Phthalates effects on male reproductive tract.

Phthalates are an interesting group of endocrine disruptors widely used in the manufacture of PVC. Dibutylphthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) are the two most commonly used phthalates and toxicological studies showed their toxic effect for the reproduction. Thus, in the present research project, the effects of DBP and DEHP on male reproductive system have been evaluated using in vitro and in vivo studies. In vitro studies were used to evaluate DBP and 17-β-estradiol (E2) effects on human prostate adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (LNCaP). First we assessed the effects of DBP and E2 on the cell viability after 24h of exposure. DBP induced a cell proliferation decrease at 10-8M, instead E2 at 10-9M stimulated cell viability. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis were used to evaluate the expression of genes and proteins involved in the regulation of cell cycle such as MCT4, Cyclin D1, Ki-67. Then, to evaluate through which pathway DBP induced a decreased cell viability, we performed western blot for Bax an Bak, two pro-apoptotic proteins involved in intrinsic apoptosis pathway. DBP treatment strongly enhanced both Bax and Bak expression, suggesting its involvement in programmed cell death processes. Moreover, in order to study estrogen (ER) and androgen (AR) receptors involvement, we evaluated their expression with western blot after 24 h of exposure and their cellular localization with immunofluorescence after three different times of exposure (30’, 2h, 4h). DBP induced a minor expression of ERα and its cytoplasm-nucleus translocation after 4h of treatment; whereas DBP had no effects on ERβ and AR expression and cell localization. Results confirm that DBP may be involved in the deregulation of prostate cell cycle and it may interfere with estrogen hormonal receptor pathway. In vivo studies were used to evaluate the effects of different doses of DEHP on testis histopathology in neonatal rats after in utero and lactation exposure. Pregnant Wistar rats were gavaged from gestation day (GD) 7 to GD 21 and from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 6 with vehicle, 30, 300, 900 mg/kg bw/day DEHP. Gonocytes appeared to be enlarged and multinucleated only after treatment with high DEHP doses and the treatment did not affect neonatal Sertoli cells. Immunofluorescence for 3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) revealed that Leydig cells tended to group together in clusters dose dependently from DEHP 30 mg/kg/bw-d. Moreover, in rats treated with DEHP 900 mg/kg/bw-d, it was possible to note malformed cords with positive 3βHSD Leydig cells inside the tubules. Furthermore, DEHP treatment reduced cord diameters after exposure to all DEHP doses. DEHP did not induce gonocytes proliferation or Leydig cells hyperplasia and did not cause apoptosis. To highlight a mechanism for DEHP antiandrogenic effects, immunohistochemistry for AR and PPARγ has been performed. Treatment did not interfere with AR expression, instead it induced a reduced expression of PPARγ in Leydig cells of rats treated with DEHP 900 mg/kg/bw-d. In conclusion, DEHP impairs testis development during neonatal period; in particular, the most evident effects are registered on Leydig cells through PPARγ involvement

Los registros sensoriales ampliados (RSA): las TIC para la percepción y representación del espacio urbano contemporáneo

Dentro del trabajo de investigación llevado a cabo por el equipo del Laboratorio de Trabajos Edilicios (SisEdLab) y como docentes del área de Comunicación en la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la UNLP, nos interesa recuperar y sistematizar una experiencia pedagógica llevada a cabo con los alumnos y alumnas de Comunicación I, nivel 3: la construcción de los Registros Sensoriales Ampliados (RSA) como complementos del registro gráfico tradicional (bocetos, esquemas, perspectivas) Nos proponemos entonces, visibilizar el impacto de las nuevas tecnologías y las herramientas digitales en los contenidos curriculares tradicionales, formular nuevas estrategias didácticas y dispositivos de registros urbanos que nos permitan repensar la forma de percibir y representar el espacio urbano actual. Los avances que se han producido en el campo de la percepción, a partir de la utilización de las nuevas tecnologías (de captación, reproducción y representación), su democratización y valoración positiva que estos dispositivos y programas han adquirido en la vida cotidiana de nuestros alumnos, condicionan la conceptualización del espacio urbanoarquitectónico y habilitan nuevos abordajes metodológicos de lo que podemos denominar el pensamiento espacial contemporáneo en la formación de futuros arquitectos. De esta manera los RSA como dispositivos didácticos (analógico/digital) operaron como elemento articulador entre la teoría y la práctica buscando capitalizar en su integración lo mejor de ambos mundos para la representación/comunicación del espacio construido. Las herramientas expresivas del dibujo analógico se complementan con las herramientas digitales al alcance de los estudiantes y hacen consciente el valor de los nuevos instrumentos de registro, para arribar a conclusiones e interpretaciones innovadoras del espacio urbano, tendientes a la construcción de un Pensamiento espacial contemporáneo. Esta revisión fue posible en el marco de los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, considerando los contenidos curriculares que establece el Plan de estudios vigente para la materia Comunicación.This work presents the results of an educational experience in the subject Communication I of the School of Architecture and Urbanism of UNLP (National University of La Plata). It aims at reaching an understanding of the scope and influence of new technologies in the field of perception, apprehension and record of the urban space, as well as revaluing reflective processes in the teaching practice and students’ work, as contributing sources to the production of new knowledge in the implementation of new teaching strategies in contemporary educational practice.Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism

