Active Targeting of Cancer Cells by Nanobody Decorated Polypeptide Micelle with Bio-orthogonally Conjugated Drug.

Polypeptides are promising carriers for chemotherapeutics: they have minimal toxicity, can be recombinantly synthesized with precise control over molecular weight, and enhance drug pharmacokinetics as self-assembled nanoparticles. Polypeptide-based systems also provide the ability to achieve active targeting with genetically encoded targeting ligands. While passive targeting promotes accumulation of nanocarriers in solid tumors, active targeting provides an additional layer of tunable control and widens the therapeutic window. However, fusion of most targeting proteins to polypeptide carriers exposes the limitations of this approach: the residues that are used for drug attachment are also promiscuously distributed on protein surfaces. We present here a universal methodology to solve this problem by the site-specific attachment of extrinsic moieties to polypeptide drug delivery systems without cross-reactivity to fused targeting domains. We incorporate an unnatural amino acid, p-acetylphenylalanine, to provide a biorthogonal ketone for attachment of doxorubicin in the presence of reactive amino acids in a nanobody-targeted, elastin-like polypeptide nanoparticle. These nanoparticles exhibit significantly greater cytotoxicity than nontargeted controls in multiple cancer cell lines.

Genetically Encoded Cholesterol-Modified Polypeptides.

Biological systems use post-translational modifications (PTMs) to control the structure, location, and function of proteins after expression. Despite the ubiquity of PTMs in biology, their use to create genetically encoded recombinant biomaterials is limited. We have utilized a natural lipidation PTM (hedgehog-mediated cholesterol modification of proteins) to create a class of hybrid biomaterials called cholesterol-modified polypeptides (CHaMPs) that exhibit programmable self-assembly at the nanoscale. To demonstrate the biomedical utility of CHaMPs, we used this approach to append cholesterol to biologically active peptide exendin-4 that is an approved drug for the treatment of type II diabetes. The exendin-cholesterol conjugate self-assembled into micelles, and these micelles activate the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor with a potency comparable to that of current gold standard treatments.

Conjugate of Doxorubicin to Albumin-Binding Peptide Outperforms Aldoxorubicin.

Short circulation time and off-target toxicity are the main challenges faced by small-molecule chemotherapeutics. To overcome these shortcomings, an albumin-binding peptide conjugate of chemotherapeutics is developed that binds specifically to endogenous albumin and harnesses its favorable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for drug delivery to tumors. A protein-G-derived albumin-binding domain (ABD) is conjugated with doxorubicin (Dox) via a pH-sensitive linker. One to two Dox molecules are conjugated to ABD without loss of aqueous solubility. The albumin-binding ABD-Dox conjugate exhibits nanomolar affinity for human and mouse albumin, and upon administration in mice, shows a plasma half-life of 29.4 h, which is close to that of mouse albumin. Additionally, 2 h after administration, ABD-Dox exhibits an approximately 4-fold higher concentration in the tumor than free Dox. Free Dox clears quickly from the tumor, while ABD-Dox maintains a steady concentration in the tumor for at least 72 h, so that its relative accumulation at 72 h is ≈120-fold greater than that of free Dox. The improved pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of ABD-Dox result in enhanced therapeutic efficacy in syngeneic C26 colon carcinoma and MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic tumor xenografts, compared with free Dox and aldoxorubicin, an albumin-reactive Dox prodrug currently in clinical development.

Malocclusion in Brazilian Schoolchildren: High Prevalence and Low Impact.

PURPOSE: To estimate the prevalence and severity of malocclusion and test a possible association with negative impacts on quality of life of schoolchildren in Tubarão, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample (n = 389) of schoolchildren. Data on oral health-related quality of life were obtained through the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) scale. The malocclusion indicator was the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Prevalence ratios were estimated using log-linear Poisson regression with a robust estimator. RESULTS: The prevalence of class II, III, and IV malocclusion was 57.3%. The most common dental condition was overjet greater than 3 mm. Girls and older schoolchildren showed statistically significantly higher prevalence of all classes of malocclusion. There were no statistically significant associations between the most frequent malocclusions and dimensions of the impact indicator, except for the presence of overjet greater than 3 mm that was associated the 'cleaning teeth' dimension. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malocclusion was high, but was not statistically significantly associated with impact on oral health-related quality of life.

