LSI), metabolic (Scope for Growth-SFG), genetic damage (GDI) and integrated biomarker response - IBR (AChE brain, CAT, GST and GSH liver, GSH gills, ETS muscle) indexes. Results indicated that RR water induced metabolic, biochemical and genetic damages. The SFG, GDI and IBR were suitable to assess the effects of exposure to an environmental sample in an integrated approach, reducing uncertainty due to inherent biomarker variability. These indexes have emerged as promising tools for environmental monitoring studies.

Psychosocial Suicide Prevention Interventions in the Elderly: A Mini-Review of the Literature.

In Europe the elderly population is projected to increase from 18.5% (93.9 million) in 2014 to 28.7% (149.1 million) by 2080. In the United States it is estimated that by 2030 more than 20% of the population will be aged 65 years or over. This specific population is at high risk of unrecognized or untreated psychiatric illnesses and suicide. It is well known that completed suicide rate increases with age in both men and women. Although elderly people attempt suicide less often than other age groups, they show a higher completion rate. Generally, the methods chosen by elderly are more lethal, the intent is more serious, they are more determined, and they show fewer warning signs than the younger population. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of psychosocial intervention, following self-harm in adults, found that cognitive behavioral therapy was the most effective therapy in these patients. Unfortunately, there have been few reported trials of other potentially effective interventions. Because the scientific literature on psychosocial suicide prevention interventions in the elderly is still scant, we conducted a mini-review in order to take stock of the situation. Studies were identified through electronic searches of the Cochrane library, MEDLINE, Scopus and the Web of Science databases. PRISMA guidelines were followed and only seven articles met the inclusion criteria. No firm conclusions can be drawn about this topic because there is still very little data and studies use inconsistent outcome measures and designs. Nonetheless, the existing data suggests that psychosocial interventions are promising.

Cadmium effects on some energy metabolism variables in Cnesterodon decemmaculatus adults.

This work is focused on the responses of some energy metabolism variables in Cnesterodon decemmaculatus adults exposed to cadmium under controlled laboratory conditions. This species has been used as bioindicator for evaluating the effects of different chemicals on diverse biological processes and is frequently used as test organism in ecotoxicity studies that include cadmium as reference toxicant. Animals were exposed for 12 days to the following concentrations: 0, 0.45, and 0.8 mg Cd/L. Food intake, fecal production, specific assimilation, condition factor, mortality percentage, oxygen consumption, oxygen extraction efficiency, specific metabolic rate, ammonia excretion, and ammonia quotient were measured. The overall balance was expressed as scope for growth (SFG). Cadmium-exposed groups showed a significant decrease in food assimilation and condition factor at the end of the exposure. There was an increase in specific metabolic rate and a decrease in SFG in the group exposed to 0.8 mg Cd/L. The condition factor and the SFG appeared as sensitive biomarkers of health status and growth of the animals, respectively. Cadmium-exposed fish reduced food intake, which was reflected in a decreased assimilation with concomitant decline in the external energy supply from feeding. Our results highlight the importance of considering the metabolic status of the test organisms when analyzing the responses of the biomarkers usually used as effect parameters in ecotoxicological evaluations under experimental conditions.

Cnesterodon decemmaculatus juveniles as test organisms in toxicity assessment: cadmium case.

The poeciliid Cnesterodon decemmaculatus is one of the native species of southern South America recently recommended for use as a test species in biomonitoring. Therefore, it is important to characterize its responses to stress conditions caused by pollution. The aim of this work was to determine the toxicity of the reference toxicant cadmium (Cd) and to evaluate the lethality response of juveniles of C. decemmaculatus exposed to an environmental sample with a high degree of pollution (Luján River, Buenos Aires, Argentina). The LC50 values at 24 and 96 h were 6.00 and 2.27 mg Cd/L, respectively. The uptake of Cd was significantly greater in the first 24 h in relation to the total time of exposure in the bioassay. The toxicity of the water was in agreement with the level of contamination. A Cd contaminant pulse exerted an important additive effect on the toxicity of the environmental sample. The results provide information regarding the sensitivity of a native species to be used as a test organism in environmental monitoring.

Non-point contamination homogenizes the water quality of pampean streams.

The aim of this research was to study the effects on streams water quality of non-point contamination as agriculture and cattle farming activities at a basin with pampean characteristics located at the upper Reconquista River Basin. Eight reaches with different uses in their neighboring zones were selected with the proposed to detect differences at the water quality among them. SRP range was 0-0.60 mgP.PO (4) (-3) /L, ammonia 1-137.3 µgN-NH4(+)/L and nitrate 0-4.15 mgN-NO(3) (-)/L. There was high similitude and homogeneous physicochemical characteristics at the different reaches of the streams. The high levels of dissolved nutrients showed similar eutrophication conditions at the streams.

Cadmium toxicity in tadpoles of Rhinella arenarum in relation to calcium and humic acids.

Bioassays were carried out to study the differences in cadmium (Cd) toxicity to premetamorphic tadpoles of Rhinella arenarum, in aqueous solutions with variable contents of calcium in the presence and absence of humic acids, and to analyze the relationship between the free Cd(2+) ion concentrations calculated by chemical modeling and the biological results. The correlation analysis of the free Cd(2+) concentration calculated by chemical speciation and the analytical Cd yielded a direct relationship between the degree of toxicity and the slope value. The lowest slope was obtained from the treatments with lowest free Cd(2+) ion concentration and lowest toxicity, whereas the highest slope was obtained from the most toxic treatment. At comparable concentrations of free Cd(2+), intralarval Cd increased as the Ca in the solution decreased. At equal contents of Ca, in the presence of humic acids, the content of Cd in larvae was higher and the toxicity values lower. The results obtained in this study show that waterborne Ca could offer some protection from metal uptake and accumulation by competitive inhibition in the uptake mechanism that involves active transport via cell membrane. In the systems with humic materials, a certain proportion of the Cd present in the solution was associated to them and thus became less bioavailable.