Degradation of some pesticides in avian embryos

On day 9 or 12 of the hatching period different pesticides (parathion, methylparathion, carbendazim, 2,4-D-amine Na, phosmethylane) were applied in ecotoxicological trials. The formulations were either injected into the air space of pheasant, quail or hen eggs or hen eggs were treated by the immersion technique. The residues of pesticides were measured in samples on days 13, 14 and 16 of incubation of chicken and pheasant embryos, while the Japanese quail embryos were analysed on days 10-14 of incubation. Analytical chemistry data showed a varying degradation rate of the compounds in avian embryos of the same species. The residues directly affect the embryos, disturbing their normal development and causing pathophysiological and morphological changes

Non‐Invasive Assessment of the Embryo Viability via the Analysis of the Culture Media

Infertility in recent years is a growing public health issue throughout the developed world. Assisted reproductive techniques, especially in vitro fertilization, have the potential to partially overcome the low natural reproductive ratio. Nowadays, single embryo transfer gains grounds in clinical practice, urging the development of more reliable methods for selecting the best embryo. In the traditional clinical practice, embryos are selected for transfer based on morphological evaluation. In vitro culturing of embryos also provides a very important material for further non‐invasive evaluation by means of examining a biomarker in the spent culture medium (SEC). Current measure methods concentrate on the metabolomic activity of the developing embryos none compounds. These studies are mainly utilizing the tools of modern analytics and proteomics. In a paper published by Montskó et al. in 2015, the alpha‐1 chain of the human haptoglobin molecule was described as a quantitative biomarker of embryo viability. In a series of retrospective, blind experiments achieved more than 50% success rate. This chapter summarizes the currently available metabolomic and proteomic approaches as the non‐invasive molecular assessment of embryo viability

Effect of immersion fluid temperature on the chicken embryo in teratogenicity tests: Short communication

The influence of immersion fluid temperature on the development of the chicken embryo was studied on the day most commonly used for treating incubated eggs in teratological trials. Embryonated eggs were immersed in tap water for 30 min on the 12th day of incubation at 22–25 °C or at incubation temperature without a waiting time or after 30 min. The incubation was then continued and the eggs were processed on day 19 of the incubation period. Treatment of eggs at 22–25 °C caused a significant increase in embryonic mortality, while the 30-min waiting time did not exert an influence on embryogenesis

Két herbicid és egy inszekticid méreg hatásának vizsgálata madár embriókban

Vizsgálatunk arra irányult, hogy a növényvédelemben széles körben alkalmazott három peszticid, a BI 58 EC, a Dual Gold 960 EC és a Stomp 330 EC esetleges egyedi embriókárosító hatását feltárjuk. A toxikológiai vizsgálat során két különböző – injektálásos vagy bemerítéses – módot alkalmaztunk. A tyúktojások kezelését a keltetés megkezdésének napján (0. nap) végeztük. A feldolgozás két eltérő időszakban történt a kísérlet során. Az embriók egy részéből a keltetés 2. és 3. napján tartós preparátumot készítettünk a korai fejlődési stádium vizsgálatára. A többi tojást a kelés előtt két nappal, a keltetés 19. napján dolgoztuk fel az alábbiak alapján: 1. szövettani feldolgozás céljára mintát vettünk a májból és a hosszú nyakizomból; 2. az embriók csontvázrendszerében az esetlegesen előforduló fejlődési rendellenességek kimutatására festési eljárást alkalmaztunk; 3. FTIR és FT-Raman spektroszkópiai módszerekkel történő feldolgozás céljára szövettani mintát vettünk a májból és az agyvelőből. A szövettani feldolgozás során anyaghatásra utaló elváltozást nem tapasztaltunk egyik kezelési módnál sem. A korai fejlődési stádium vizsgálatakor az injektálásos kezelésben a legtöbb anomáliát a Stomp 330 EC eredményezte. A bemerítéses eljárásnál a rendellenességek azonos számban jelentkeztek mindhárom peszticid esetében. Az elváltozások a vérgyűrű megjelenése, az érhálózat, valamint a test fejlődésbeli elmaradása voltak. Az általunk alkalmazott csontvázfestési eljárás a Stomp 330 EC-vel, illetve a desztillált vízzel kezelt csoportban mutatott ki nagyobb számú fejlődési rendellenességet az injektált csoportban. A bemerítésnél a Dual Gold 960 EC eredményezte a fejlődési eltérések legnagyobb arányát; melyek hibás láb, enyhén görbült nyak és növekedési retardáció voltak. FTIR és FT-Raman spektroszkópiai módszerekkel történt előzetes feldolgozás után elmondható, hogy a Dual Gold 960 EC típusú növényvédő szer molekuláris szinten elváltozásokat okozott a csirke embriók máj, illetve agy szövetében

Teratogenicity testing of BI 58 EC (38% dimethoate) in chicken embryos with special respect to degradation of the active ingredient

