Malignant Transformation of Rat Kidney Induced by Environmental Substances and Estrogen

The use of organophosphorous insecticides in agricultural environments and in urban settings has increased significantly. The aim of the present study was to analyze morphological alterations induced by malathion and 17β-estradiol (estrogen) in rat kidney tissues. There were four groups of animals: control, malathion, estrogen and combination of both substances. The animals were injected for five days and sacrificed 30, 124 and 240 days after treatments. Kidney tissues were analyzed for histomorphological and immunocytochemical alterations. Morphometric analysis indicated that malathion plus estrogen-treated animals showed a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher grade of glomerular hypertrophy, signs of tubular damage, atypical proliferation in cortical and hilium zone than malathion or estrogen alone-treated and control animals after 240 days. Results indicated that MFG, ER-α, ER-β, PgR, CYP1A1, Neu/ErbB2, PCNA, vimentin and Thrombospondin 1 (THB) protein expression was increased in convoluted tubules of animals treated with combination of malathion and estrogen after 240 days of 5 day treatment. Malignant proliferation was observed in the hilium zone. In summary, the combination of malathion and estrogen induced pathological lesions in glomeruli, convoluted tubules, atypical cell proliferation and malignant proliferation in hilium zone and immunocytochemical alterations in comparison to control animals or animals treated with either substance alone. It can be concluded that an increased risk of kidney malignant transformation can be induced by exposure to environmental and endogenous substances

Malignant Transformation of Rat Kidney Induced by Environmental Substances and Estrogen

The use of organophosphorous insecticides in agricultural environments and in urban settings has increased significantly. The aim of the present study was to analyze morphological alterations induced by malathion and 17β-estradiol (estrogen) in rat kidney tissues. There were four groups of animals: control, malathion, estrogen and combination of both substances. The animals were injected for five days and sacrificed 30, 124 and 240 days after treatments. Kidney tissues were analyzed for histomorphological and immunocytochemical alterations. Morphometric analysis indicated that malathion plus estrogen-treated animals showed a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher grade of glomerular hypertrophy, signs of tubular damage, atypical proliferation in cortical and hilium zone than malathion or estrogen alone-treated and control animals after 240 days. Results indicated that MFG, ER-α, ER-β, PgR, CYP1A1, Neu/ErbB2, PCNA, vimentin and Thrombospondin 1 (THB) protein expression was increased in convoluted tubules of animals treated with combination of malathion and estrogen after 240 days of 5 day treatment. Malignant proliferation was observed in the hilium zone. In summary, the combination of malathion and estrogen induced pathological lesions in glomeruli, convoluted tubules, atypical cell proliferation and malignant proliferation in hilium zone and immunocytochemical alterations in comparison to control animals or animals treated with either substance alone. It can be concluded that an increased risk of kidney malignant transformation can be induced by exposure to environmental and endogenous substances

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Concrete Biosand Filter and its Impact on Diarrheal Disease in Bonao, Dominican Republic.

A number of household water treatment and safe storage technologies, such as chlorine disinfection, solar disinfection, and ceramic filtration, have been documented for their ability to reduce diarrheal disease and improve microbial water quality. The biosand filter (BSF) is a promising household water treatment technology in use by \u3e 500,000 people globally. The purpose of this research was to document the ability of BSFs to improve water quality and to reduce diarrheal disease in user compared with non-user households in a randomized controlled trial in Bonao, Dominican Republic, during 2005–2006. During the 6-month intervention period, 75 BSF households had significantly improved drinking water quality on average compared with 79 control households ( P \u3c 0.001). Based on random intercepts logistic regression, BSF households had 0.53 times the odds of diarrheal disease as control households, indicating a significant protective effect of the BSF against waterborne diarrheal diseas

An Assessment of Continued Use and Health Impact of the Concrete Biosand Filter in Bonao, Dominican Republic.

The biosand filter (BSF) is a promising point of use (POU) technology for water treatment; however there has been little follow-up of initial implementation to assess sustainability. The purpose of this study was to examine continued use, performance, and sustainability of previously implemented concrete BSFs in Bonao, Dominican Republic. Of 328 households visited and interviewed, 90% of BSFs were still in use after approximately 1 year since installation. Waterquality improvement, measured by fecal indicator bacteria reduction, was found to be 84–88%, which is lower than reductions in controlled laboratory studies but similar to other field assessments. In a short prospective cohort study comparing BSF to non-BSF households, odds of reported diarrheal disease in BSF households were 0.39 times the odds of reported diarrheal disease in non-BSF households. These results document high levels of sustained and effective concrete BSF use and associated improvements in water quality and health

Contrasting outcomes of Vibrio harveyi pathogenicity in gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata and European seabass, Dicentrachus labrax

Vibrio harveyi has been reported as the dominant heterotrophic bacterial species in western Mediterranean coastal areas during warm seasons, and is recognized as an economically significant pathogen for the aquaculture industry. The present work aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of a V. harveyi strain isolated from ascitic fluid collected from cultured gilthead seabream and then used in a challenge experiment involving the two most important fish species in Mediterranean aquaculture: gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata and European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax. The ascitic fluid from diseased juvenile seabreams, previously vaccinated against Photobacterium damselae and Vibrio anguillarum, was extracted and bacteria cultivated for isolation and characterization. Additionally, different tissues were sampled for histological evaluation and description. Significant histopathological responses were observed in hepatic and mucosal tissues. One of the strains isolated from ascitic fluid, IRTA 17-43, was selected for a bacterial challenge. Additionally, the attenuation of virulence through sequential passage of the strain on solid media was also assessed. In parallel, a co-habitation trial was performed in order to evaluate the possible transfer of the bacteria between injected and healthy individuals. Pathogenicity trials in gilthead seabream resulted in only 25% mortality when injected with 107 CFU mL−1, whereas, for European seabass, a mortality of 95% was recorded, with clear signs of vibriosis. When passed sequentially on solid media, the strain IRTA-17-43 showed a decrease of 35% in cumulative mortality for European seabass. No apparent transmission of the pathogen occurred during the co-habitation trial for both species. In conclusion, although few external signs of V. harveyi are observed in vaccinated carriers, internal effects of the infection were clear and severe. Although no horizontal transfer of infection was observed, the risk of occurrence between carriers and immunosuppressed individuals or between different species should be considered. This further validates that the establishment of a good health management system within fish farms is of major importance in order to avoid the onset of disease outbreaks.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

CONSTANS–FKBP12 interaction contributes to modulation of photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis

Flowering time is a key process in plant development. Photoperiodic signals play a crucial role in the floral transition in Arabidopsis thaliana, and the protein CONSTANS (CO) has a central regulatory function that is tightly regulated at the transcriptional and post-translational levels. The stability of CO protein depends on a light-driven proteasome process that optimizes its accumulation in the evening to promote the production of the florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and induce seasonal flowering. To further investigate the post-translational regulation of CO protein we have dissected its interactome network employing in vivo and in vitro assays and molecular genetics approaches. The immunophilin FKBP12 has been identified in Arabidopsis as a CO interactor that regulates its accumulation and activity. FKBP12 and CO interact through the CCT domain, affecting the stability and function of CO. fkbp12 insertion mutants show a delay in flowering time, while FKBP12 overexpression accelerates flowering, and these phenotypes can be directly related to a change in accumulation of FT protein. The interaction is conserved between the Chlamydomonas algal orthologs CrCO–CrFKBP12, revealing an ancient regulatory step in photoperiod regulation of plant development.Ministerio de Ciencia BIO2014-52425-P, BIO2017-83629-RJunta de Andalucía P08-AGR-03582, BIO-281European Union GA83831