Psychoactive substances use experience and addiction or risk of addiction among by Polish adolescents living in rural and urban areas

The objective of the study was to determine the similarities and differences between adolescents with psychoactive substances use experience living in urban and rural areas as regards the intensity of Internet addiction symptoms as well as the evaluation of prevalence of psychoactive substances use among adolescents depending on the place of residence. The examined group consisted of 1 860 people (1 320 girls and 540 boys) their average age being 17 years. In the study the following research methods were used: the Sociodemographic Questionnaire designed by the authors, the Internet Addiction Questionnaire by Potembska, the Internet Addiction test by Young, the Internet Addiction Questionnaire (KBUI) designed by Pawłowska and Potembska. Statistically significant differences were found as regards the prevalence of psychoactive substances use by the adolescents living in urban and rural areas and as regards the intensity of Internet addiction symptoms in adolescents, both from the urban and rural areas, who use and do not use illegal drugs. Significantly more adolescents living in urban areas as compared to their peers living in rural areas use psychoactive substances, mainly marihuana. The adolescents who use psychoactive substances, as compared to the adolescents with no experience using illegal drugs, living both in urban and rural areas significantly more often play online violent games and use web pornography. The adolescents living in rural areas who use psychoactive substances significantly more often as compared to the adolescents who do not use these substances claim that it is only thanks to the interactions established on the Internet that they can get acceptance, understanding and appreciation

Silver nanoparticles induced changes in DNA methylation and histone H3 methylation in a mouse model of breast cancer

The importance of epigenetic changes as a measurable endpoint in nanotoxicological studies is getting more and more appreciated. In the present work, we analyzed the epigenetic effects induced by citrate- and PEG-coated 20 nm silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a model consisting of 4T1 breast cancer tumors in mice. Animals were administered with AgNPs intragastrically (1 mg/kg b.w. daily—total dose 14 mg/kg b.w.) or intravenously (administration twice with 1 mg/kg b.w.—total dose 2 mg/kg b.w.). We observed a significant decrease in 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) level in tumors from mice treated with citrate-coated AgNPs regardless of the route of administration. For PEG-coated AgNPs, a significant decrease in DNA methylation was observed only after intravenous administration. Moreover, treatment of 4T1 tumor-bearing mice with AgNPs decreased histone H3 methylation in tumor tissue. This effect was the most pronounced for PEG-coated AgNPs administered intravenously. No changes in histone H3 Lys9 acetylation were observed. The decrease in methylation of DNA and histone H3 was accompanied by changes in expression of genes encoding chromatin-modifying enzymes (Setd4, Setdb1, Smyd3, Suv39h1, Suv420h1, Whsc1, Kdm1a, Kdm5b, Esco2, Hat1, Myst3, Hdac5, Dnmt1, Ube2b, and Usp22) and genes related to carcinogenesis (Akt1, Brca1, Brca2, Mlh1, Myb, Ccnd1, and Src). The significance of the observed changes and the mechanisms responsible for their development are unclear, and more research in this area is warranted. Nevertheless, the present work points to the epigenetic effects as an important level of interaction between nanomaterials and biological systems, which should always be taken into consideration during analysis of the biological activity of nanomaterials and development of nanopharmaceuticals

Matrix metalloproteinase 3 polymorphisms as a potential marker of enhanced susceptibility to lung cancer in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease subjects

