Bioterrorism and easy access to biotechnology and its inputs

Os fundamentalismos surgiram no Ocidente a partir de questões religiosas e posteriormente difundiram-se para outras partes do mundo tomando outras conotações, principalmente políticas. As técnicas de manipulação genética difundiram-se pelas universidades, que formam mestres e doutores com os conhecimentos básicos sobre clonagem gênica, que se tornou de domínio público. Todos os insumos para clonagem gênica podem ser adquiridos por meio de catálogos via internet. Podem-se recrutar profissionais fanáticos e com a competência para a manipulação genética de organismos patogênicos, lado perverso da biotecnologia. Os conflitos étnicos, culturais e religiosos estão associados a um cenário de contrastes entre os países ricos e carentes de matéria-prima e aqueles pobres, mas detentores de insumos básicos e energia, e atingem a sua forma mais aguda nos fundamentalismos. Grupos de fanáticos têm pleno acesso a essa biotecnologia. Estariam assim as populações civis vulneráveis aos ataques do bioterrorismo com armas biológicas geneticamente modificadas? ____________________________________________________________________________________ RESUMENLos fundamentalismos surgieron en el occidente basado en cuestiones religiosas y posteriormente se difundió para otras partes del mundo, tomando otras connotaciones, sobre todo políticas. Las técnicas de manipulación genética han propagado por las universidades, que forman másteres y doctores con los conocimientos básicos acerca de la clonación génica que se hizo dominio público. Todos los insumos para la clonación génica pueden ser adquiridos a través de catálogos a través de internet. Se pueden reclutar profesionales competentes para la manipulación genética de organismos patogénicos, lado perverso de la biotecnología. Los conflictos étnicos, culturales y religiosos están asociados a un escenario de contrastes entre los países ricos y carentes de materia prima y los países pobres poseedores de insumos básicos y energía, alcanzando su forma más aguda en el fundamentalismo. Grupos de fanáticos tienen total acceso a esa biotecnología. ¿Estarían, de esa forma las poblaciones civiles vulnerables a los ataques del bioterrorismo con armas biológicas genéticamente modificadas? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTFundamentalism arose in the West based in religious matters and afterward diffused to other parts of the world with other connotations, especially political. Genetic manipulation techniques spread to universities, which has given masters and doctors the basic knowledge on gene cloning, which has become public domain. All inputs for gene cloning may be obtained through online catalogs. Fanatic professionals may be recruited, with qualification for genetic manipulation of pathogenic organisms, the negative side of biotechnology. Ethnic, cultural and religious conflicts are linked to a series of contrasts between countries that are rich but with a lack of raw materials and the poor countries that possess basic input and energy sources, when it reaches the highest fundamentalist form. Fanatic groups have complete access to this biotechnology. Are civilian populations in vulnerable to bioterrorist attacks involving genetically modified biological weapons

Epigenetic Poverty, Coloniality and Intervention Bioethics in Latin America

Numerous studies have documented a relationship between changes in gene expression and biosocial factors For example Nr3c1 Ppara and IGF2 expression alter as a result of poverty-induced biosocial pressures Such epigenetic changes have already been identified in children born into poor households and children born to malnourished mothers This study presents an ethical discussion of poverty in Latin America caused by social exclusion and economic exploitation of natural resources by developed countries Intervention bioethics IB a critical purpose for new epistemological territorialism was developed in Latin America and is based mainly on coloniality studies This persistent situation exemplifies the relationship of oppression and dependence of peripheral countries on central countries The inherent social inequality results in perpetual poverty which in turn leaves epigenetic marks in the genome We discuss how lower socioeconomic status can cause changes in the DNAmethylation pattern Intervention bioethics advocates that the State must be more effective in making decisions in favor of excluded populations thus establishing minimum income policies In Latin America the majority of the population is poo

Dimensão Sócioambiental da Declaração de Bioética da Unesco na Agenda 2030 - Bioética Ambiental e Refugiados do Desenvolvimento

