Macrophage metalloprotease (MMP)-12 as a cardiovascular biomarker

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) worldwide represent the principal cause of death. Thus, the challenge to identify novel and clinically useful biomarkers of CVD risk has focused the attention over the last years. Atherosclerosis (ATS) is one of the major causes of CVD. ATS is an inflammatory multifactorial disease, in which the complex interaction between immune cells and inflammatory mediators drives the growth of atherosclerotic lesions and their progression toward complications. Taking into account the great number of molecules and cells involved, over the time several markers have been evaluated, including inflammatory mediators, acute phase response proteins, blood cells and proteins implicated in lipid metabolism. The study of these molecules has significantly contributed to improve the knowledge about the immune-inflammatory mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of ATS; however, they did not often represent useful biomarkers in the clinical practice due to their poor specificity. The contribution of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to CVD has been extensively reported, whereas their role as biomarkers and prognostic factors is not fully elucidated. Here we point out the role of MMP-12 as biomarker of CVD

Herbicide Exposure and Toxicity to Aquatic Primary Producers

The aim of the present review was to give an overview of the current state of science concerning herbicide exposure and toxicity to aquatic primary producers. To this end we assessed the open literature, revealing the widespread presence of (mixtures of) herbicides, inevitably leading to the exposure of non-target primary producers. Yet, herbicide concentrations show strong temporal and spatial variations. Concerning herbicide toxicity, it was concluded that the most sensitive as well as the least sensitive species differed per herbicide and that the observed effect concentrations for some herbicides were rather independent from the exposure time. More extensive ecotoxicity testing is required, especially considering macrophytes and marine herbicide toxicity. Hence, it was concluded that the largest knowledge gap concerns the effects of sediment-associated herbicides on primary producers in the marine/estuarine environment. Generally, there is no actual risk of waterborne herbicides to aquatic primary producers. Still, median concentrations of atrazine and especially of diuron measured in China, the USA and Europe represented moderate risks for primary producers. Maximum concentrations due to misuse and accidents may even cause the exceedance of almost 60% of the effect concentrations plotted in SSDs. Using bioassays to determine the effect of contaminated water and sediment and to identify the herbicides of concern is a promising addition to chemical analysis, especially for the photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides using photosynthesis as endpoint in the bioassays. This review concluded that to come to a reliable herbicide hazard and risk assessment, an extensive catch-up must be made concerning macrophytes, the marine environment and especially sediment as overlooked and understudied environmental compartments