[b]Introduction and objective[/b]. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often accompanied by lung cancer. Among the genes that may play a role in the occurrence of COPD and lung cancer are those encoding the proteolytic enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors. The objective of this study was to find MMPs-associated markers useful in the identification of COPD subjects with increased susceptibility to developing lung cancer. [b]Materials and methods[/b]. We compared the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes coding for matrix proteinases ([i]MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, MMP12[/i]) as well as tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases ([i]TIMP1[/i]) in two groups of subjects: COPD patients (54 subjects) and COPD patients diagnosed for lung cancer occurrence (53 subjects).The levels of the respective proteins in blood serum were also analyzed. [b]Results[/b]. The frequencies of 2 genotypes, [i]MMP3[/i] rs3025058 and MMP3 rs678815, were significantly different between the studied groups. In both cases, more heterozygotes and less homozygotes (both types) were observed in the COPD group than in the COPD + cancer group. A significantly higher TIMP1 level in blood serum was observed in the COPD + cancer group than in the COPD group. There were no statistically significant differences in[i] MMPs[/i] blood levels between the studied groups. In addition, no genotype-associated differences in [i]TIMP1[/i] or[i] MMPs[/i] blood levels were observed. [b]Conclusions[/b]. Homozygocity for [i]MMP3[/i] rs3025058 and rs678815 polymorphisms is a potential marker of enhanced susceptibility to lung cancer development among COPD subjects

Kidney nanotoxicity studied in human renal proximal tubule epithelial cell line TH1

Progressive expansion of nanomaterials in our everyday life raises concerns about their safety for human health. Although kidneys are the primary organs of xenobiotic elimination, little attention has been paid to the kidneys in terms of nanotoxicological studies up to now. Here we investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of four solid-core uncoated inorganic nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs, SiO₂NPs, Fe₃O₄NPs and AuNPs) using the human renal proximal tubule epithelial TH1 cells. To mimic the in vivo conditions more realistic, TH1 cells were exposed in vitro to inorganic NPs under static as well as dynamic conditions for 3 h and 24 h. The medium throughput alkaline comet assay (12 minigels per slide) was employed to evaluate the impact of these NPs on genome integrity and their capacity to produce oxidative lesions to DNA. The accumulation and localization of studied inorganic NPs inside the cells was monitored by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the efficacy of internalization of particular NPs was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). From all the tested NPs, only Fe₃O₄NPs induced a slight cytotoxicity in TH1 cells exposed to high concentrations (>700 μg/ml) for 24 h. On the other hand, the inorganic NPs did not increase significantly the level of DNA strand breaks or oxidative DNA damage regardless of the treatment mode (static vs. dynamic conditions). Interestingly, substantial differences were observed in the internalized amount of inorganic NPs in TH1 cells exposed to equivalent (2.2 μg/ml) concentration. FeONPs were most efficiently taken up while the lowest quantity of particles was determined in TiONPs-treated cells. As the particle size and shape of individual inorganic NPs in culture medium was nearly identical, it is reasonable to suppose that the chemical composition may contribute to the differences in the efficacy of NPs uptake

Anti-tubercular substances produced by plants

Tuberculosis is one of the common causes of death worldwide, and according to the World Health Organization, in 2015, about 10.4 mln people globally is suffering from that disease. Despite great development in medicine and discovery of many antimycobacterial drugs, tuberculosis remains an unsolved problem. The populations of countries in Africa, Asia and South America have difficult access to hygiene, medical care and medicines, and they therefore resort to consulting traditional practitioners who mainly use drugs from natural sources which they prepare themselves. Plants are the biggest source of such medicines and are used as extracts, decoctions or powders, often without any evidence of their actual activity. Isolates from plants sometimes contain unknown substances or some second metabolites of microorganisms. In vitro studies have shown that some of these medicines have effective antimycobacterial properties, even against clinical, resistant strains. This is hopeful in the situation where more and more cases of tuberculosis prove to be resistant to standard drugs. Extracts of medicinal plants are often synergistic with synthetic drugs. Substances with insufficient MIC can be a basis for derivatives which have better properties. This thesis summarizes the current international knowledge of the use of plant substances used in the treatment of tuberculosis that could be potential new antituberculous drugs