The article focuses on a literature review of AGENDA 2030, from the socio-environmental perspective of Environmental Bioethics. With a focus on bioethics, the text develops a multidisciplinary study of the environmental asymmetries observed in post-modernity in relation o the vulnerability of populations. The theoretical framework of the study uses the “Social Theory of Focus on Capabilities” whose substrate of the existential minimum of human potential is interrelated with themes that permeate everyday issues of global magnitude in the context of sustainable development. This context is related to some theoretical references explained in the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights of UNESCO (UDBDH) that are in line with Sustainable Development and included in the Millennium Goals produced by the UN in the so-called AGENDA 2030. The study also supports the debate about the role of the State regarding its responsibility in facing emerging situations found in vulnerable groups - the “development refugees” - as a result of socio-nvironmental problems.O artigo está centrado numa revisão de literatura da AGENDA 2030, sob a ótica sócioambiental da Bioética Ambiental. Com foco na bioética, o texto desenvolve um estudo multidisciplinar das assimetrias ambientais verificadas na pós modernidade com relação à vulnerabilidade das populações. O referencial téorico do estudo utiliza a “Teoria Social do Enfoque das Capacidades” cujo substrato do mínimo existencial das potencialidades humanas se interrelaciona com temas que perpassam questões cotidianas de magnitude global no contexto do desenvolvimento sustentável. Esse contexto é relacionado com alguns referenciais teóricos explicitados na Declaração Universal sobre Bioética e Direitos Humanos da Unesco (DUBDH) que estão em consonância com o Desenvolvimento Sustentável e incluídos nos Objetivos do Milênio produzido pela ONU na chamada AGENDA 2030. O estudo subsidia, ainda, o debate acerca do papel do Estado relativo à sua responsabilidade no enfrentamento das situações emergentes constatadas nos grupos vulnerados - os “refugiados do desenvolvimento” - em consequência de problemas socioambientais

Association between interleukin 6 -174 G/C promoter gene polymorphism and runners' responses to the dietary ingestion of antioxidant supplementation based on pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) oil : a before-after study

Exercise is a double-edged sword: when practiced in moderation, it increases the expression of antioxidant enzymes, but when practiced strenuously it causes oxidative stress and cell damage. In this context, polymorphisms in the interleukin (IL)-6 gene should be investigated better because they can influence performance, at least in exercise that generates oxidative stress and leads to muscular injuries with consequent inflammation. In this work, we investigated the influence of IL-6 –174 G/C polymorphism on tissue damage and inflammation markers, lipid peroxidation, hemogram and lipid profile of runners before and after ingestion of 400 mg of pequi oil in capsules supplied daily for 14 consecutive days. The IL-6 genotypes were associated with significant differences in lipid peroxidation, with the CC mutant having lower values. There were also significant differences among these genotypes in the response to supplementation with pequi oil, exercise-induced damage and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The best protection against damage was observed with the heterozygous genotype. Although the CC genotype showed an increase in CRP levels after supplementation, the lack of a positive correlation between triglycerides and high-sensitivity CRP in this mutant genotype after supplementation indicated a protective effect of pequi. These findings deserve further investigation, particularly with regard to the quantification of circulating IL-6 concentrations

Toxicity and genotoxicity in Astyanax bimaculatus (Characidae) induced by microcystins from a bloom of Microcystis spp

Studies of genotoxicity in fish caused by cyanobacterial microcystins can be useful both in determining the sensitivity of native species, as well as comparing exposure routes. The genotoxicity caused by the microcystins LR and LA from a bloom collected in a eutrophic lake, was revealed in the fish Astyanaxbimaculatus, a native species from South America. LC50 (72 h) was determined as 242.81 μg L -1 and LD50 (72 h) as 49.19 μg kg -1 bw. There was a significant increase of DNA damage in peripheral erythrocytes, following intraperitoneal injection (ip) with tested concentrations of 24.58 μg kg -1 bw and 36.88 μg kg -1 bw, as well as through body exposure to a concentration of 103.72 μg L -1 . Micronucleus (MN) induction was observed after ip injections of 24.58 μg kg -1 bw and 36.88 μg kg -1 bw for 72 h, as well as following body exposure for 72 at 103.72 μg L -1 . Thus, both exposure routes resulted in MN induction and DNA damage. Apoptosis-necrosis testing was carried out only by ip injection with concentrations of 24.58 μg kg -1 bw and 36.88 μg kg- 1 bw. Exposure to microcystins at lower concentrations induced more apoptosis than necrosis in peripheral erythrocytes, whereas exposure at higher concentrations gave rise to both conditions. Thus, Astyanax bimaculatus can be considered as a species sensitive to the genotoxic effects caused by microcystins