Methylene blue toxicity in zebrafish cell line is dependent on light exposure.

Methylene blue (MB) has been widely applied in the clinical area and is currently being used in aquaculture as biocide. Some recent studies have emphasized the importance of understanding the action mechanism and the MB cellular targets. In this sense, zebrafish is considered a relevant model to study the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis as well as the cellular responses involving DNA damage and repair. So, the aim of the present study was to compare MB action mechanisms in a zebrafish cell line, both in the absence (MB alone; dark toxicity) and in the presence of photosynthetically active radiation (MB+PAR; phototoxicity). There was a significant increase of the levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species 3 h after MB treatment, whereas this increase was only observed 12 h after treatment with MB+PAR. All treatments with MB resulted in an increase in DNA damage after 3 and 6 h. However, cell death by apoptosis was observed from 6 h after treatment with MB+PAR and 12 h after treatment with MB alone. The expression of genes related to apoptosis was altered after MB and MB+PAR treatment. Therefore, this zebrafish cell line is sensitive to the photodynamic action of MB; MB is able to generate DNA damage and induce apoptosis in this cell line both alone and in the presence of PAR. However, the pathways leading to apoptosis in this model appear to be dependent on the type of MB exposure (in the presence or absence of PAR).

Apical targeting and endocytosis of the sialomucin endolyn are essential for establishment of zebrafish pronephric kidney function.

Kidney function requires the appropriate distribution of membrane proteins between the apical and basolateral surfaces along the kidney tubule. Further, the absolute amount of a protein at the cell surface versus intracellular compartments must be attuned to specific physiological needs. Endolyn (CD164) is a transmembrane protein that is expressed at the brush border and in apical endosomes of the proximal convoluted tubule and in lysosomes of more distal segments of the kidney. Endolyn has been shown to regulate CXCR4 signaling in hematopoietic precursor cells and myoblasts; however, little is known about endolyn function in the adult or developing kidney. Here we identify endolyn as a gene important for zebrafish pronephric kidney function. Zebrafish endolyn lacks the N-terminal mucin-like domain of the mammalian protein, but is otherwise highly conserved. Using in situ hybridization we show that endolyn is expressed early during development in zebrafish brain, eye, gut and pronephric kidney. Embryos injected with a translation-inhibiting morpholino oligonucleotide targeted against endolyn developed pericardial edema, hydrocephaly and body curvature. The pronephric kidney appeared normal morphologically, but clearance of fluorescent dextran injected into the common cardinal vein was delayed, consistent with a defect in the regulation of water balance in morphant embryos. Heterologous expression of rat endolyn rescued the morphant phenotypes. Interestingly, rescue experiments using mutant rat endolyn constructs revealed that both apical sorting and endocytic/lysosomal targeting motifs are required for normal pronephric kidney function. This suggests that both polarized targeting and postendocytic trafficking of endolyn are essential for the protein's proper function in mammalian kidney.

Low water quality in tropical fishponds in southeastern Brazil.

Expansion of aquaculture around the world has heavily impacted the environment. Because fertilizers are needed to raise fish, one of the main impacts is eutrophication, which lowers water quality and increases the frequency of algal blooms, mostly cyanobacteria. To evaluate whether the water quality in 30 fishponds in southeastern Brazilian met the requirements of Brazilian legislation, we analyzed biotic and abiotic water conditions. We expected that the high nutrient levels due to fertilization would cause low water quality. We also analyzed cyanotoxins in seston and fish muscle in some systems where cyanobacteria were dominant. The fishponds ranged from eutrophic and hypereutrophic with high phytoplankton biomass. Although cyanobacteria were dominant in most of the systems, cyanotoxins occurred in low concentrations, possibly because only two of the 12 dominant species were potential producers of microcystins. The high phosphorus concentrations caused the low water quality by increasing cyanobacteria, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, and thermotolerant coliforms, and by depleting dissolved oxygen. We found that all the 30 systems were inappropriate for fish culture, according to Brazilian legislation, based on at least one of the parameters measured. Furthermore, there was not any single system in the water-quality thresholds, according to the Brazilian legislation, to grow fish. Our findings indicate the need for better management to minimize the impacts of eutrophication in fishponds, in addition to a rigorous control to guarantee good food.

