Kavezno izlaganje lubina (Dicentrarchus labrax) u procjeni genotoksičnog utjecaja onečišćenja

Genotoxic effects are often the earliest signs of pollution-related environmental disturbance. In this study, we used the comet assay and micronucleus test to assess DNA damage in the erythrocytes of the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) exposed to environmental pollution in situ. Fish were collected from a fi sh farm in the Trogir Bay and their cages placed at an unpolluted reference site Šolta (Nečujam Bay) and a polluted site Vranjic (Kaštela Bay) for four weeks. A group of fi sh which remained at the fi sh farm Trogir Bay were used as the second control group. Fish exposed at the Vranjic site showed a signifi cantly higher erythrocyte DNA damage, measured by the comet assay, than either control group. Micronucleus induction showed a similar gradient of DNA damage, but did not reach statistical signifi cance. Our results show that cage exposure of a marine fi sh D. labrax can be useful in environmental biomonitoring and confi rm the comet assay as a suitable tool for detecting pollution-related genotoxicity.Genotoksični učinak često je jedan od najranijih pokazatelja štetnog djelovanja onečišćenja okoliša. U ovom radu procijenjeno je oštećenje DNA u eritrocitima lubina (Dicentrarchus labrax) izloženima okolišnom onečišćenju s pomoću komet-testa i mikronukleus-testa. Lubini su prikupljeni na ribogojilištu i kavezno izloženi u periodu od četiri tjedna na dvije postaje različitog stupnja onečišćenja na jadranskoj obali: na kontrolnoj postaji Šolta (zaljev Nečujam) i na onečišćenoj postaji Vranjic (Kaštelanski zaljev). Zasebna skupina lubina skupljena na ribogojilištu poslužila je kao druga kontrola. Rezultati komet-testa pokazali su statistički značajan porast oštećenja DNA na postaji Vranjic u usporedbi s obje kontrolne postaje. Rezultati mikronukleus-testa pokazali su sličan gradijent onečišćenja, iako nisu dosegli statističku značajnost. Ovi rezultati upućuju na primjenjivost kaveznog izlaganja lubina D. labrax u biomonitoringu vodenog okoliša te potvrđuju korisnost komet-testa kao prikladne metode za detekciju genotoksičnog utjecaja onečišćenja

Ozone interactions with human hair: Ozone uptake and product formation

In this study, the ozone uptake rate for human hair and the resulting formation of volatile aldehydes and ketones were quantified. Human hair was chosen for two reasons: 1) ozone-hair chemistry may influence personal exposure to ozone and its reaction byproducts due to the proximity to the breathing zone. and 2) ozone reacts readily with human skin oils (squalene) and personal care products (fatty acids and terpenes) that may coat hair. In this preliminary study, hair samples from three ethnic groups were collected before and after washing and/or application of various personal hair care products. Hair samples were exposed to ozone in a flow through Teflon reactor. The cumulative ozone uptake was quantified by measuring the inlet and outlet ozone concentration during a 24 hour period. Organic reaction products were identified and emission rates were quantified by sampling the reactor inlet and outlet using Tenax sorption tubes and DNPH tubes followed by thermal desorption and GCMS analysis and HPLC analysis. Cumulative ozone uptake on most hair samples was surprisingly similar. On average, the ozone uptake for the washed hair samples was (0.95 ± 0.02) x 10-5 mol O3 g-1 and for unwashed hair samples was (1.30 ± 0.02) x 10-5 mol O3 g-1. The ozone reaction probability for hair fiber surfaces reduces over time and ranged from 0.02 x 10-4 for a washed sample exposed to ozone for 24 hours, to 2.1 x 10-4 for a fresh unwashed sample. The product yields of compounds associated with ozone reacting with sebum (geranyl acetone, 6 methyl 5-hepten-2-one, nonanal and decanal) were consistently higher for unwashed hair than for washed hair. While natural oils that coat hair contribute to ozone reactions on unwashed hair, ozone also appears to react with other unidentified compounds on washed hair --Abstract, page iv

Ozone Interactions with Human Hair: Ozone Uptake Rates and Product Formation

In this study, the cumulative ozone uptake, the ozone reaction probability and product yields of volatile aldehydes and ketones were quantified for human scalp hair. Hair was chosen because ozone reacts readily with skin oils and the personal-care products that coat hair. Due to their proximity to the breathing zone, these reactions can influence personal exposure to ozone and its volatile reaction products. Hair samples were collected before and after washing and/or application of personal hair-care products. Samples were exposed to ozone for 24 h in a tubular Teflon reactor; ozone consumption rates and product emission rates were quantified. The mean values of integrated ozone uptake, initial and final follicle reaction probability values for eight washed and unwashed samples were, respectively, 5.1±4.4 μmol O3 g−1, (13±8)×10−5, and (1.0±1.3)×10−5. Unwashed hair taken close to the scalp exhibited the highest integrated ozone uptake and reaction probability, indicating that scalp oils are responsible for much of the ozone reactivity. Otherwise there was no significant difference between washed and unwashed hair. Compounds (geranyl acetone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and decanal) associated with ozone reacting with sebum were observed as secondary products more frequently from unwashed hair than for washed hair and the summed yield of aldehydes ranged from 0.00 to 0.86. Based on reaction probabilities, cumulative ozone uptake and typical sebum generation rates, ozone flux to skin and hair is anticipated to be nearly transport limited, reducing personal exposure to ozone and increasing exposure to reaction products

The deleterious role of the prostaglandin E2 EP3 receptor in angiotensin II hypertension

Angiotensin II (ANG II) plays a key role in regulating blood pressure and inflammation. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) signals through four different G protein-coupled receptors, eliciting a variety of effects. We reported that activation of the EP3 receptor reduces cardiac contractility. More recently, we have shown that overexpression of the EP4 receptor is protective in a mouse myocardial infarction model. We hypothesize in this study that the relative abundance of EP3 and EP4 receptors is a major determinant of end-organ damage in the diseased heart. Thus EP3 is detrimental to cardiac function and promotes inflammation, whereas antagonism of the EP3 receptor is protective in an ANG II hypertension (HTN) model. To test our hypothesis, male 10- to 12-wk-old C57BL/6 mice were anesthetized with isoflurane and osmotic minipumps containing ANG II were implanted subcutaneously for 2 wk. We found that antagonism of the EP3 receptor using L798,106 significantly attenuated the increase in blood pressure with ANG II infusion. Moreover, antagonism of the EP3 receptor prevented a decline in cardiac function after ANG II treatment. We also found that 10- to 12-wk-old EP3-transgenic mice, which overexpress EP3 in the cardiomyocytes, have worsened cardiac function. In conclusion, activation or overexpression of EP3 exacerbates end-organ damage in ANG II HTN. In contrast, antagonism of the EP3 receptor is beneficial and reduces cardiac dysfunction, inflammation, and HTN.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study is the first to show that systemic treatment with an EP3 receptor antagonist (L798,106) attenuates the angiotensin II-induced increase in blood pressure in mice. The results from this project could complement existing hypertension therapies by combining blockade of the EP3 receptor with antihypertensive drugs