Distribution of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) isomers in a Norwegian arctic food web

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is a global synthetic fluoroorganic compound and one of the most abundant per- and polyfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) in the arctic environment. PFAS are ubiquitously dispersed throughout the planet’s aquatic environments, soils and wildlife. Their environmental persistence, tendency to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in food webs coupled with negative health effects at elevated levels has resulted in them being commonly described as persistent organic pollutants. Although PFOS and other PFAS compounds have been subject to increasing scientific interest in the decades following their discovery, much remains unknown and uncertain in regards to their global and local transport mechanisms as well as their potential as environmental toxins. The objective of this study was to develop and validate an analytical method for the separation and determination of the individual PFOS isomers commonly found in environmental and technical samples, and attempt to quantitate them in biota samples from Svalbard, Norway. Collected samples from neighbouring levels of the food web at two different locations in the vicinity of Longyearbyen were analysed for the purpose of gaining insight into the levels of the individual PFOS-isomers, and changes happening to the isomer profile from one trophic level to the next. A new high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analytical method was designed by combining elements from other published studies. The method was used to separate four groups of PFOS isomers from a mixture and was applied to quantitate PFOS isomers in the biota samples. It was found that the total PFOS concentrations and the relative concentrations of L-PFOS in the biota samples increased with increasing trophic levels, in agreement with previous reports on the isomer’s greater bioaccumulation tendency. Fish liver samples from a reference station without any known nearby local PFOS pollution sources were discovered to have higher total PFOS levels than fish liver samples from a station near a decommissioned fire-fighting station. However, a small sample size and uncertainty with regards to the quantitation made it hard to interpret the findings, as PFOS isomers at lower trophic levels were not detected due to insufficient sensitivity.Perfluoroktansulfonat (PFOS) er en syntetisk fluoroorganisk forbindelse og en av de mest utbredte per- og polyfluorinerte alkylerte stoffene (PFAS) i arktiske miljøer. PFAS er svært utbredt og er spredt over hele verdens akvatiske miljøer, jord og dyreliv. Deres persistente natur, tendens til å bioakkumulere og magnifisere I næringskjeder, samt deres negative helseeffekter ved forhøyede nivåer har gjort at de regnes som persistente organiske forurensningsstoffer. Selv om PFOS og andre PFAS forbindelser har vært gjenstand fot økende vitenskapelig interesse in tiårene etter deres oppdagelse, er det fortsatt mye som ikke er kjent når det kommer til deres globale og lokale transportmekanismer og deres potensiale som miljøgifter. Formålet med denne studien var å utvikle og validere en analytisk metode til separasjon og bestemmelse and de individuelle PFOS isomerene tilstede i miljøprøver og i teknisk produkt, og forsøke å kvantifisere disse i biota-prøver fra Svalbard, Norge. Sampleprøver fra nærliggende trofiske nivåer i næringskjeden fra to ulike lokasjoner i området rundt Longyearbyen ble analysert i et forsøk på å skaffe seg innsikt i mengdene av de individuelle PFOS-isomerene, og hvordan isomerprofilen forandrer seg fra ett trofisk nivå til det neste. En ny analytisk HPLC-MS/MS metode ble utviklet ved å kombinere elementer fra andre publiserte studier. Metoden ble brukt til å separere fire grupper PFOS isomerer fra en blanding og ble brukt til å separere fire grupper PFOS-isomerer fra en blanding og ble så benyttet til å kvantifisere isomerer i biotaprøvene. Det ble påvist at den totale PFOS konsentrasjonen og de relative L-PFOS konsentrasjonen i biotaprøvene økte høyere opp i næringskjeden, i samsvar med tidligere rapporten om isomerens større bioakkumuleringsegenskaper. Fikseleverprøver fra en referansestasjon uten kjente nærliggende PFOS utslippskilder ble funnet å ha høyere total-PFOS konsentrasjoner enn fiskeleverprøver fra en stasjon nær en nedlagt brannøvelsesstasjon. Det lave prøveantallet og usikkerhet tilknyttet kvantifiseringen gjorde det vanskelig å tolke funnene, siden PFOS isomerer ikke ble kvantifisert ved lavere trofiske nivåer på grunn av utilstrekkelig sensitivitet.M-KJEM

In-situ laser synthesis of rare earth aluminate coatings in the system Ln-Al-O (Ln = Y, Gd)