The insecticide formulation BI 58 EC was tested for teratogenicity in chicken embryos, with particular reference to degradation of the active ingredient (dimethoate) after the treatment of embryonated eggs. The pesticide was diluted in water to a concentration level of 0.8%, and the emulsion was injected into the air space in a volume of 0.1 ml/egg, or hen’s eggs were treated by the immersion technique. Residues of dimethoate were measured in the samples on days 13, 15 and 19 of the incubation of chicken embryos, and morphological examinations were performed simultaneously. Analytical chemistry data indicated a slower degradation of dimethoate in embryos after the immersion of eggs, and cyllosis was remarkable in this group among the sporadic developmental anomalies. The liver tissues ofboth treated groups exhibited severe fatty infiltration

Model field study of Sumithion 50 EC and Fusilade S on pheasants

Toxicological studies on wild animals play an important role in the ecotoxicological examination of pesticides. The applied model tests enable the assessment of toxicological consequences with particular regard to the life and nutrition of wild animals in the ploughed field among plants treated with pesticides. The application of different pesticide formulations on plough-land may pose a simultaneous chemical burden to wild birds. In this model study, manifestations of the interaction between an insecticide and a herbicide were studied in pheasants. The birds were placed on lucerne in cages (48 m2) and sprayed once. The applied doses were: Sumithion 50 EC 1 litre/ha + Fusilade S 6 litres/ha (practical doses) and Sumithion 50 EC 5 litres/ha + Fusilade S 30 litres/ha. The analytically determined pesticide concentration of the lucerne was taken as a basis in the further treatment of fodder. The fodder of pheasants contained the following chemicals: 85 mg/kg Sumithion 50 EC + 510 mg/kg Fusilade S and 425 mg/kg Sumithion 50 EC + 2250 mg/kg Fusilade S. Sporadic deaths observed among the pheasants were of traumatic origin and not due to a toxic effect. The decrease of body weight was significant only at the higher dose levels. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of the blood decreased significantly in both dose groups. On the basis of the results obtained it can be established that at the dose level used in the practice the pesticides studied do not give rise to a toxic interaction in pheasants

Interaction of Dithane M-45 (Mancozeb) and lead acetate during a teratogenicity test in rats

The teratogenic effects of lead acetate (Trial 1) and the possible teratogenic effect of this compound administered in combination with a fungicide containing 80% mancozeb (Trial 2) were studied in rats. The test substances were administered by gavage on Days 6-15 of gestation. In Trial 1, five groups were treated with lead acetate administered at doses of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 10.0 and 1000.0 mg/kg body weight (bwkg), respectively. In Trial 2, lead acetate was applied at doses of 0.1, 10.0 and 1000.0 mg/bwkg, respectively. In the latter case the dose of the pesticide was 750 mg/bwkg in all treated groups. Lead acetate was not teratogenic after a single administration. Combined administration of lead acetate and mancozeb gave rise to the following toxic effects: average maternal weight decreased during pregnancy, the ratio of live fetuses decreased after the two lowest doses, and fetal mortality increased in the lowest and in the highest dose groups. The ratio of fetal resorption was higher in all the treated groups than in the control group. A significant decrease occurred in average fetal and placental weight in each treated group as compared to the control. Maternal toxicity was expressed in paralysis of the hindlimbs in the two lowest dose groups. Maternal mortality was between 16.7 and 23.3% at the three dose levels. Phocomelia and hernia cerebri occurred as characteristic fetal developmental anomalies in all the treated groups. It is concluded that the joint administration of lead acetate and a mancozeb-containing fungicide can cause maternal toxicity, embryotoxicity and characteristic teratogenic effects

Embryonic toxicity of insecticide Sumithion 50 EC and herbicide Fusilade S in pheasants after individual or combined administration

The purpose of this work was to determine the individual and combined effects of insecticide Sumithion 50 EC (50% fenitrothion) and herbicide Fusilade S (12.5% fluazifop-P-butyl) on the development of pheasant embryos. Eggs were treated by injection of various concentrations of pesticides into the air space on day 12 of incubation. Pathological examination of embryos was carried out on day 23 of the hatching period. Mortality rate, body weight data and morphological alterations were evaluated after the macroscopic examination. The skeletal staining method was used to detect deformities. The two pesticides used in combination moderated the toxic/teratogenic effects of individual treatment

A tüszőfolyadék biomarkereinek vizsgálata in vitro fertilizációs kezelésben részesült betegekben

