Root uptake and metabolization of Alternaria toxins by winter wheat plants using a hydroponic system

Fungi of the genus Alternaria are ubiquitous in the environment. Their mycotoxins can leach out of contaminated plants or crop debris into the soil entering the plant via the roots. We aim to evaluate the importance of this entry pathway and its contribution to the overall content of Alternaria toxins (ATs) in wheat plants to better understand the soil–plant-phytopathogen system. A hydroponic cultivation system was established and wheat plants were cultivated for up to two weeks under optimal climate conditions. One half of the plants was treated with a nutrient solution spiked with alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), and tenuazonic acid (TeA), whereas the other half of the plants was cultivated without mycotoxins. Plants were harvested after 1 and 2 weeks and analyzed using a QuEChERS-based extraction and an in-house validated LC–MS/MS method for quantification of the ATs in roots, crowns, and leaves separately. ATs were taken up by the roots and transported throughout the plant up to the leaves after 1 as well as 2 weeks of cultivation with the roots showing the highest ATs levels followed by the crowns and the leaves. In addition, numerous AOH and AME conjugates like glucosides, malonyl glucosides, sulfates, and di/trihexosides were detected in different plant compartments and identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry. This is the first study demonstrating the uptake of ATs in vivo using a hydroponic system and whole wheat plants examining both the distribution of ATs within the plant compartments and the modification of ATs by the wheat plants

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

Entwicklung und Validierung eines Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) für die Quantifizierung von Carbamazepin in Abwasser, Oberflächenwasser und Trinkwasser

Ein kompetitiver ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) für den Nachweis von Carbamazepin (CBZ) mit einer Bestimmungsgrenze von ca. 30 ng/L wurde entwickelt und validiert. Dieser in Gewässern häufig auftretende anthropogene Marker wurde anschließend in einer Vielzahl an Proben aus Abwässern, Oberflächengewässern und Trinkwässern nachgewiesen. Der ELISA zeigte eine exzellente Präzision und erbrachte in allen Matrizes geringfügig höhere Analysenergebnisse als die Referenzmethode HPLC-MS/MS. Die beständige Überbestimmung der CBZ-Konzentration in Höhe von ca. 7 % konnte auf die Präsenz von Cetirizin und geringen Mengen des persistenten Metaboliten 10,11 Epoxy¬carbamazepin (EP-CBZ) zurückgeführt werden. Die Bindungseigenschaften des verwendeten Antikörpers wurden anhand der Kreuz¬reaktivi¬täten von 37 Substanzen eingehend untersucht. Nach Kopplung von Flüssig¬chromato¬graphie und ELISA konnte das strukturell nicht mit CBZ verwandte Anti¬histaminikum Cetirizin als Kreuzreaktand identifiziert werden. Der störende Einfluss dieses Kreuz¬reaktanden auf den CBZ-ELISA konnte nach einer Änderung des pH-Wertes im Proben¬puffer minimiert werden. Die pH-abhängige Selektivitätssteuerung ermöglichte überdies die Entwicklung eines Dual-Analyt-Immunoassays für die parallele Bestimmung von CBZ und Cetirizin. Darüber hinaus wurden die Metaboliten EP-CBZ, DiOH-CBZ, 2-OH-CBZ, 3-OH-CBZ und 10 OH-CBZ in Abwasser, Oberflächenwasser und Trinkwasser quantifiziert. DiOH-CBZ erwies sich als ähnlich persistent wie CBZ und wurde in besonders hohen Konzentrationen gefunden. Außerdem wurden mehrere weitere bislang nicht identifizierte Abbauprodukte von CBZ gefunden. Da weder Probenvorbereitung noch Probenanreicherung erforderlich sind, ist der Test schnell und kostengünstig durchführbar. Die für den Test nötigen Probenvolumen sind mit weniger als 1 mL sehr gering. Diese Eigenschaften erlauben ein Hochdurchsatzscreening und machen die Methode interessant für den Einsatz im Gewässermonitoring.A competitive ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) for the quantitation of carbamazepine (CBZ) was developed and validated. A limit of quantitation (LOQ) of ca. 30 ng/L allowed for the quantitation of CBZ in many samples from wastewater, surface water and drinking water. The method was found to be excellently precise, but it displayed slightly higher results than obtained by the reference method liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The nearly constant overestimation of 7 % could be attributed to the presence of small amounts of cetirizine and the persistent metabolite 10,11 epoxy¬carbamazepine (EP-CBZ). The binding properties of the antibody were studied by determining the cross-reactivities of 37 compounds. Hyphenating liquid chromatography to ELISA led to the discovery of the cross-reactive antihistamine cetirizine that shares no obvious structural similarity with CBZ. The bias caused by cetirizine was eliminated by changing the pH value of the sample buffer. Moreover, the antibody’s pH-dependent selectivity enabled a dual-analyte immunoassay for the parallel determination of CBZ and cetirizine. Furthermore, the metabolites EP-CBZ, DiOH-CBZ, 2-OH-CBZ, 3-OH-CBZ and 10-OH-CBZ were quantified in wastewater, surface water and drinking water. DiOH-CBZ showed the highest concentrations of all analaytes investigated and was found to be equally persistent as CBZ. In addition, several further degradation products of CBZ were found that could not be identified. The ELISA allowed the detection of diurnal and seasonal fluctuations of analyte concentrations in wastewater and surface water. The anthropogenic marker CBZ enabled to trace wastewater from the source to the receiving waters. Since neither sample pretreatment nor enrichment is necessary, the method is very fast and cost-effective. Only a small sample volume (less than 1 mL) is needed making this ELISA an appropriate high-throughput screening tool for environmental monitoring

