Potential Ecological and Human Health Risks of Heavy Metals in Soils in Selected Copper Mining Areas-A Case Study: The Bor Area.

Surface soil samples were collected near the Open Pit Bor (S1) and Open Pit Cerovo (S2), a grassland along the Borska Reka River (S3) and an unpolluted garden near Slatina village (reference site). Spontaneous plants (dandelion, nettle, coltsfoot, and creeping buttercup) and vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, parsley, celery, potatoes, dill, and sorrel) were obtained from the former three sites and the reference site, respectively. The samples were analyzed for Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Pb via FAAS. Pollution indices indicated low-to-moderate soil contamination at sites S1, S2, and S3. Cu was the main contaminant of environmental concern, being above the maximum admitted concentration at site S1. Metal levels in spontaneous plants were below phytotoxic levels. Cu content of leafy vegetables and celery roots and Pb content of most vegetables were not safe for human consumption. Metal concentrations tended to be significantly lower in plants than in soils, with only Cu occurring at significantly elevated levels in celery roots and sorrel leaves. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment showed that consumption of carrot roots and especially celery roots grown on unpolluted soils from the Bor area might pose long-term health risks for females and males, with the main contributors being Cu and Fe.

Effects of mine waste water on rat: bioaccumulation and histopathological evaluation.

The highlighting of the bioaccumulation capacity of metals in the internal organs, the mode of distribution at the level of internal organs, the interactions between them, respectively, and the histological changes occurred at the level of the liver and kidneys are the main aspects addressed in the present study. The experiment was performed on 4 groups of Wistar rats: 3 groups which were administered water from rivers located in the vicinity of the Bor mining operation and 1 control group. The determination of the metal content in the administered water samples and in the internal organs was performed using the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Tissue alterations were assessed by histological technique and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The metal retention capacity in the internal organs differs depending on the metal concentration in the administered water sample but also on the organ in which the determination was made. Also, correlations were established between the concentrations of metals at the level of the organs, showing (a) positive and significant correlations-at the level of the heart between Zn and Cu, Fe, and Mn and at the level of the lungs between Mn and Cd-but the most numerous were reported in the testicle; (b) moderate correlations at liver level between Fe and Zn, at spleen level between Cu and Mn and Cd and at the level of the kidneys between Pb and Zn, Cu, and Fe; (c) negative correlations at renal level between Pb and Mn; and (d) insignificant correlations between Pb and Fe. The histological changes identified at the level of the liver and kidney become more obvious, and their aggravation is registered with the increase of the metal content.

Antiproliferative and antibacterial potential of tetrahexylammonium bromide-based ionic liquids.

Ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit cytotoxic effects on prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In this study, the antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of tetrahexylammonium bromide-based ILs were investigated. In order to evaluate the therapeutic potential of these ionic liquids, firstly microbiological assay using both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were conducted by employing Disk-Diffusion and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chlorine (TTC) methods to assess the antimicrobial effects. Likewise, the antitumor effects on 2D and 3D cell culture systems were assessed using the human colon cancer Caco-2 cell line and cytotoxic activity was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Alamar blue assays. Results obtained showed that [CH3(CH2)5]4N(Br) possesses an antibacterial potential, particularly in the case of two bacteria, S. aureus (Gram+) and H. influenzae (Gram-). Preliminary screening of antiproliferative activity showed moderate activity, except for the concentration of 10 mM. Furthermore, regarding the effect of [CH3(CH2)5]4N(Br) on tumor cell aggregation, positive outcomes were noted. [CH3(CH2)5]4N(Br) presents promising and under-explored potential to improve antibacterial or anticancer therapies.

Determination of autophagy gene ATG16L1 polymorphism in human colorectal cancer.

Autophagy has emerged not only as an essential repair mechanism to degrade damaged organelles and proteins but also as a major player in protection of tumor cells from multiple stresses. It was shown that autophagy gene polymorphisms are correlated with development of chronic inflammatory lesions, which represent a risk factor for colorectal tumors. In this study, we aimed to determine if ATG16L1 +898A>G (Thr300Ala) polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) and to establish correlations between ATG16L1 genotypes and the major clinical and morphological parameters. We observed that subjects carrying GG genotype were at a higher risk for CRC (OR 1.99, 95% CI: 1.02-3.91, p=0.039) when compared with the more frequent AA genotype, furthermore this was even more consistent in male subjects (OR 2.72, 95% CI: 1.11-6.63, p=0.019) but not in female subjects (OR 1.29, 95% CI: 0.43-3.86, p=0.652). In addition, we noticed a correlation between ATG16L1 GG genotype and tumor stage in moderately and poorly differentiated CRC cases. GG genotype carrying patients were at a higher risk for CRC (OR 5.19, 95% CI: 1.50-17.87, p=0.002) when compared with the more frequent AA genotype. Such correlation suggests a possible role of autophagy gene polymorphisms in the development of human colorectal cancer.

The significance of angiogenesis and tumoral proliferation in renal cell carcinoma.

Angiogenesis represents one of the most important factors of the tumor proliferation. Renal carcinoma with clear cells is highly vascularized. Knowing numerous quantification systems of tumor angiogenesis, we used a simple one, the evaluation of the relative vascular density. We studied 61 cases with partial or total nephrectomy performed in the Urology Department of Timisoara County Hospital. We correlated the intensity of angiogenesis with a tumor proliferation factor PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and with the monoclonal antibody PC10. Correlation of the two immunohistochemical methods with the degree of the tumor differentiation suggested an inverse ratio between vascular density and tumor proliferation degree.