Characteristics of salivary secretion in normal-weight, overweight and obese children: a preliminary study: salivary composition and excessive fat tissue.

UNLABELLED: Information on salivary characteristics of young subjects with different body composition is scarce. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to assess salivary characteristics of normal-weight, overweight and obese children. This is a basic research design in which 68 children (5-12 years) were recruited and anthropometric measurements consisted of body mass index (BMI = Kg/m(2)), body perimeters (waist/arm circumferences) and subcutaneous fat tissue (triceps/subscapular thicknesses). Stimulated (SS) and unstimulated morning saliva (US) were collected to determine flow rate, pH and triglycerides, urea, alpha-amylase, total protein, phosphate and calcium concentrations. Data were analyzed using normality tests, t test/Wilcoxon, one-way ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson's/Spearman's correlation tests, where appropriate. RESULTS: Age, household income, parents' education, saliva flow and pH did not differ among groups. Waist circumference and subscapular skinfold differed significantly between normal-weight and obese groups; only waist circumference showed significant correlation with BMI in all groups. pH increased significantly from US to SS in all groups; but flow rate increased from US to SS only in normal-weight and overweight groups. Total protein, amylase, urea, phosphate, triglyceride and calcium concentrations did not differ among groups. However, urea, phosphate and calcium concentrations differed significantly between US and SS in the normal-weight and overweight groups, with the lowest values for SS. In the overweight group, total protein also differed between saliva samples and obese group showed no difference in biochemical parameters between US and SS. Finally, some salivary characteristics may vary among normal-weight, overweight and obese children; thus, future studies in a larger sample are needed to fully understand salivary secretion and composition of these subjects.

Prognostic Scores for Mortality in Invasive Mechanically Ventilated Burn Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Managing burn patients is a challenge requiring a multidisciplinary team with the ability to predict complications and act early to avoid them. There are few studies characterizing the population of critically ill burn patients in need of ventilatory support. This study aimed to describe the population of burn patients in need of invasive mechanical ventilation support and assess in-hospital mortality and the factors associated with it. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A longitudinal retrospective study was conducted, including burn patients admitted to a tertiary hospital burn unit over five consecutive years, who required invasive mechanical ventilation support during their hospitalization. Demographic data, comorbidities, characteristics of the injury scene, etiology, and characteristics of the burn were collected. Length of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization as well as mortality rate were evaluated. The determination of mortality predictors and the prognostic performance of mortality prediction scores were analyzed. A one-year follow-up was performed to evaluate the survival of discharged patients. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients were included in this study; 68.1% patients were male with a median age of 58 years. The mean percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 24.5%. Home incidents were the most frequent, and fire was the most common cause of burns (80.9% of patients). The mean Abbreviated Burn Severity Index Score (ABSI) was 7.83, with an area under the curve in receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis (AUC_ROC) of 0.725; the mean Belgium Outcome of Burn Injury (BOBI) score was 3.45, with AUC_ROC of 0.740 and mean R-Baux of 89.1 and AUC_ROC of 0.834. The mean duration of invasive mechanical ventilation was 16.9±19.3 days. Age (p<0.001), length of mechanical ventilation (p<0.001), length of hospitalization (p<0.001), higher degree of burn (p=0.001), TBSA (p=0.040), and the presence of buttock burn (0.006) were associated with mortality in this sample. In-hospital mortality was 29.8%. The survival group had a 12% death rate at one-year follow-up, mostly in the first three months after discharge. CONCLUSION: Age, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of hospitalization, higher degree of burn, TBSA, and the presence of buttock burn were associated with mortality in this sample. R-Baux score was the most accurate test score to predict mortality in this challenging group of patients.

Infrared radiative transfer dataset: Comparisons of HITRAN2020, HITRAN2016, and MT_CKD versions 3.2 & 4.1.1 across five model atmospheres.

