Voluntary Exercise Prevents Lead-Induced Elevation of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Markers in Male Rat Blood

Regular mild exercise enhances antioxidant and anti-inflammatory systems of the body. The present study investigates voluntary exercise effects on lead toxicity as a known oxidative stressor. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. Sedentary control: the animals were housed 7 weeks in the regular cages. Exercise group: the animals were housed 7 weeks in the running wheel equipped cages, that is, the animal model of voluntary exercise. During the 7th week, all animals were administered lead acetate. Blood samples were collected at the end of the 6th week and 7th week (before and after lead administrations). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) were measured in the samples. Our results showed that lead administration reduced blood SOD, GPx and CAT and increased TNF-; in the controls, but in the exercise group, changes were not statistically significant. MDA in both groups increased after lead injections but it was significantly lower in exercise group compared to the sedentary animals. We concluded that voluntary exercise may be considered as a preventive tool against lead-induced oxidative stress and inflammation

Application of the rainbow trout derived intestinal cell line (RTgutGC) for ecotoxicological studies: molecular and cellular responses following exposure to copper.

There is an acknowledged need for in vitro fish intestinal model to help understand dietary exposure to chemicals in the aquatic environment. The presence and use of such models is however largely restrictive due to technical difficulties in the culturing of enterocytes in general and the availability of appropriate established cell lines in particular. In this study, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) intestinal derived cell line (RTgutGC) was used as a surrogate for the "gut sac" method. To facilitate comparison, RTgutGC cells were grown as monolayers (double-seeded) on permeable Transwell supports leading to a two-compartment intestinal model consisting of polarised epithelium. This two-compartment model divides the system into an upper apical (lumen) and a lower basolateral (portal blood) compartment. In our studies, these cells stained weakly for mucosubstances, expressed the tight junction protein ZO-1 in addition to E-cadherin and revealed the presence of polarised epithelium in addition to microvilli protrusions. The cells also revealed a comparable transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) to the in vivo situation. Importantly, the cell line tolerated apical saline (1:1 ratio) thus mimicking the intact organ to allow assessment of uptake of compounds across the intestine. Following an exposure over 72 h, our study demonstrated that the RTgutGC cell line under sub-lethal concentrations of copper sulphate (Cu) and modified saline solutions demonstrated uptake of the metal with saturation levels comparable to short term ex situ gut sac preparations. Gene expression analysis revealed no significant influence of pH or time on mRNA expression levels of key stress related genes (i.e. CYP3A, GST, mtA, Pgp and SOD) in the Transwell model. However, significant positive correlations were found between all genes investigated suggesting a co-operative relationship amongst the genes studied. When the outlined characteristics of the cell line are combined with the division of compartments, the RTgutGC double seeded model represents a potential animal replacement model for ecotoxicological studies. Overall, this model could be used to study the effects and predict aquatic gastrointestinal permeability of metals and other environmentally relevant contaminants in a cost effective and high throughput manner

Australasian Journal of Ecotoxicology 10 1 1 20

Exploitation of natural mineral deposits and subsequent re-deposition in aquatic environments at levels potentially harmful to biota necessitate regulation of environmental discharge of metals. Proper environmental regulation of metals requires adequate knowledge on the bioavailability and effects of metals on aquatic organisms. Moreover, the need to better understand biological effects of metals has given impetus for studies on the homeostatic physiology of metals because the root cause of toxicity is the breakdown of homeostasis. In this paper we review recent advances in the understanding of the environmental chemistry, toxicology, and physiological homeostasis of copper (Cu) in freshwater systems. Present water quality criteria do not adequately consider bioavailability and metal homeostasis. We show that consideration and incorporation of recent knowledge on bioavailability, homeostatic physiology, and acute and chronic toxic effects of Cu greatly improve the predictive precision of models, such as the Biotic Ligand Model, for ecological risk assessment and environmental regulation of Cu, and reduces the need for reliance on the Precautionary Principle. Furthermore, we highlight present gaps in knowledge of environmental physiology, homeostasis, and toxicology of Cu and suggest directions for future research

Scaling of Oxygen-Consumption of Lake Magadi Tilapia, a Fish Living At 37-Degrees-C

Rates of oxygen consumption were measured in the geothermal, hot spring fish, Oreochromis alcalicus grahami by stopped flow respirometry. At 37-degrees-C, routine oxygen consumption followed the allometric relationship: Vo2 = 0.738 M0.75, where Vo2 is ml O2 h-1 and M is body mass (g). This represents a routine metabolic rate for a 10 g fish at 37-degrees-C of 0.415 ml O2 g-1 h-1 (16.4 mumol O2 g-1 h-1). Acutely increasing the temperature from 37 to 42-degrees-C significantly elevated the rate of O2 consumption from 0.739 to 0.970 ml O2 g-1 h-1 (Q10=1.72). In the field, O. a. grahami was observed to be 'gulping' air from the surface of the water especially in hot springs that exceeded 40-degrees-C. O. a. grahami may utilize aerial respiration when O2 requirements are high

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 62 2 390 399 Ottawa, Canada: National Research Council of Canada.

Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) maintained on either low sodium chloride (LS (control), 1.4% NaCl) or high sodium chloride (HS, 11% NaCl) diet were exposed to 55 micro g.L-1 waterborne copper (Cu) for 28 days. Cu-exposed fish maintained on the LS diet exhibited 26% mortality, more than double (11%) that in fish maintained on the HS diet. Waterborne Cu exposure inhibited growth by 56% in fish maintained on the LS diet and by 35% in those maintained on the HS diet. Whole-body and tissue Na+ levels, measured 6 h after feeding, were increased by exposure to HS diet and reduced by waterborne Cu exposure. Exposure to elevated waterborne Cu increased whole-body and tissue Cu levels, whereas exposure to HS diet decreased these levels. Moreover, whole-body and tissue Cu concentrations were consistently lower in Cu-exposed fish maintained on HS diet relative to those maintained on LS diet. Plasma Na+ and Cl- levels were elevated by HS diet exposure and reduced by waterborne Cu exposure, whereas plasma Cu levels were decreased and increased by exposure to HS diet and waterborne Cu, respectively. These results demonstrate that elevated dietary NaCl modulates Na+ and Cl- homeostasis and reduces accumulation and toxicity of waterborne Cu.

Risk factors associated with cows' lying time, stall and cows' own cleanliness in smallholder dairy farms in Kenya

Background and Aim: The welfare of animals kept in livestock production systems has raised concerns around the world. Adult dairy cattle require adequate rest and spend approximately 12 h/day lying down. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the stall factors and management practices affecting cows' lying time, stall cleanliness, and cows' cleanliness (udder and upper leg), in smallholder dairy cows in Meru County of Kenya. Materials and Methods: A total of 106 milking cows from 73 farms were assessed for daily lying time and cleanliness. Data loggers were used to record the lying time of cows for 3 days. Stall, udder, and upper leg cleanliness were assessed using a 5-score system: 1 (very clean) to 5 (very dirty). Management information was acquired using a questionnaire that was administered face-to-face to the farmers in their native Kimeru language. Univariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression models were fit to determine factors associated with cows' lying time and dichotomized stall and cows' own cleanliness, respectively. Results: The mean daily lying time was 10.9±2.2 h, and the mean stall cleanliness score was 2.4±1.0. The mean average cleanliness scores of the udder and upper legs were 1.9±0.7 and 2.5±1.1, respectively. Overall, 35% of the stalls were categorized as dirty (>2.5), whereas 13% and 47% of the cows had udder and leg cleanliness scores >2.5, respectively. From the final multivariable models (p2.5 and by 1.6 h with poorly positioned neck rails. In an interaction term, addition of new bedding at least once a day without removing stall manure at least once a day decreased the daily lying time of the cows by 1.5 h, whereas failure to add new bedding at least once a day but removing stall manure at least once a day decreased the lying time of the cows by 1.2 h. Farm-level risk factors for stall dirtiness (>2.5) included delayed cleaning of the alley (odds ratio [OR]=6.6, p=0.032), lack of bedding (OR=4.9, p=0.008), and standing idle and/or backward in the stall (OR=10.5, p=0.002). Stalls categorized as dirty (OR=2.9, p=0.041) and lack of bedding (OR=2.7, p=0.065) were cow- and farm-level risk factors for dirtiness of the udder (>2.5), respectively, whereas the stall being dirty (OR=2.3, p=0.043) was the only risk factor (cow level) for dirtiness of the upper legs (>2.5). Conclusion: It was recommended that farmers should pay attention to the specific factors identified regarding the stall design (e.g., neck rail position) and bedding/manure management that impact the cleanliness of cows and their lying time

Physiological and molecular characterization of urea transport by the gills of the Lake Magadi tilapia (Alcolapia grahami)

The Lake Magadi tilapia (Alcolapia grahami) is an unusual fish, excreting all its nitrogenous waste as urea because of its highly alkaline and buffered aquatic habitat. Here, using both physiological and molecular studies, we describe the mechanism of branchial urea excretion in this species. In vivo, repeated short-interval sampling revealed that urea excretion is continuous. The computed urea permeability of A. grahami gill is 4.74x10(-)(5)+/-0.38x10(-)(5 )cm s(-)(1) (mean +/- s.e.m., N=11), some 10 times higher than passive permeability through a lipid bilayer and some five times higher than that of even the most urea-permeable teleosts studied to date (e.g. the gulf toadfish). Transport of urea was bidirectional, as demonstrated by experiments in which external [urea] was elevated. Furthermore, urea transport was inhibited by classic inhibitors of mammalian and piscine urea transporters in the order thiourea>N-methylurea>acetamide. A 1700 base pair cDNA for a putative Magadi tilapia urea transporter (mtUT) was cloned, sequenced and found to display high homology with urea transporters from mammals, amphibians and other fishes. When cRNA transcribed from mtUT cDNA was injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes, phloretin-inhibitable urea uptake was enhanced 3.4-fold relative to water-injected controls. Northern analysis of gill, red blood cells, liver, muscle and brain using a portion of mtUT as a probe revealed that gill is the only tissue in which mtUT RNA is expressed. Magadi tilapia gill pavement cells exhibited a trafficking of dense-cored vesicles between the well-developed Golgi cisternae and the apical membrane. The absence of this trafficking and the poor development of the Golgi system in a non-ureotelic relative (Oreochromis niloticus) suggest that vesicle trafficking could be related to urea excretion in Alcolapia grahami. Taken together, the above findings suggest that the gills of this alkaline-lake-adapted species excrete urea constitutively via the specific facilitated urea transporter mtUT