MeHg exposure impairs both the catecholaminergic and cholinergic systems resulting in motor and non-motor behavioral changes in Drosophila melanogaster.

Human exposure to the natural environmental contaminant methylmercury (MeHg) has been associated to adverse health effects. Importantly, the mechanisms by which this organomercurial exerts its neurotoxicity have yet to be fully clarified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether exposure to MeHg alters dopamine (DA) and octopamine (OA) levels, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and impacts both motor and non-motor behaviours. We studied the effect of MeHg by feeding 1-2 d old flies (male and females) with 25 and 50 µM MeHg for 4 d and determined effects on survival, motor and non-motor behaviours, oxidative stress, AChE and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activities, as well as DA and OA levels. We found that Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster) exposed to MeHg showed a reduction in survival rate, associated with the inhibition of AChE and TH activities in head of flies and decreased DA and OA levels. These changes were accompanied by behavioural alterations, such as locomotor deficit and increased grooming behaviour, in addition to an increase in oxidative stress markers both in head and in body of flies, and an increase in glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in head of flies. Collectively, our data support the hypothesis that MeHg neurotoxicity is associated with altered OA and DA levels, AChE inhibition, which may serve, at least in part, as the underpinnings of both motor and non-motor behavioural changes.

Impact of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Behavioral and Hippocampal Deficits in a Mouse Model of Chronic Stress.

Clinical studies examining the interaction between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stress-related disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder) are often complicated by methodological constraints, such as heterogeneity in injury type and severity, time post-trauma, and predisposing risk factors. Developing relevant animal models whereby many variables can be efficiently controlled is thus essential to understanding this elusive relationship. Here, we use our repeated unpredictable stress (RUS) paradigm, in combination with our established mouse model of repetitive mild TBI (r-mTBI), to assess the impact of repeated exposures to these paradigms on behavioral and neurobiological measures. C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to RUS and r-mTBI at 3 and 6 months of age followed by batteries of behavioral testing. Mice were euthanized 10 days and 3 months post-exposure, with brain and plasma samples collected for molecular profiling. The RUS paradigm involved exposure to a predator odor (trimethylthiazoline; TMT) while under restraint, daily unstable social housing, five inescapable footshocks on separate days, and chronic social isolation. Animals receiving r-mTBI ( × 5) and stress were exposed to a single closed-head injury 1 h after each footshock. Stress-alone mice showed significant weight loss, recall of traumatic memories, and anxiety-like and passive stress-coping behavior when compared with control mice. However, in stress+r-mTBI animals, the changes in cued fear memory, anxiety, and stress-coping tests were diminished, possibly due to TBI-induced hyperactivity. We also report complex brain molecular and neuropathological findings. Stress and r-mTBI, either individually or comorbidly, were associated with a chronic reduction in dendritic spine GluN2A/GluN2B ratio in the hippocampus. While stress augmented the r-mTBI-dependent astrogliosis in the corpus callosum, it mitigated r-mTBI-induced increases in hippocampal pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor. We anticipate that our model will be a good platform to untangle the complex comorbid pathophysiology in stress disorders and r-mTBI.

Assessment of the single and mixture ecotoxicity of pharmaceuticals of environmental concern using aquatic test organisms / Avaliação da ecotoxicidade individual e das misturas de fármacos de preocupação ambiental usando organismos-teste aquáticos

Pharmaceuticals are contaminants of emerging concern which have been a target of increasing attention by the scientific community. Pharmaceuticals presenting high consumption, incomplete metabolism and incomplete removal at wastewater treatment plants have been frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. This is the case of the pharmaceuticals metformin (MET), bisoprolol (BIS), sotalol (SOT) and ranitidine (RAN). However, ecotoxicity data for these contaminants are scarce, especially regarding behavior effects and chronic toxicity. In addition, the knowledge regarding the joint toxicity of these pharmaceuticals on non-target organisms is still incipient, which makes their environment risk assessment uncertain. This study aimed to fill these knowledge gaps for these four pharmaceuticals, by carrying out toxicity tests using five test organisms from three trophic levels. Different endpoints were assessed in tests with Raphidocelis subcapitata (algae), Lemna minor (macrophyte), Daphnia similis (crustacean), Hydra attenuate (cnidarian) and Danio rerio (fish). The binary and quaternary mixture acute toxicity for these pharmaceuticals were assessed on D. similis and D. rerio embryo tests, respectively. This study also aimed to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the Concentration addition (CA) and the Independent action (IA) classic models. In addition, the nature of the possible toxicological interactions between the pharmaceuticals in binary mixtures were also evaluated, using the Combination Index-isobologram (CI) method. The modelling of the concentration-response curves and the associated statistical analyses were performed using the automated spreadsheet ToxCalcMix v.1.0 and the software OriginPro 2015. The software CompuSyn was used for performing the mixture analyses with the CI method. The experimental planning of the binary mixture tests was performed using the fractioned factorial design, in order to cover several possible ratio and level-dependent effects with a reduced number of test organisms. The results obtained in this study are shown in four articles. In article 1, we provided a critical review and discussed the misunderstandings, deficiencies and data gaps on the ecotoxicity data of pharmaceuticals and personal care products mixtures published in the literature. In the following articles, the results obtained from the single and mixture toxicity tests performed in this study were presented and discussed. The pharmaceuticals MET (article 2) and BIS (article 3) were classified as hazardous to the aquatic environment, in the acute toxicity category. However, an ecological risk is not expected for the pelagic freshwater species exposed to these two pharmaceuticals, based on the chronic data obtained. The results obtained from the mixture toxicity tests (article 4) showed that most of the observed toxicity effects from the binary mixtures were in the zone between the predicted effects by the CA and IA models. The CI model showed to be an useful tool to describe the possible toxicological interactions occurring between the pharmaceuticals in joint action. Even statistically significant non-effect concentrations of the pharmaceuticals added up to induce significant adverse effects in mixtures (something from nothing). It was concluded that ecological risk assessment based on single toxic effects can underestimate the real impact of environmental contaminants on aquatic ecosystems