Antituberculous drugs from seas and oceans

In spite of the remarkable developments in medicine over the last century, the problem of tuberculosis in some parts of the world remains unresolved. Africa and South East Asia are endangered areas, where the population is high, and hygiene and access to medications are insufficient. The occurrence of Mycobacteria resistant to standard drugs is a serious clinical problem. Synthesizing completely new compounds that have antimycobacterial activity takes years and generates costs, so researchers are returning to natural resources. The main direction of the search for new potentially antituberculous substances are plants, but salt water is becoming increasingly important as well. The depths of the seas and oceans offer many unexplored substances that, as it turns out, have interesting antimicrobial properties. New research methods in silico greatly expedite the process of identifying compounds and their properties. The use of discovered substances as scaffolds of new compounds significantly improves the efficiency of the process and enhances the pharmacological properties of natural metabo-lites of marine organisms. This article summarizes the current knowledge of marine substances that could be potential antituberculous drugs

Nanopesticides – Light or dark side of the force?

Nanotechnology has been used in many branches of industry, including agriculture, where nanomaterials are used as carriers of chemical plant protection compounds, as well as active ingredients. Meanwhile, the effects of nanopesticides exposure on the human body are unknown. Due to their occupation, farmers should be particularly monitored. This paper summarizes the use of nanoparticles in agriculture, the route of potential exposure for agricultural workers and the current state of knowledge of nanopesticides toxicity to mammalian cells. The authors also discuss techniques for detecting nanoparticles in the workplace, as well as biomarkers and effects of exposure. The results of this review indicate that the use of nanotechnology in agriculture can bring measurable benefits by reducing the amount of chemicals used for plant protection. However, there is no research available to determine whether or not the use of pesticide nanoformulations increases the harmful effects of pesticides. Moreover, the results of research on cell lines and in animal models suggest that nanoparticles used as active substance are toxic to mammalian cells. Interestingly, there is also a complete lack of epidemiological studies on this subject. In the nearest future the effects of exposure to nanopesticides may require a particular attention paid by scientists and medical doctors who, treat agricultural workers and their families. Med Pr 2017;68(3):423–43

Gold nanoparticles as detectors of pesticides in food and drinking water

Due to the high toxicity and harmful effects of pesticides on human health, it is necessary to constantly monitor their presence in food and drinking water. The current standard in the determination of pesticides is instrumental analysis, such as chromatography and mass spectrometry. These techniques are expensive, laborious and require use of specialized laboratory equipment and trained personnel. Furthermore, appropriate sample preparation is needed, which significantly increases the overall measurement time. Thus, pesticide detectors based on other principle have become popular over the past few years, especially metallic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). AuNPs based detectors are faster and less expensive than traditional methods. In this review we describe a potential use of AuNPs in the detection of pesticides. Additionally, methods for quantitation of the detector response are illustrated, starting with a direct colorimetric and fluorescence detection, through enzymatic and immunological methods, to Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques.Ze względu na wysoką toksyczność i szkodliwe działanie pestycydów na zdrowie człowieka, konieczny jest stały monitoring obecności ich pozostałości w żywności i wodzie pitnej. Obecnie standardem w oznaczaniu pestycydów jest analiza instrumentalna, a przede wszystkim techniki takie jak chromatografia i spektrometria mas. Są to jednak metody drogie, wymagające użycia specjalistycznego sprzętu laboratoryjnego i przeszkolonego personelu. Ponadto niezbędne jest odpowiednie przygotowanie próbki, co znacząco wydłuża czas pomiarów. Od kilku lat na popularności zyskują detektory oparte na nanocząstkach złota metalicznego (AuNPs), które umożliwiają znacznie szybsze i mniej kosztowne oznaczenia. W pracy przedstawiono możliwości wykorzystania AuNPs w detekcji pestycydów. Opisano także metody oznaczania odpowiedzi w detektorach AuNPs, poczynając od bezpośredniej detekcji kolorymetrycznej i fluorescencyjnej, przez metody enzymatyczne i immunologiczne, kończąc na spektroskopii ramanowskiej i technikach elektrochemicznych