The influence of cadmium stress on the content of mineral nutrients and metal-binding proteins in arabidopsis halleri

We investigated the influence of cadmium stress on zinc hyperaccumulation, mineral nutrient uptake, and the content of metal-binding proteins in Arabidopsis halleri. The experiments were carried out using plants subjected to long-term cadmium exposure (40 days) in the concentrations of 45 and 225 μM Cd2+. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, size exclusion chromatography coupled with plasma-mass spectrometry, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry used for ablation of polyacylamide gels were employed to assess the content of investigated elements in plants as well as to identify metal-binding proteins. We found that A. halleri is able to translocate cadmium to the aerial parts in high amounts (translocation index >1). We showed that Zn content in plants decreased significantly with the increase of cadmium content in the growth medium. Different positive and negative correlations between Cd content and mineral nutrients were evidenced by our study. We identified more than ten low-molecular-weight (<100 kDa) Cd-binding proteins in Cd-treated plants. These proteins are unlikely to be phytochelatins or metallothioneins. We hypothesize that low-molecular-weight Cd-binding proteins can be involved in cadmium resistance in A. halleri

Toxic effect in the lungs of rats after inhalation exposure to benzalkonium chloride

Background: Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) toxic to microorganisms. Inhalation is one of the major possible routes of human exposure to BAC. Materials and Methods: Experiments were performed on female Wistar rats. The rats were exposed to aerosol of BAC water solution at the target concentration of 0 (control group) and 35 mg/m3 for 5 days (6 h/day) and, after a 2-week interval, the animals were challenged (day 21) with BAC aerosol at the target concentration of 0 (control group) and 35 mg/m3 for 6 h. Results: Compared to the controls, the animals exposed to BAC aerosol were characterized by lower food intake and their body weight was significantly smaller. As regards BAC-exposed group, a significant increase was noted in relative lung mass, total protein concentration, and MIP-2 in BALF both directly after the termination of the exposure and 18 h afterwards. Significantly higher IL-6 and IgE concentrations in BALF and a decrease in the CC16 concentration in BALF were found in the exposed group immediately after the exposure. The leukocyte count in BALF was significantly higher in the animals exposed to BAC aerosol compared to the controls. In the lungs of rats exposed to BAC the following effects were observed: minimal perivascular, interstitial edema, focal aggregates of alveolar macrophages, interstitial mononuclear cell infiltrations, thickened alveolar septa and marginal lipoproteinosis. Conclusion: Inhalation of BAC induced a strong inflammatory response and a damage to the blood-air barrier. Reduced concentrations of CC16, which is an immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory protein, in combination with increased IgE concentrations in BALF may be indicative of the immuno-inflammatory response in the animals exposed to BAC aerosol by inhalation. Histopathological examinations of tissue samples from the BAC-exposed rats revealed a number of pathological changes found only in the lungs

Analysis of the impact of sex and age on the variation in the prevalence of antinuclear autoantibodies in Polish population: a nationwide observational, cross-sectional study

The detection of antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) is dependent on many factors and varies between the populations. The aim of the study was first to assess the prevalence of ANA in the Polish adult population depending on age, sex and the cutoff threshold used for the results obtained. Second, we estimated the occurrence of individual types of ANA-staining patterns. We tested 1731 patient samples using commercially available IIFA using two cutoff thresholds of 1:100 and 1:160. We found ANA in 260 participants (15.0%), but the percentage of positive results strongly depended on the cutoff level. For a cutoff threshold 1:100, the positive population was 19.5% and for the 1:160 cutoff threshold, it was 11.7%. The most prevalent ANA-staining pattern was AC-2 Dense Fine speckled (50%), followed by AC-21 Reticular/AMA (14.38%) ANA more common in women (72%); 64% of ANA-positive patients were over 50 years of age. ANA prevalence in the Polish population is at a level observed in other highly developed countries and is more prevalent in women and elderly individuals. To reduce the number of positive results released, we suggest that Polish laboratories should set 1:160 as the cutoff threshold