This dataset presents the outputs of a series of experiments conducted varying combinations of two versions of the High Resolution Transmission (HITRAN) database (2016 and 2020) and two versions of the MT_CKD water vapor (WV) continuum model (3.2 and 4.1.1) across five distinct model atmospheres. The primary objective of compiling this dataset was to assess the impacts of updated spectroscopic parameters and water vapor continuum models on atmospheric radiative transfer calculations. The line-by-line calculations were performed by the Reference Foward Model (RFM). Key atmospheric gases, namely H2O, CO2, O3, CH4, CO, N2O, and O2, are prescribed at each atmospheric model. The dataset includes calculations with all gases present as well as experiments removing individual gases (specifically, CO2, O3, and H2O). It gathers upward and downward radiation fluxes, and cooling rates. The dataset is available in a compressed .tar file format, where each file contains 880 individual text files representing specific atmospheric heights. This collection is designed to facilitate further research in atmospheric science, particularly for validating other radiative transfer models and improving the understanding of atmospheric energy dynamics.

Fuzzy and spatial analysis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Pará State, Brazilian Amazon: an ecological and exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION: This study sought to analyze the relationships between cutaneous leishmaniasis and its epidemiological, environmental and socioeconomic conditions, in the 22 microregions of Pará state, Brazil, for the period from 2017 to 2022. METHODOLOGY: In this ecological and exploratory study, the microregions were used as spatial units because they are formed by contiguous municipalities with similar characteristics. The epidemiological, environmental, socioeconomic, and public health policy data employed were obtained from the official information systems at the Ministry of Health, National Institute for Space Research, and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. A fuzzy system was developed to identify risk factors for the disease, using Python programming language. The results were analyzed with the bivariate Global Moran spatial analysis technique. RESULTS: It was observed that the Altamira microregion had the highest risk percentage for the disease, while Breves had the lowest, with significant differences in the relevance of its conditioning factors, mainly related to land use and cover patterns, in addition to demography and living conditions index, education and public health policies. CONCLUSIONS: The fuzzy system associated with the geostatistical technique was satisfactory for identifying areas with health vulnerability gradients related to deforestation, pasture, poverty, illiteracy, and health services coverage, as its conditioning variables. Thus, it was demonstrated that deforestation was the main risk factor for the disease. The system can also be used in environmental and epidemiological surveillance.

[Degree of dependence of elderly residents in geriatric long-term care facilities in Montes Claros, MG]. / Grau de dependência de idosos residentes em instituições de longa permanência.

This study aimed to identify the degree of dependence of institutionalized older adults in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It consists of a cross-sectional descriptive study, developed in three non-profit geriatric long-term care facilities in this municipality. The sample was comprised of 125 older adults and data were collected with the use of the Katz Index. Data were presented by descriptive and bivariate analysis. Independence was observed in 41.6% (n = 52), partial dependence in 15.2% (n = 19) and total dependence in 43.2% (n = 54). The elderly have better ability to perform feeding (86.4%, n = 108) and transferring (67.2%, n = 84) activities. Thus, this study suggests the need for continuous monitoring to prevent functional disability in this population group.

Septic Embolism Associated With Periodontal Disease: A Case Report.

Parvimonas micra and Provetella oralis are two commensal anaerobic bacteria of the human oral cavity. Anaerobic bacteria infections are uncommon and require a high index of suspicion and a quick start of appropriate treatment. We present a patient with multifocal infiltrates compatible with septic embolism (lung, liver, and spleen emboli) and polymicrobial bacteremia with Parvimonas micra and Provetella oralis. Periodontal disease appears to be the main cause of this disseminated infection.

A data driven approach to mineral chemistry unveils magmatic processes associated with long-lasting, low-intensity volcanic activity.

The most frequent volcanic eruptions are of low-intensity and small magnitude. They produce abundant ash-sized (< 2 mm) clasts, which are too small to establish quantitative links between magmatic processes and eruptive dynamics using classic approaches. This inhibits our ability to study the past behaviour of frequently erupting volcanoes, essential to predict their future activity and mitigate their impact. The Palizzi unit (10-13th century, Vulcano, Italy) includes a prototype sequence of ash deposits resulting from prolonged Vulcanian eruptions punctuated by those of two larger sub-Plinian events. We apply Hierarchical Clustering to chemical analyses of clinopyroxene collected along the stratigraphy to decipher magma dynamics during this eruptive period. We identify periods of magma input and we link deep magmatic processes to eruptive dynamics, also showing that our approach can be used to connect magma and eruptive dynamics in any volcanic sequence. This is essential to track the processes occurring during frequent eruptions and to identify the build-up to larger explosive events.