Viejos términos, nuevos significados: registro sensorial ampliado

Nuestro proyecto de investigación, “La percepción y el Registro Sensorial Ampliado (RSA). Su valoración y utilización, en instancias analíticas e interpretativas, para la construcción de un Pensamiento espacial urbano–arquitectónico”, indaga sobre las instancias de captación, análisis e interpretación del espacio urbano-edilicio desde aspectos perceptuales, a partir de la utilización de nuevas tecnologías de captación, reproducción y representación. Se trata de un trabajo que permite valorar la importancia que adquieren las variables experienciales5 en la construcción de un Pensamiento espacial contemporáneo.Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism

HSP90 and pCREB alterations are linked to mancozeb-dependent behavioral and neurodegenerative effects in a marine teleost

The pesticide mancozeb (mz) is recognized as a potent inducer of oxidative stress due to its ability to catalyze the production of reactive oxygen species plus inhibiting mitochondrial respiration thus becoming an environmental risk for neurodegenerative diseases. Despite numerous toxicological studies on mz have been directed to mammals, attention on marine fish is still lacking. Thus, it was our intention to evaluate neurobehavioral activities of ornate wrasses (Thalassoma pavo) exposed to 0.2mg/l of mz after a preliminary screening test (0.07-0.3mg/l). Treated fish exhibited an evident (p1000%) while exploratory attitudes (total arm entries) diminished (-50%; p<0.05) versus controls during spontaneous exploration tests. Moreover, they showed evident enhancements (+111%) of immobility in the cylinder test. Contextually, strong (-88%; p<0.01) reductions of permanence in light zone of the Light/Dark apparatus along with diminished crossings (-65%) were also detected. Conversely, wrasses displayed evident enhancements (160%) of risk assessment consisting of fast entries in the dark side of this apparatus. From a molecular point of view, a notable activation (p<0.005) of the brain transcription factor pCREB occurred during mz-exposure. Similarly, in situ hybridization supplied increased HSP90 mRNAs in most brain areas such as the lateral part of the dorsal telencephalon (Dl; +68%) and valvula of the cerebellum (VCe; +35%) that also revealed evident argyrophilic signals. Overall, these first indications suggest a possible protective role of the early biomarkers pCREB and HSP90 against fish toxicit

Nonylphenol effects on human prostate non tumorigenic cells

Nonylphenol (NP) is an industrial chemical with estrogenic activity both in vivo and in vitro; estrogens play a critical role in the development of prostate and may be the cause of some pathological states, including cancer. In this study we examined the effects of NP on human prostate non tumorigenic epithelial cells (PNT1A) investigating on cell proliferation, interaction with estrogen receptors (ERs) and gene expression of genes involved in prostate diseases. We found that NP affects cell proliferation at 10(-6)M, promoting a cytoplasm-nucleus translocation of ERα and not ERβ, like the natural estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2). Moreover, we showed that NP enhances gene expression of key regulators of cell cycle. Estrogen selective antagonist ICI182780 in part reverted the observed effects of NP. These results confirm the estrogenic activity of NP and suggest that other transduction pathways may be involved in NP action on prostate

Effects of environmental cocaine concentrations on COX and caspase-3 activity, GRP-78, ALT, CRP and blood glucose levels in the liver and kidney of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

Abstract Cocaine is one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world, and as a result of incomplete removal by sewage treatment plants it is found in surface waters, where it represents a new potential risk for aquatic organisms. In this study we evaluated the influence of environmental concentrations of cocaine on the liver and the kidney of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). The eels were exposed to 20 ng L−1 of cocaine for fifty days, after which, three and ten days after the interruption of cocaine exposure their livers and kidneys were compared to controls. The general morphology of the two organs was evaluated, as well as the following parameters: cytochrome oxidase (COX) and caspase-3 activities, as markers of oxidative metabolism and apoptosis activation, respectively; glucose-regulated protein (GRP)78 levels, as a marker of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress; blood glucose level, as stress marker; serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), as a marker of liver injury and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), as a marker of the inflammatory process. The liver showed morphologic alterations such as necrotic areas, karyolysis and pyknotic nuclei, while the kidneys had dilated glomeruli and the renal tubules showed pyknotic nuclei and karyolysis. In the kidney, the alterations persisted after the interruption of cocaine exposure. In the liver, COX and caspase-3 activities increased (COX: P = 0.01; caspase-3: P = 0.032); ten days after the interruption of cocaine exposure, COX activity returned to control levels (P = 0.06) whereas caspase-3 activity decreased further (P = 0.012); GRP78 expression increased only in post-exposure recovery specimens (three days: P = 0.007 and ten days: P = 0.008 after the interruption of cocaine exposure, respectively). In the kidney, COX and caspase-3 activities increased (COX: P = 0.02; caspase-3: P = 0.019); after the interruption of cocaine exposure, COX activity remained high (three days: P = 0.02 and ten days: P = 0.029 after the interruption of cocaine exposure, respectively) whereas caspase-3 activity returned to control values (three days: P = 0.69 and ten days: P = 0.67 after the interruption of cocaine exposure, respectively). Blood glucose and serum ALT and CRP levels increased (blood glucose: P = 0.01; ALT: P = 0.001; CRP: 0.015) and remained high also ten days after the interruption of cocaine exposure (blood glucose: P = 0.009; ALT: P = 0.0031; CRP: 0.036). These results suggest that environmental cocaine concentrations adversely affected liver and kidney of this species