1-Chloro-4-nitrobenzene

1-Chloro-4-nitrobenzen (PCNB) występuje w postaci kryształów o żółtawym kolorze i słodkawym zapachu. Jest stosowany jako substancja pośrednia w produkcji: barwników, gumy, leków, odczynników fotograficznych i środków ochrony roślin, np. parationu. Związek wchłania się do organizmu przez drogi oddechowe i skórę. Ulega szybkiemu metabolizmowi i jest wyda-lany głównie z moczem. Skutkiem działania 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzenu jest methemoglobinemia prowadząca do niedokrwistości i niedotlenienia tkanek. Charakterystyczną cechą obserwowaną u osób narażonych na 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzen jest obecność ciałek Heinza w erytrocytach. Objawami zatrucia u ludzi są: ból głowy, zaburzenia rytmu serca, nudności, brak apetytu oraz sinica. U zwierząt, podobnie jak u ludzi, 1-chloro-4-ni-trobenzen powoduje: methemoglobinę, zaburzenie przenoszenia tlenu w organizmie i niedotlenienie tkanek objawiające się sinicą. W wielu przypadkach obserwowano: hemosyderozę śledziony, wątroby i szpiku kostnego. 1-Chloro-4-nitrobenzen nie wykazywał działania drażniącego na skórę i oko królika. Mutagen-ne działanie związku stwierdzono w komórkach Salmonella Typhimurium oraz w komórkach chłoniaka L5178Y/TK w obecności i nieobecności aktywacji metabolicznej. W badaniach na hodowlach komórkowych (komórki jajnika chomika chińskiego) wykazano genotoksyczne właściwości 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzenu. W dostępnym piśmiennictwie nie znaleziono danych na temat kancerogennego działania 1- -chloro-4-nitrobenzenu dla ludzi. Międzynarodowa Agencja Badań nad Rakiem (IARC) zaklasyfikowała 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzen dla ludzi. U zwierząt rakotwórcze działanie związku wykazano w jednym badaniu na myszach, u których po podaniu związku w paszy stwierdzono wy-stępowanie raka wątrobowokomórkowego i nowotworów pochodzenia naczyniowego. Eksper-ci IARC uznali jednak wynik tego badania za niewystarczający dowód kancerogennego działania 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzenu na zwierzęta laboratoryjne. 1-Chloro-4-nitrobenzen w pewnych modelach doświadczalnych wykazywał działanie terato-genne i embriotoksyczne. Efektem krytycznym narażenia na 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzen jest methemoglobinemia. Do ustalenia wartości najwyższego dopuszczalnego stężenia (NDS) 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzenu wykorzystano wyniki 4-tygodniowego inhalacyjnego narażenia szczurów, u których najmniejsze stosowane stężenie (5 mg/m3) powodowało wzrost stężenia MetHb we krwi (3,1%) tylko u samców w czwartym tygodniu narażenia. Stężenie 5 mg/m3 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzenu przyjęto za wartość najniższego obserwowanego poziomu działania szkodliwego (LOAEL) związku. Po uwzględnieniu współczynników niepewności wyliczono wartość najwyższego dopuszczalnego stężenia (NDS) 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzenu na poziomie 0,6 mg/m3. Z uwagi na właściwości met-hemoglobinotwórcze związku zaproponowano przyjęcie wartości dopuszczalnego stężenia w materiale biologicznym (DSB) na poziomie 2% MetHb. Ze względu na wchłanianie się 1-chloro- -4-nitrobenzenu przez skórę zaproponowano oznaczenie związku literami „Sk”.1-Chloro-4-nitrobenzene has the appearance of yellowish crystals and has a somewhat sweet scent. This compound is used mainly (as an indirect compound) in the production of dryings, rubber, drugs, photograph reagents and plant protection chemicals, e.g. parathion. It can be absorbed through the respiratory tract and the skin. No information is available regarding its allergenic and irritant effects. Human studies have shown that 1-Chloro-4-nitrobenzene can cause methemogobinemia, lead to anemia and tissues hypooxidation. Characteristic feature of humans exposed to this compound is Heinz’s body in erythrocytes. On the basis of a rat chronic study, the TLV (MAC) value has been kept at 0.6 mg/m3. The Expert group has also suggested additional notation: “Sk” (substance absorbed through the skin)

Hacking the brain: dimensions of cognitive enhancement

In an increasingly complex information society, demands for cognitive functioning are growing steadily. In recent years, numerous strategies to augment brain function have been proposed. Evidence for their efficacy (or lack thereof) and side effects has prompted discussions about ethical, societal, and medical implications. In the public debate, cognitive enhancement is often seen as a monolithic phenomenon. On a closer look, however, cognitive enhancement turns out to be a multifaceted concept: There is not one cognitive enhancer that augments brain function per se, but a great variety of interventions that can be clustered into biochemical, physical, and behavioral enhancement strategies. These cognitive enhancers differ in their mode of action, the cognitive domain they target, the time scale they work on, their availability and side effects, and how they differentially affect different groups of subjects. Here we disentangle the dimensions of cognitive enhancement, review prominent examples of cognitive enhancers that differ across these dimensions, and thereby provide a framework for both theoretical discussions and empirical research

Congenital toxoplasmosis in twins in own material

Little is known about congenital toxoplasmosis in twins. As in singletons fetal infection occurs usually in mothers seroconverted during second or third trimester of pregnancy. Infection affects usually both siblings, but there is posible that one child is not infected, especially in dizygotic pregnancies. A distinct difference in clinical patterns between dizygotic and monozygotic twins is observed. In monozygotic pairs most often clinical course is similar, while in dizygotic twins discrepancies in clinical findings are frequent and marked. For almost thirty years of our own experience with congenital toxoplasmosis we observed only four pairs of twins with this intrauterine infection. All of them were dizygotic. In two pairs the clinical course was similar, and different in the other two