Validation of the Opening Minds Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC): Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian Version.

Stigma towards people with mental illness is also present among health professionals. The study validated and estimated the reliability, dimensionality and structure of the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) scale in Brazil. In this methodological study, health professionals (n = 199) from Family Health Units in Brazil were recruited by convenience sampling. The EFA conducted with 16 items resulted in four factors. The Cronbach's Alpha for the OMS scale was 0.74, which is considered to reflect reasonable reliability. The data presented contribute to the use of the scale in studies that investigate the level of stigma among health professionals towards people with mental illness, as well as in the development of anti-stigma interventions in this context.

Malaria and environmental, socioeconomics and public health conditions in the municipality of São Félix do Xingu, Pará, Eastern Amazon, Brazil: An ecological and cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a parasitosis conditioned by several factors. This study sought to analyze the spatial distribution of malaria considering environmental, socioeconomic, and political variables in São Félix do Xingu, Pará, Brazil, from 2014 to 2020. METHODS: Epidemiological, cartographic, and environmental data were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Brazilian Geographical and Statistical Institute, and National Space Research Institute. Statistical and spatial distribution analyses were performed using chi-squared tests of expected equal proportions and the kernel and bivariate global Moran's techniques with Bioestat 5.0 and ArcGIS 10.5.1. RESULTS: The highest percentage of cases occurred in adult males with brown skin color, mainly placer miners, with a primary education level, living in rural areas, who were infected with Plasmodium vivax and with parasitemia of two or three crosses as diagnosed by the thick drop/smear test. The disease had a non-homogeneous distribution, with distinct annual parasite indices associated with administrative districts and clusters of cases in locations with deforestation, mining, and pastures close to Conservation Units and Indigenous Lands. Thus, a direct relationship between areas with cases and environmental degradation associated with land use was demonstrated, along with the precarious availability of health services. Pressure on protected areas and epidemiological silence in Indigenous Lands were also noted. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental and socioeconomic circuits were identified for development of diseases associated with precarious health services in the municipality. These findings highlight the need to intensify malaria surveillance and contribute to the systematic knowledge of malaria's epidemiology by considering the complexity of its conditioning factors.

Biomechanical study of 16-mm threaded, 32-mm threaded, and fully threaded SCFE screw fixation.

BACKGROUND: The initial goals of the treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) are to stabilize the epiphysis, prevent slip progression, and avoid complications. In situ fixation with a single screw is the most accepted procedure to provide an optimal fixation, but fixation failure and slip progression suggest that the procedure might be improved. The aim of the present study was to biomechanically compare partially threaded screws (16 mm and 32 mm) and fully threaded screws in an in vitro porcine model. METHODS: An unstable/acute SCFE was created in 18 skeletally immature porcine femurs through a type 1 Salter-Harris fracture. Each femur was fixed using a 6.5-mm stainless-steel cannulated screw inserted through the physis under fluoroscopic guidance. The screw was either 16 mm threaded, 32 mm threaded, or fully threaded (n=6 each group). Each specimen was cyclically tested to failure fixation by anterior-to-posterior loading through the femoral head. RESULTS: No significant difference was detected between the Newton cycles to failure of the 3 screw-thread groups. The 16-mm threaded group had the highest frequency of femoral neck failure. CONCLUSIONS: The 16-mm threaded screws had the highest rate of neck failure and did not demonstrate additional fixation stability over the 32-mm threaded and fully threaded screws. As femoral neck fracture is a rare but devastating complication in pediatric patients, clinical use of the 32-mm threaded and fully threaded screws may be indicated in SCFE fixation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of 32-mm or fully threaded screws is a valid SCFE treatment option. The increased number of threads in the metaphysis with these screws may confer additional biomechanical strength to the femoral neck.