Laser zone melting (LZM) was employed in this work to prepare Ln-Al-O coatings on polycrystalline Al2O3 substrates, using the corresponding mixtures of powdered rare-earth oxides and Al2O 3 as starting materials. In-situ synthesis of the compounds Ln = Y, Gd was performed using a CO2 laser, emitting at 10.6 μm. Microstructure (SEM) and phase nature (XRD) demonstrated in-situ formation of Al2O3/Y3Al5O12(YAG) and Al2O3/GdAlO3(GAP) eutectic systems. The interaction with the substrate resulted in mechanically stable, well integrated 200-500 μm thick composite coatings, as observed in nanoindentation tests. The phase relations found in these materials are consistent with the crystallographic concepts advanced by Vegas (Ramos-Gallardo & Vegas, J. Solid State Chem. 128 (1997) 69), where cation sub-arrays are proposed to play an important role in governing metal oxide structures. These sub-arrays are suggested as the structural drive behind eutectic oxide formation. LZM proves to be a convenient method to investigate the behaviour of complex oxide systems at high temperature, to apply a rational concept towards the understanding of phase relations and to develop design criteria for oxide coatings. © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Spanish Government (projects CEN 2007-2014, MAT2010- 18519 and SURFALUX SOL-00030930),Peer Reviewe

Amelioration of ultraviolet-induced photokeratitis in mice treated with astaxanthin eye drops

Purpose: Ultraviolet (UV) acts as low-dose ionizing radiation. Acute UVB exposure causes photokeratitis and induces apoptosis in corneal cells. Astaxanthin (AST) is a carotenoid, present in seafood, that has potential clinical applications due to its high antioxidant activity. In the present study, we examined whether topical administration of AST has preventive and therapeutic effects on UV-photokeratitis in mice. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were administered with AST diluted in polyethylene glycol (PEG) in instillation form (15 μl) to the right eye. Left eyes were given vehicle alone as controls. Immediately after the instillation, the mice, under anesthesia, were irradiated with UVB at a dose of 400 mJ/cm2. Eyeballs were collected 24 h after irradiation and stained with H&E and TUNEL. In an in vitro study, mouse corneal epithelial (TKE2) cells were cultured with AST before UV exposure to quantify the UV-derived cytotoxicity. Results: UVB exposure induced cell death and thinning of the corneal epithelium. However, the epithelium was morphologically well preserved after irradiation in AST-treated corneas. Irradiated corneal epithelium was significantly thicker in eyes treated with AST eye drops, compared to those treated with vehicles (p<0.01), in a doses dependent manner. Significantly fewer apoptotic cells were observed in AST-treated eyes than controls after irradiation (p<0.01). AST also reduced oxidative stress in irradiated corneas. The in vitro study showed less cytotoxicity of TKE2 cells in AST-treated cultures after UVB-irradiation (p<0.01). The cytoprotective effect increased with the dose of AST. Conclusions: Topical AST administration may be a candidate treatment to limit the damages by UV irradiation with wide clinical applications

Process-generated nanoparticles from ceramic tile sintering: Emissions, exposure and environmental release

Under a Creative Commons license.-- et al.The ceramic industry is an industrial sector in need of significant process changes, which may benefit from innovative technologies such as laser sintering of ceramic tiles. Such innovations result in a considerable research gap within exposure assessment studies for process-generated ultrafine and nanoparticles. This study addresses this issue aiming to characterise particle formation, release mechanisms and their impact on personal exposure during a tile sintering activity in an industrial-scale pilot plant, as a follow-up of a previous study in a laboratory-scale plant. In addition, possible particle transformations in the exhaust system, the potential for particle release to the outdoor environment, and the effectiveness of the filtration system were also assessed. For this purpose, a tiered measurement strategy was conducted. The main findings evidence that nanoparticle emission patterns were strongly linked to temperature and tile chemical composition, and mainly independent of the laser treatment. Also, new particle formation (from gaseous precursors) events were detected, with nanoparticles  87% efficiency in particle number concentrations removal.This work was supported by the European Commission FP7 (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-ITN) Marie Curie ITN project no. 315760 (HEXACOMM) and by the Spanish MINECO (PCIN-2015-173-C02-01) under the frame of SIINN, the ERA-NET for a Safe Implementation of Innovative Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, through SIINN-ERANET project CERASAFE (id.:16). Additional support was provided by LIFE projects AIRUSE (LIFE11 ENV/ES/584), CERAMGLASS (LIFE11 ENV/ES/560) and LASERFIRING (LIFE09 ENV/ES/435).Peer Reviewe

Process-generated nanoparticles from ceramic tile sintering : Emissions, exposure and environmental release

The ceramic industry is an industrial sector in need of significant process changes, which may benefit from innovative technologies such as laser sintering of ceramic tiles. Such innovations result in a considerable research gap within exposure assessment studies for process-generated ultrafine and nanoparticles. This study addresses this issue aiming to characterise particle formation, release mechanisms and their impact on personal exposure during a tile sintering activity in an industrial-scale pilot plant, as a follow-up of a previous study in a laboratory-scale plant. In addition, possible particle transformations in the exhaust system, the potential for particle release to the outdoor environment, and the effectiveness of the filtration system were also assessed. For this purpose, a tiered measurement strategy was conducted. The main findings evidence that nanoparticle emission patterns were strongly linked to temperature and tile chemical composition, and mainly independent of the laser treatment. Also, new particle formation (from gaseous precursors) events were detected, with nanoparticles A potential risk for nanoparticle and ultrafine particle release to the environment was also identified, despite the fact that the efficiency of the filtration system was successfully tested and evidenced a >87% efficiency in particle number concentrations removal. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Proteomics reveals ablation of PlGF increases antioxidant and neuroprotective proteins in the diabetic mouse retina