Antigenotoxic activity and antioxidant properties of organic and aqueous extracts of pequi fruit (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) pulp

The daily consumption of natural antioxidants protects against oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), including DNA damage, and can reduce the risk of cancer, atherosclerosis and other degenerative diseases. The pulp of pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) fruit, a tree native to the Brazilian savannah, contains several compounds with antioxidant properties, including carotenoids, vitamin C, phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, saponins and tannins, and essential oils. In this work, we examined the ability of organic and aqueous extracts of pequi fruit pulp to protect against the genotoxicity induced by two antineoplastic drugs, cyclophosphamide (CP) and bleomycin (BLM). Micronucleus tests with mouse bone marrow cells and single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) with peripheral blood leukocytes were used to examine the effects of CP and BLM, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was assessed by measuring lipid peroxidation with the TBARS method in mouse plasma. The fruit pulp extracts had no clastogenic or genotoxic effects in the cells studied, but both extracts protected against oxidative DNA damage caused by BLM or CP, indicating an ability to inhibit chemical mutagenesis in vivo. However, the protective effect against oxidative DNA damage depended on the dose of extract used. At the doses tested, the aqueous extract enhanced lipid peroxidation in mice of both sexes, especially in males. In contrast, the organic extract enhanced lipid peroxidation only in male mice, with no significant effect in females. These results suggest that, with adequate adjustment of the dose, an organic extract of pequi fruit pulp could be a useful dietary supplement with natural antioxidant activity, at least in females

Genotoxicity evaluation of domestic sewage in a municipal wastewater treatment plant

An evaluation of the genotoxicity of domestic sewage was carried out in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The study was carried out using Allium cepa root tip cells through cytological parameters such as aberrant cells in anaphase-telophase and the mitotic index, and the fish species Oreochromis niloticus and Tilapia rendalli, through the index of micronuclei in peripheral erythrocytes. In the Allium test, each of the four stages of the wasterwater treatment routine was analyzed, i.e., crude sewage, primary effluent, secondary effluent, and tertiary effluent. O. niloticus and T. rendalli specimens were maintained in an aquarium continuously receiving the final effluent, in an open system, before being discharged into Lake Paranoá. For micronuclei analysis, blood samples were drawn after 7, 21, 60, 102 and 142 days, respectively, in controlled conditions. The numbers of aberrant cells found in the Allium test did not differ among the four stages tested, nor when compared with the control. At all stages, the most concentrated sample was more toxic than the respective diluted samples, as demonstrated by the decreased mitotic index. Different sampling of the same group of fish revealed no increase in the micronuclei frequency, regardless of the period of exposure. A correlation between long-term exposure and micronuclei induction was not found either

Implicações bioéticas das genotipagens forenses

O exame de DNA tem sido utilizado ao redor do mundo não só para identificar autores de delitos, mas, também, para prevenir e corrigir condenações equivocadas, bem como identificar pessoas desaparecidas. Considerando-se o contexto nacional de crise do processo criminal, é imprescindível que sejam reformulados os parâmetros da investigação e do processo criminal, reforçando-se sua base científica e a necessidade de detalhado exame pericial do conjunto de vestígios existentes. A temática perpassa o enfrentamento de dilemas bioéticos. Nesse diapasão, a DUBDH é proposta como paradigma bioético normativo para delinear as pesquisas e aplicações das técnicas de genética forense, relevante ramo das ciências forenses. Outrossim, dado o caráter multi-inter-transdisciplinar do tema, sugere-se o resgate e a renovação da concepção potteriana inicial da Bioética como ponte. Esse resgate e renovação podem ser feitos pela Bioética de Intervenção, que busca através da mediação solucionar questões complexas, dentre as quais podemos incluir a violência, a segurança pública, o erro judiciário criminal e a melhora da prestação jurisdicional. O artigo traz à discussão a Genética Forense com ênfase para novas tecnologias, como as buscas indiretas por meio do DNA, p.e., a Busca Familiar em Bancos Oficiais e a Genealogia Genética Investigativa. Esses novos conhecimentos podem levar à resolução de casos outrora insolúveis pelos meios tradicionais, com parâmetros objetivos que não envolvam a busca por culpados com base em elementos discriminatórios