The severity of dental caries in adults aged 35 to 44 years residing in the metropolitan area of a large city in Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, studies in the field of public health have increasingly focused on social determinants that affect the health-illness process. The epidemiological perspective considers oral health to be a reflection of socioeconomic and environmental aspects, and it is particularly influenced by the social context. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the severity of dental caries among adults aged 35 to 44 years and characteristics on the different levels at which the determinants of caries operate (individual, social structure and social context). METHODS: A home-based, cross-sectional field study was carried out involving a sample of 1,150 adults (35 to 44 years of age) residing in metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The DMFT (decayed, missing, filled tooth) index (≥14) was used to determine the severity of dental caries. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out using the Poisson regression model with the level of significance set at 5% (p < 0.05) and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The majority of the participants (68.5%) had high caries severity. The rate of high-severity caries in the group between 40 and 44 years of age was 1.15-fold (CI: 1.04-1.26) greater than that among those aged 35 to 39 years. A greater prevalence of high caries severity was found among those who frequently visited the dentist (PR = 1.18; CI: 1.07-1.30), those with a lower income (PR = 1.11; CI: 1.01-1.23), those who reported that their neighborhood did not come together in the previous year to petition political leaders for benefits (PR = 1.16; CI: 1.05-1.28) and those who are unable to make decisions (without empowerment) (PR = 1.12; CI: 1.01-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed high dental caries severity in adults, which was associated with individual characteristics, health-related behavior and social structure and contextual variables. These findings underscore the importance of considering social determinants involved in the health-illness process when carrying out epidemiological studies on dental caries.

The European Pine Marten Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) Is Autochthonous in Sicily and Constitutes a Well-Characterised Major Phylogroup within the Species (Carnivora, Mustelidae).

No molecular data are currently available for the Sicilian populations of the European pine marten Martes martes, thus preventing any sound inference about its native or non-native status on the island, as well as the local phylogeography of the species. In order to investigate these issues, we sequenced two mtDNA markers in road-killed specimens collected in Sicily. Both markers consistently demonstrated the existence of a well-characterised Sicilian clade of the species, which is endemic to the island and constitutes the sister group of a clade including the Mediterranean and Central-North European major phylogroups of the European pine marten. Such evidence supports the autochthony of Martes martes in Sicily and points to a natural Pleistocene colonisation of the island followed by isolation. The occurrence of a, to date undetected, major phylogroup of the species in Sicily calls for the dedicated monitoring of the Sicilian populations of the species in order to preserve this evolutionarily significant unit.

Biochemical response and metals bioaccumulation in planktonic communities from marine areas impacted by the Fundão mine dam rupture (southeast Brazil).

The rupture of the Fundão dam (Mariana, MG, southeast Brazil) released a huge flood of mine tailings to Doce river basin and its adjacent coastal area, in November 2015. This catastrophic event exposed aquatic communities to metal contamination related to mine tailings, but its biological effects are still poorly understood. This study investigates how biochemical response related to metal exposure vary between locations and seasons during the years of 2018-2020, in planktonic communities (micro and mesoplankton). Marine microplankton collected in sectors in front and south of the Doce river mouth presented the highest lipid peroxidation (LPO) and induction of metallothioneins (MT). Mesoplankton collected in sectors in front and north of the Doce river mouth presented highest LPO, while MT in this size class did not respond to a clear spatial pattern. Our results showed that metals affected biomarkers in a non-linear pattern and highlighted the complex relationship between metals, biochemical parameters, and seasonality. The variation in biochemical biomarkers indicates physiological stress related to metals, once sectors contaminated by metals, especially Fe, Mn and Cd, presented stronger biochemical responses. Comparison of metal levels with bioaccumulation data collected before the impact indicates Fe, Cd, Cr and Cu more than 2-fold higher after disaster in sectors closer to the river. Literature showed that these sectors present zooplanktonic assemblages with lower biomass and biodiversity, suggesting that the opportunistic species that thrives in the area are also under biochemical stress, but possibly relies on repair or defense mechanisms. The physiological stress detected by this study is possibly related to the mine tailings, considering the metals that stood out and the proximity with the Doce river mouth. This suggests that the impacts related to the failure of Fundão dam are still affecting the marine planktonic community even three to four years after the environmental disaster.