Materialien zur Scenario-Technik

Available from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel C 159678 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Application of an ELISA to the quantification of carbamazepine in ground, surface and wastewaters and validation with LC-MS/MS

Carbamazepine is a psychiatric pharmaceutical widely detected in aquatic environments. Due to its generalized occurrence and environmental persistence it might be considered as an anthropogenic pollution indicator. In this research, a previously developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), based on a commercial monoclonal antibody, was applied to the quantification of carbamazepine in ground, surface and wastewaters and results were validated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The performance of the applied ELISA methodology was tested in the presence of high concentrations of sodium chloride and dissolved organic matter. The method was not significantly affected by matrix effects, being adequate for the quantification of carbamazepine in environmental samples, even without sample pre-treatment. This method allows the quantification of carbamazepine in the range of 0.03-10 mug L(-1), with a relative error lower than 30%. Due to a pH dependent cross-reactivity with cetirizine, an antihistaminic drug, the assay also enabled the quantification of cetirizine in the samples. The application of the developed method to the quantification of carbamazepine was performed by using environmental samples with very different matrices, collected in the geographical area of Ria de Aveiro, an estuarine system located in the North of Portugal. Carbamazepine was detected in all analyzed wastewater samples and in one surface water with concentrations between 0.1 and 0.7 mug L(-1). Validation with LC-MS/MS revealed that results obtained by ELISA are 2-28% overestimated, which was considered highly satisfactory due to the absence of sample pre-treatments. Copyright 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.FCTSFRH/BD/38075/200

Effect-Directed Analysis of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Agonists in Sediments from the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

The construction of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in the Yangtze River raises great concern in ecotoxicological research since large amounts of pollutants enter the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) water bodies after TGD impoundment. In this work, effect-directed analysis (EDA), combining effect assessment, fractionation procedure, and target and nontarget analyses, was used to characterize aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists in sediments of the TGR. Priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) containing four to five aromatic rings were found to contribute significantly to the overall observed effects in the area of Chongqing. The relatively high potency fractions in the Kaixian area were characterized by PAHs and methylated derivatives thereof and heterocyclic polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) such as dinaphthofurans. Benzothiazole and derivatives were identified as possible AhR agonists in the Kaixian area based on nontarget liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). To our knowledge, this study is the first one applying the EDA approach and identifying potential AhR agonists in TGR

From Submerged Cultures to 3D Cell Culture Models: Evolution of Nasal Epithelial Cells in Asthma Research and Virus Infection

Understanding the response to viral infection in the context of respiratory diseases is of significant importance. Recently, there has been more focus on the role of the nasal epithelium in disease modeling. Here, we provide an overview of different submerged, organotypic 3D and spheroid cell culture models of nasal epithelial cells, which were used to study asthma and allergy with a special focus on virus infection. In detail, this review summarizes the importance, benefits, and disadvantages of patient-derived cell culture models of nasal- and bronchial epithelial cells, including a comparison of these cell culture models and a discussion on why investigators should consider using nasal epithelial cells in their research. Exposure experiments, simple virus transduction analyses as well as genetic studies can be performed in these models, which may provide first insights into the complexity of molecular signatures and may open new doors for drug discovery and biomarker research