Placental growth factor (PlGF or PGF), a member of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) sub-family, plays a crucial role in pathological angiogenesis and inflammation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that PlGF mediates regarding the complications of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR) remain elusive. Using an LC-MS/MS-based label-free quantification proteomic approach we characterized the alterations in protein expression caused by PlGF ablation in the retinas obtained from C57BL6, Akita, PlGF-/- and Akita.PlGF-/- mice. After extraction and enzymatic digestion with Trypsin/LysC, the retinal proteins were analyzed by Q-Exactive hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in four comparisons based on Z-score normalization and reproducibility by Pearson's correlation coefficient. The gene ontology (GO), functional pathways, and protein-protein network interaction analysis suggested that several proteins involved in insulin resistance pathways (Gnb1, Gnb2, Gnb4, Gnai2, Gnao1, Snap2, and Gngt1) were significantly down-regulated in PlGF ablated Akita diabetic mice (Akita.PlGF-/- vs. Akita) but up-regulated in Akita vs. C57 and PlGF-/- vs. C57 conditions. Two proteins involved in the antioxidant activity and neural protection pathways, Prdx6 and Map2 respectively, were up-regulated in the Akita.PlGF-/- vs. Akita condition. Overall, we predict that down-regulation of proteins essential for insulin resistance, together with the up-regulation of antioxidant and neuroprotection proteins highlight and epitomize the potential mechanisms important for future anti-PlGF therapies in the treatment of DR

Combined immunodeficiency and Epstein-Barr virus-induced B cell malignancy in humans with inherited CD70 deficiency

In this study, we describe four patients from two unrelated families of different ethnicities with a primary immunodeficiency, predominantly manifesting as susceptibility to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–related diseases. Three patients presented with EBV-associated Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hypogammaglobulinemia; one also had severe varicella infection. The fourth had viral encephalitis during infancy. Homozygous frameshift or in-frame deletions in CD70 in these patients abolished either CD70 surface expression or binding to its cognate receptor CD27. Blood lymphocyte numbers were normal, but the proportions of memory B cells and EBV-specific effector memory CD8+ T cells were reduced. Furthermore, although T cell proliferation was normal, in vitro–generated EBV-specific cytotoxic T cell activity was reduced because of CD70 deficiency. This reflected impaired activation by, rather than effects during killing of, EBV-transformed B cells. Notably, expression of 2B4 and NKG2D, receptors implicated in controlling EBV infection, on memory CD8+ T cells from CD70-deficient individuals was reduced, consistent with their impaired killing of EBV-infected cells. Thus, autosomal recessive CD70 deficiency is a novel cause of combined immunodeficiency and EBV-associated diseases, reminiscent of inherited CD27 deficiency. Overall, human CD70–CD27 interactions therefore play a nonredundant role in T and B cell–mediated immunity, especially for protection against EBV and humoral immunity

Up-regulated expression of LAMP2 and autophagy activity during neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer LNCaP cells

Neuroendocrine (NE) prostate cancer (PCa) is a highly aggressive subtype of prostate cancer associated with resistance to androgen ablation therapy. In this study, we used LNCaP prostate cancer cells cultured in a serum-free medium for 6 days as a NE model of prostate cancer. Serum deprivation increased the expression of NE markers such as neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and βIII tubulin (βIII tub) and decreased the expression of the androgen receptor protein in LNCaP cells. Using cDNA microarrays, we compared gene expression profiles of NE cells and non-differentiated LNCaP cells. We identified up-regulation of 155 genes, among them LAMP2, a lysosomal membrane protein involved in lysosomal stability and autophagy. We then confirmed up-regulation of LAMP2 in NE cells by qRT-PCR, Western blot and confocal microscopy assays, showing that mRNA up-regulation correlated with increased levels of LAMP2 protein. Subsequently, we determined autophagy activity in NE cells by assessing the protein levels of SQSTM/p62 and LC3 by Western blot and LC3 and Atg5 mRNAs content by qRT-PCR. The decreased levels of SQSTM/p62 was accompanied by an enhanced expression of LC3 and ATG5, suggesting activation of autophagy in NE cells. Blockage of autophagy with 1μM AKT inhibitor IV, or by silencing Beclin 1 and Atg5, prevented NE cell differentiation, as revealed by decreased levels of the NE markers. In addition, AKT inhibitor IV as well as Beclin1 and Atg5 kwockdown attenuated LAMP2 expression in NE cells. On the other hand, LAMP2 knockdown by siRNA led to a marked blockage of autophagy, prevention of NE differentiation and decrease of cell survival. Taken together, these results suggest that LAMP2 overexpression assists NE differentiation of LNCaP cells induced by serum deprivation and facilitates autophagy activity in order to attain the NE phenotype and cell survival. LAMP2 could thus be a potential biomarker and potential target for NE prostate cancer