Aquatic Pollution and Risks to Biodiversity: The Example of Cocaine Effects on the Ovaries of Anguilla anguilla

Pollution is one of the main causes of the loss of biodiversity, currently one of the most important environmental problems. Important sources of aquatic pollution are illicit drugs, whose presence in waters is closely related to human consumption; their psychoactive properties and biological activity suggest potential adverse effects on non-target organisms, such as aquatic biota. In this study, we evaluated the effect of an environmentally relevant concentration of cocaine (20 ng L-1), an illicit drug widely found in surface waters, on the ovaries of Anguilla anguilla, a species critically endangered and able to accumulate cocaine in its tissues following chronic exposure. The following parameters were evaluated: (1) the morphology of the ovaries; (2) the presence and distribution of enzymes involved in oogenesis; (3) serum cortisol, FSH, and LH levels. The eels exposed to cocaine showed a smaller follicular area and a higher percentage of connective tissue than controls (p &lt; 0.05), as well as many previtellogenic oocytes compared with controls having numerous fully vitellogenic and early vitellogenic oocytes. In addition, the presence and location of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and P450 aromatase differed in the two groups. Finally, cocaine exposure decreased FSH and LH levels, while it increased cortisol levels. These findings show that even a low environmental concentration of cocaine affects the ovarian morphology and activity of A. anguilla, suggesting a potential impact on reproduction in this species

Quantum walks of two correlated photons in a 2D synthetic lattice

Quantum walks represent paradigmatic quantum evolutions, enabling powerful applications in the context of topological physics and quantum computation. They have been implemented in diverse photonic architectures, but the realization of two-particle dynamics on a multidimensional lattice has hitherto been limited to continuous-time evolutions. To fully exploit the computational capabilities of quantum interference it is crucial to develop platforms handling multiple photons that propagate across multidimensional lattices. Here, we report a discrete-time quantum walk of two correlated photons in a two-dimensional lattice, synthetically engineered by manipulating a set of optical modes carrying quantized amounts of transverse momentum. Mode-couplings are introduced via the polarization-controlled diffractive action of thin geometric-phase optical elements. The entire platform is compact, efficient, scalable, and represents a versatile tool to simulate quantum evolutions on complex lattices. We expect that it will have a strong impact on diverse fields such as quantum state engineering, topological quantum photonics, and Boson Sampling

Quantum walks of two correlated photons in a 2D synthetic lattice

Quantum walks represent paradigmatic quantum evolutions, enabling powerful applications in the context of topological physics and quantum computation. They have been implemented in diverse photonic architectures, but the realization of a two-particle dynamics on a multi-dimensional lattice has hitherto been limited to continuous-time evolutions. To fully exploit the computational capabilities of quantum interference it is crucial to develop platforms handling multiple photons that propagate across multi-dimensional lattices. Here, we report a discrete-time quantum walk of two correlated photons in a two-dimensional lattice, synthetically engineered by manipulating a set of optical modes carrying quantized amounts of transverse momentum. Mode-couplings are introduced via the polarization-controlled diffractive action of thin geometric-phase optical elements. The entire platform is compact, efficient, scalable, and represents a versatile tool to simulate quantum evolutions on complex lattices. We expect that it will have a strong impact on diverse fields such as quantum state engineering, topological quantum photonics, and Boson Sampling.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure

Estudio ambiental hábitat - hombre - medio : Caso Berisso

Si bien podemos hablar de Espacio y no de Lugar cuando nos referimos a la configuración espacial -que promueve o no el encuentro y la posible permanencia de los encontrados-, al haber “anidamiento” del grupo en dicho espacio e iniciarse la actividad colectiva, el Espacio se transforma en Lugar y pasa a ser el lugar del hombre. Al preguntamos qué criterios adoptar ante el diseño arquitectónico y urbano a partir de esta interacción Hombre-Medio y pretender descubrir los mecanismos que los enlazan en una relación biunivoca, surge nuestra Hipótesis de trabajo. La producción de la síntesis sistèmica de una situación ambiental, emergente del encare del proceso de interacción entre Medio Ambiente Construido - participación Humana-Social, proveerá la herramienta conducente al diagnóstico y recomendación. Valores rescatables de ambos aspectos marcarán la misma, que contará con alto grado de predictibilidad. Su campo de acción: el Lugar Social. (Párrafo extraído del texto a modo de resumen)Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism