Non-target screening of volatile organic compounds in spray-type consumer products and their potential health risks.

Widespread use of spray-type consumer products can raise significant concerns regarding their effects on indoor air quality and human health. In this study, we conducted non-target screening using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze VOCs in 48 different spray-type consumer products. Using this approach, we tentatively identified a total of 254 VOCs from the spray-type products. Notably, more VOCs were detected in propellant-type products which are mostly solvent-based than in trigger-type ones which are mostly water-based. The VOCs identified encompass various chemical classes including alkanes, cycloalkanes, monoterpenoids, carboxylic acid derivatives, and carbonyl compounds, some of which arouse concerns due to their potential health effects. Alkanes and cycloalkanes are frequently detected in propellant-type products, whereas perfumed monoterpenoids are ubiquitous across all product categories. Among the identified VOCs, 12 compounds were classified into high-risk groups according to detection frequency and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, and their concentrations were confirmed using reference standards. Among the identified VOCs, D-limonene was the most frequently detected compound (freq. 21/48), with the highest concentration of 1.80 mg/g. The risk assessment was performed to evaluate the potential health risks associated with exposure to these VOCs. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the assessed VOC compounds were relatively low. However, it is important not to overlook the risk faced by occupational exposure to these VOCs, and the risk from simultaneous exposure to various VOCs contained in the products. This study serves as a valuable resource for the identification of unknown compounds in the consumer products, facilitating the evaluation of potential health risks to consumers.

Evaluation of progression of chronic kidney disease in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Introduction: Cardiovascular and renal diseases are known to affect each other in the cardiovascular renal axis disorder (CvRD). Although CvRD, which includes myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), has been described in dogs, there are only a few reports on the progression of CKD in accordance with the severity of MMVD. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of MMVD is associated with the rate of progression of CKD in dogs. The time from the initial diagnosis to the worsening of the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stage and the time for the occurrence of hyperphosphatemia and isosthenuria were evaluated. Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, CKD progression was determined as an increase in the IRIS stage by at least one level and the development of hyperphosphatemia or isosthenuria. The CKD progression was compared in dogs with and without comorbid MMVD. Results: Dogs with CKD were divided into two groups: dogs with and without MMVD (n = 63, concurrent group; n = 52, CKD group, respectively). The concurrent group was further divided into two subgroups based on the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guidelines (B1 group, n = 24; B2 group, n = 39). The time for progression of CKD from IRIS stage 1 to IRIS stage 2 was significantly shorter in the concurrent group than in the CKD group (log-rank test, p < 0.001). MMVD was associated with an increased risk of progression from stage 1 to stage 2 (hazard ratio, 6.442; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.354 to 18.850; p < 0.001). The timing of the onset of hyperphosphatemia or isosthenuria in the concurrent group and the CKD group was not significantly different. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that MMVD could be a risk factor for the progression of CKD. Our findings may help predict the prognosis of dogs with both CKD and MMVD compared to CKD only.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography findings of peripheral nerve sheath tumour of the nasal cavity in a dog.

An 8-year-old Miniature Poodle presented with chronic sneezing and unilateral epistaxis. A left-sided intranasal mass was identified on computed tomography. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) was performed to evaluate the metabolic activity of the mass. The intranasal mass showed mildly increased 18F-FDG uptake. The maximal and mean standardized uptake values (SUVs) of the mass were 3.4 and 2.6, respectively. The maximal SUV of the mass/mean SUV of the normal liver was 2.5. The 7-cm soft, pink mass was easily removed through rhinoscopy, with subsequent dramatic improvement in clinical signs. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses determined that the mass was an intermediate-grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (PNST). This is the first report of 18F-FDG PET findings in a PNST in dogs.

Clear cell variant mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary gland in a grey wolf (Canis lupus).

A 14-year-old male grey wolf (Canis lupus) with a history of severe facial swelling was submitted for necropsy. Clinical and radiological examination demonstrated an expansile neoplastic mass in the nasal and frontal sinuses. On necropsy, an amorphous neoplastic mass and extensive necrosis were observed in the nasal turbinate. Microscopic examination revealed a tumour principally composed of obvious clear tumour cells characterised by small hyperchromatic nuclei and abundant clear cytoplasm. These clear cells were positive for mucin with PAS, PAS-D reaction, and alcian blue (pH 2.5) staining, but negative for PTAH staining. Immunohistochemically, some of tumour cells were strongly positive for mesenchymal cells (vimentin), whereas they were negative for myoepithelial antigen (alpha-SMA) and cytokeratin. Based on the histopathological and immunohistochemical features, the present case was diagnosed as high-grade clear cell variant mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). This is the first description of clear cell variant MEC in a wolf.

Identification of chemicals to inhibit the kinase activity of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), a Parkinson's disease-associated protein.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease which occurs at more than 1% in populations aging 65-years and over. Recently, leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) has been identified as a causative gene for autosomal dominantly inherited familial PD cases. LRRK2 G2019S which is a prevalent mutant found in familial PD patients with LRRK2 mutations, exhibited kinase activity stronger than that of the wild type, suggesting the LRRK2 kinase inhibitor as a potential PD therapeutics. To develop such therapeutics, we initially screened a small chemical library and selected compound 1, whose IC(50) is about 13.2 µM. To develop better inhibitors, we tested five of the compound 1 derivatives and found a slightly better inhibitor, compound 4, whose IC(50) is 4.1 µM. The cell-based assay showed that these two chemicals inhibited oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity caused by over-expression of a PD-specific LRRK2 mutant, G2019S. In addition, the structural analysis of compound 4 suggested hydrogen bond interactions between compound 4 and Ala 1950 residue in the backbone of the ATP binding pocket of LRRK2 kinas domain. Therefore, compound 4 may be a promising lead compound to further develop a PD therapeutics based on LRRK2 kinase inhibition.

Cigarette smoking differentially regulates inflammatory responses in a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis depending on exposure time point.

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a risk factor for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the role of mainstream CS (MSCS) in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remains unclear. During the first (early exposure) or last (late exposure) three weeks of methionine-choline deficient with high fat diet feeding (6 weeks), each diet group was exposed to MSCS (300 or 600 µg/L). Hepatic or serum biochemical analysis showed that MSCS differentially modulated hepatic injury in NASH milieu, depending on exposure time points. Consistently, NASH-related hepatocellular apoptosis and fibrosis were increased in the early exposure group, but decreased in the late exposure group, except for steatosis. Ex vivo experiments showed that CS extract differentially regulated inflammatory responses in co-cultured hepatocytes and macrophages isolated from steatohepatitic livers after 10 days or 3 weeks of diet feeding. Furthermore, CS differentially up- and down-regulated the expression levels of M1/M2 polarization markers and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) in livers (29% and 38%, respectively) or co-cultured macrophages (2 and 2.5 fold, respectively). Collectively, our findings indicate that opposite effects of MSCS on NASH progression are mediated by differential modulation of PPARγ and its-associated M1/M2 polarization in hepatic macrophages, depending on exposure time points.

Diurnal changes in CN metabolism and response of rice seedlings to UV-B radiation.

Plants regulate a number of primary metabolites, including carbohydrates, organic acids, and amino acids, in response to UV-B radiation. Therefore, it is essential to understand the time-dependent response of rice plants to UV-B stress. This study focused on the response of plants to UV-B at different leaf developmental phases (emerging, growing, and maturing) in an attempt to fully comprehend the metabolic shift. We analyzed the expression levels of genes related to starch/sucrose metabolism in the leaf blades of rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L. "Saechuchenog") exposed to UV-B irradiation for short (1 day) and long terms (5 days) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We also examined the diurnal variations in the contents of primary metabolites using an established GCTOF-MS (gas chromatography time of flight-mass spectrometry) method. The results showed that the levels of primary metabolites were largely dependent upon the diurnal rhythm and leaf developmental phase. The young leaves (sink) produced and accumulated starch rather than sucrose. The short-term (4 h, 1 day) UV-B exposure inhibited sucrose synthesis, which could be the first target of UV-B radiation. Following short- and long-term (5 days) exposure to UV-B radiation, the dynamic response of primary metabolites was evaluated. It was found that the content of carbohydrates decreased throughout the period of exposure to UV-B stress, especially in terms of sucrose concentration. However, the content of the majority of amino acids increased after an early decrease. Our data revealed that the metabolic response, as well as the gene expression, differed with the period (intensity) of exposure to UV-B radiation and with the phase of leaf development. These findings provide new insights for a better understanding of the metabolic response of a variety of plant species exposed to a wide range of UV-B radiation.

Evaluating the Influence of Side Stream Cigarette Smoke at an Early Stage of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Progression in Mice.

Side stream cigarette smoke (SSCS) is known to be as harmful and hazardous to human health as is active smoking. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the exposure to SSCS and its stimulatory and subacute effects on the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). A methionine and choline-deficient plus high fat (MCDHF) diet was administered to C57BL/6 mice for 6 weeks. During the first three weeks of MCDHF diet feeding, each diet group was exposed to SSCS (0, 20, 40 µg/L) or fresh air for 2 hrs per day and 5 days per week. Additional experiments were performed by increasing the concentration (0, 30, 60 µg/L) and exposure time (6 hours per day) of SSCS. According to histopathologic analysis and serum levels of Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), there were no differences in hepatic fat deposition, fibrosis, apoptosis or liver damage in MCDHF-fed mice based on SSCS exposure. There were also no differences in the expression of inflammation-, oxidative stress- or fibrosis-related genes between MCDHF-fed mice with or without SSCS exposure. Therefore, it is concluded that SSCS with current exposure amounts does not have additive detrimental effects on the early stage of NASH.

Mainstream cigarette smoke accelerates the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by modulating Kupffer cell-mediated hepatocellular apoptosis in adolescent mice.

Cigarette smoking in adolescents is considered to be a major cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of mainstream cigarette smoke (MSCS) on the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in adolescents. Three-week-old C57BL/6 mice were fed either a methionine and choline-deficient plus high fat (MCDHF) diet for 6 weeks. Each group was exposed to MSCS (300, 600 ug/L) or fresh air for 2h per day during the first 3 weeks of MCDHF diet feeding. MSCS increased MCDHF diet-induced NASH by increasing serum ALT/AST levels, steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Furthermore, MSCS was associated with the degree of oxidative stress and hepatocellular apoptosis in NASH mice, but not prominent in controls. In vitro, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) activated Kupffer cells (KCs) to release inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress, which induced hepatocellular apoptosis. In conclusion, MSCS exposure accelerates the progression and severity of NASH by modulating KC-mediated hepatocellular apoptosis. Our results support the regulation of CS in adolescents with steatohepatitis.