Összefoglaló. A szerzők ismertetik vizsgálataik eredményeit, melyeket a közelmúltban az in vitro fertilizációs kezelésben részesülő betegeikben a tüszőfolyadék biomarkereinek analízisével értek el. A vizsgálatok célja annak feltárása volt, hogy az in vitro fertilizációs eljárás során a petesejtek aspirációjakor nyert tüszőfolyadék-biomarkerek lokális/ovarialis vagy szisztémás eredetűek, és milyen összefüggést mutatnak az in vitro fertilizáció eredményességét jelző paraméterekkel. Megerősítettük, hogy az autokrin/parakrin szerotoninrendszer már a fejlődés legkorábbi időszakában is működőképes, és mind az anyai szérum, mind a tüszőfolyadék szerotoninszintje szignifikáns pozitív összefüggést mutatott az érett petesejtek számával és a klinikai terhességgel (β = 0,447, p = 0,015, illetve β = 0,443, p = 0,016). Az agyi eredetű neurotrofikus faktor (BDNF) esetében ilyen kapcsolat nem volt igazolható, de a tüszőfolyadék BDNF- és szerotoninszintjei közötti pozitív korreláció (r = 0,377, p = 0,040) azt mutatja, hogy a két neurohormon 'feed-forward' (előrecsatoló ) szabályozása ovarialis szinten is működik. A hypothalamicus kisspeptin esetében csupán a posztstimulációs anyai szérumhormonszint befolyásolta az érett petesejtek számát (β = 0,398, p = 0,029). A triptofán-kinurenin-szerotonin rendszer elemzése azt mutatta, hogy kedvezőbb in vitro fertilizációs kimenetel várható, ha a szerotonin-kinurenin egyensúly a szerotonin javára tolódik el. Az oxidatívstressz-markerek közül vizsgálták a DNS-károsodás biomarkerét, a 8-hidroxi-2'-deoxiguanozin és a totális antioxidáns-kapacitás szérum- és tüszőfolyadékszintjeit, és megállapították, hogy mindkét marker kedvezőtlenül befolyásolja az életképes embriók számát (r = 0,302, p = 0,027 és r = 0,268, p = 0,039). A protektív hatású szirtuinok - nikotinamid-adenin-dinukleotid-függő hiszton-deacetiláz fehérjék - közül a vizsgált szirtuin-1 és szirtuin-6 a szérumszintektől függetlenül kimutatható a tüszőfolyadékban. Szignifikáns pozitív korreláció van a tüszőfolyadék-szirtuin-6 és az érettpetesejt-szám (F = 6,609, p = 0,016), valamint a szérum-szirtuin-1 (F = 10,008, p = 0,005) és a szérum-szirtuin-6 (F = 5,268, p = 0,031) és a klinikai terhesség gyakorisága között. Eredményeink alapján megállapítható, hogy a tüszőfolyadék biomarkereinek vizsgálata javíthatja az in vitro fertilizáció kimenetelének megítélését. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(14): 523-529. Summary. This article outlines the result of recent studies on several follicular fluid biomarkers in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. The aim of these studies was to investigate whether 1) the follicular fluid biomarkers in question are produced locally by the ovaries or they originate from the circulating plasma, 2) and to establish their association with parameters of in vitro fertilization outcome. It was confirmed that the autocrine/paracrine serotonin system is functional already at the earliest stage of development and both maternal serum and follicular fluid serotonin levels were positively related to the number of mature oocytes (β = 0.447, p = 0.015 and β = 0.443, p = 0.016, respectively) and clinical pregnancy (β = 1.028, p = 0.047). Such associations for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) could not be found, but BDNF and serotonin in the follicular fluid were closely related (r = 0.377, p<0.040) suggesting that the feed-forward regulation of these neurohormones is activated at ovarian level. The hypothalamic kisspeptin in the post-stimulation maternal serum also increased the number of mature oocytes (β = 0.398, p = 0.029). Analysis of the tryptophan-kynurenine-serotonin system showed a more favourable in vitro fertilization outcome when the serotonin-kynurenine balance was shifted and serotonin predominated over kynurenine. The oxidative stress markers, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, an indicator of DNA damage and the total antioxidant capacity in follicular fluid and maternal serum had negative impact on the number of viable embryos (r = 0.302, p = 0.027 and r = 0.268, p = 0.039), respectively. The protective sirtuins - the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent histone deacetylase proteins - could be detected in follicular fluid irrespective of their maternal serum levels. Significant positive relationship was demonstrated between follicular fluid sirtuin 6 and mature oocytes (F = 6.609, p = 0.016) as well as between serum sirtuin 1 (F = 10.008, p = 0.005) and serum sirtuin 6 (F = 5.268, p = 0.031) and the rate of clinical pregnancy, respectively. On the basis of these results, it can be concluded that measuring several follicular fluid biomarkers may improve the prediction of the outcome of in vitro fertilization. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(14): 523-529

Large scale smart meter data assessment for energy benchmarking and occupant behaviour profile development

This paper will present objectives and first results of the research project entitled “Large Scale Smart Meter Data Assessment for Energy Benchmarking and Occupant Behaviour Profile Development of Building Clusters,” implemented in the geographical scope of Hungary. The project seeks to utilize a new and unique opportunity for accessing and processing an enormous dataset collected by smart meters. Recently in Hungary, nearly 10 000 buildings have been equipped with smart meters within the “Central Smart Grid Pilot Project”. By means of advanced data analysis techniques, consumption trends and motivations of building users are being investigated. The aims are to help building designers and engineers design more energy efficient buildings at lower investment costs by avoiding system oversizing, and to obtain better knowledge about hourly, daily and monthly energy consumption trends. Furthermore, standard net demand values for normative energy calculations can be updated and specified more precisely since consumption habits change with time and depend on the region