A contaminação ambiental por fármacos tem sido alvo de crescente preocupação pela comunidade científica. Fármacos de elevado consumo, incompleto metabolismo e remoção incompleta em estações de tratamento de esgoto, como é o caso da metformina (MET), bisoprolol (BIS), sotalol (SOT) e ranitidina (RAN), têm sido frequentemente detectados em matrizes aquáticas do mundo todo. Apesar disso, dados ecotoxicológicos consistentes para esses contaminantes são escassos, principalmente com relação a efeitos comportamentais e oriundos de estudos crônicos. Além disso, o entendimento dos efeitos de suas ações combinadas em organismos não-alvo é ainda incipiente, o que gera incertezas na avaliação dos seus riscos ambientais. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo preencher essas lacunas de conhecimentos para esses quatro fármacos, por meio da realização de testes com cinco diferentes organismos-teste de três diferentes níveis tróficos. Foram analisados diferentes parâmetros avaliativos em testes com os organismos aquáticos Raphidocelis subcapitata (alga), Lemna minor (macrófita), Daphnia similis (crustáceo), Hydra attenuata (cnidário) e Danio rerio (peixe). As toxicidades agudas das misturas binárias e quaternárias desses quatro fármacos também foram avaliadas em testes com D. similis e embriões de D. rerio, respectivamente. Este trabalho também teve por objetivo avaliar a acurácia preditiva dos modelos de adição de concentração (CA) e ação independente (IA) e analisar a natureza das possíveis interações toxicológicas entre os fármacos, em misturas binárias, usando o modelo do Índice de Combinação (CI). A modelagem das relações concentração-resposta e as análises estatísticas associadas foram realizadas empregando-se a planilha automatizada ToxCalcMix versão 1.0 e o software OriginPro 2015. O software CompuSyn foi utilizado para as análises envolvendo o CI. O planejamento experimental dos testes de misturas binárias foi realizado por meio do design fatorial fracionado, a fim de cobrir diversas possíveis interações em várias proporções e níveis de efeitos, com a redução do número de organismos-teste. Os resultados desta pesquisa estão apresentados em quatro artigos. No artigo 1, realizou-se uma revisão crítica com relação às lacunas de conhecimentos e deficiências identificadas a partir da análise da literatura sobre a ecotoxicologia de misturas de fármacos e de produtos de higiene pessoal. Nos artigos seguintes, foram apresentados e discutidos os resultados oriundos dos testes com os quatro fármacos avaliados neste estudo. Os fármacos MET (artigo 2) e BIS (artigo 3) foram classificados como perigosos para o ambiente aquático, na categoria de toxicidade aguda. Contudo, um risco ecológico não é esperado para as espécies pelágicas de água doce expostas a esses dois fármacos, com base nos dados de toxicidade crônica obtidos. Os resultados dos testes de misturas (artigo 4) permitiram concluir que a maior parte dos efeitos observados das misturas binárias estiveram na zona entre os efeitos preditos pelos modelos clássicos de CA e IA. O modelo do CI mostrou-se uma ferramenta útil para descrever a natureza das possíveis interações toxicológicas que ocorrem entre os fármacos em ações combinadas. Mesmo concentrações de nenhum efeito estatisticamente significativo dos fármacos causaram efeitos adversos significativos quando em misturas (something from nothing). Concluiu-se que avaliações de risco ecológicas baseadas em efeitos tóxicos individuais de contaminantes ambientais podem subestimar o real impacto desses compostos em ecossistemas aquáticos