Characterization of the major nutritional components of Caryocar brasiliense fruit pulp by nmr spectroscopy

Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.), a typical fruit of Brazilian Cerrado, is well known in regional cookery and used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses. Mass spectrometry and chromatographic methods have identified the organic composition of pequi fruit pulp; however, NMR spectroscopy is used for the first time to characterize the nutritional components of organic and aqueous-ethanolic extracts. This spectroscopic technique determined the triacylglycerols in the pequi organic fraction, which is constituted mainly by oleate and palmitate esters, and detected the carbohydrate mixtures as the major components of aqueous and ethanolic fractions, respectively. In this study, presence of phenolic compounds was only evidenced in the ethanolic fraction

Avaliação da embriotoxicidade em zebrafish (Danio rerio) de compostos floculantes e coagulantes usados em remediação da água

Objetivo: O carreamento decorrente das atividades de mineração atinge corpos d'água, causando contaminação da água e acidificação por metais tóxicos. Como conseqüência, a depleção de oxigênio ocorre, com o desaparecimento de certos organismos bênticos, perdas na biomassa do fitoplâncton e do zooplâncton, e mortalidade de peixes. Remediação da água contaminada da mineração envolve o uso de floculantes baseados em monômeros de acrilamida e poliacrilamida e de coagulantes à base de alumínio. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar a toxicidade aquática do floculante WF 424 e do coagulante WF 2000 PCA. Métodos Um polímero aniónico floculante (WF 424) e um complexo polinuclear coagulante de íons hidro-alumínio polimerizados (WF2000 PCA) foram testados quanto à embriotoxicidade para o peixe-zebra (Danio rerio, teste FET - OEDC, 236, 2013). Resultados Após 96 h de exposição ao WF424, não houve letalidade significativa, nem efeitos subletais como atraso na eclosão, alteração do batimento cardíaco e malformação no desenvolvimento embrionário, quando comparados com o grupo controle (p> 0,05). O composto coagulante WF2000 PCA não apresentou efeitos letais durante 96 h de exposição, e EC50 foi considerado acima do nível de concentração mais alto testado. Conclusões Para ambos os compostos, nenhuma malformação, atraso no desenvolvimento embrionário ou embriotoxicidade foram observados.Aim: Leaching from mining activities reaches water bodies, causing water contamination and acidification by toxic metals. As a consequence, oxygen depletion occurs, with the disappearance of certain benthic organisms, losses in phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass, and fish mortality. Remediation of contaminated water from mining involves the use of flocculants based on acrylamide monomers and polyacrylamide and of coagulants based on aluminum. Our aim was to assess the aquatic toxicity of the flocculant WF 424 and the coagulant WF 2000 PCA. Methods A flocculant anionic polymer (WF 424) and a coagulant polynuclear complex of polymerized hydro-aluminum ions (WF2000 PCA) were tested for embryotoxicity to zebrafish (Danio rerio, FET test - OEDC, 236, 2013). Results After 96 h of exposure to WF424, there was no significant lethality, nor were there sublethal effects such as hatching delay, heartbeat alteration, and malformation in embryonic development, when compared with the control group (p > 0.05). The coagulant compound WF2000 PCA did not show lethal effects during 96 h of exposure, and EC50 was considered as above the highest concentration-level tested. Conclusions For both compounds, no malformation, embryonic development delay or embryotoxicity were observed