Lead-induced oxidative stress and hematological alterations and their response to combined administration of calcium disodium EDTA with a thiol chelator in rats

The therapeutic efficacy of calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (CaNa(2)EDTA) and the two thiol chelators, 2,3-dimercaptopropane 1-sulfonate (DMPS) and monoisoamyl dimercaptosuccinic acid (MiADMSA) was studied, both individually and in combination, in reducing lead concentration in blood and soft tissues and in restoring lead induced altered biochemical variables in rats. Exposure to subacute dose of lead implicated a critical role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in altering the normal values of these variables. Exposure to lead caused a significant inhibition of blood delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), an important enzyme in the haem synthesis pathway and glutathione (GSH) level. These changes were also accompanied by inhibition of ALAD activity in kidney, delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS) activities in liver and changes in platelet counts in whole blood suggesting disturbed haem synthesis pathway. Lead exposure also led to a pronounced depletion of brain GSH contents, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST). Specific activities of membrane-bound enzymes, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), were significantly inhibited on lead exposure. These biochemical changes were correlated with increased uptake of lead in blood and soft tissues. Post lead exposure treatment with MiADMSA in particular provided significant recovery in altered biochemical variables besides significant depletion of tissue lead burden. Treatment with CaNa(2)EDTA and DMPS individually had only moderate beneficial effects on tissue oxidative stress, although they were equally effective in the removal of tissue lead burden. Tissue zinc and copper levels did not depict any significant depletion, although changes like marked depletion of zinc following CaNa(2)EDTA and copper after MiADMSA administration were of some concern. Combined administration of CaNa(2)EDTA, particularly with MiADMSA, was the most effective treatment protocol compared to all other treatments. It can be concluded from our present results that combined therapy with CaNa(2)EDTA and MiADMSA proved significantly better in restoring biochemical and clinical variables over monotherapy with these chelating agents against subacute lead exposure in adult rats.     

Amendment Optimization to Enhance Lead Extractability from Contaminated Soils for Phytoremediation

Eight lead-contaminated soils and one background soil artificially contaminated with several lead compounds were examined to determine the factors that limit lead extractability and thus plant availability during phytoremediation, as lead must be in soluble form for plant uptake to occur. The effect of the chemical form of the lead as well as the association of the lead among the different soil chemical fractions on lead extractability was specifically addressed. Results indicate that all the added lead forms tested except PbCrO₄ were readily extracted and believed to be available for plant uptake, operationally defined as EDTA-extractable lead, as EDTA is the primary soil amendment for phytoremediation of lead-contaminated soils. Sequential extraction of the eight lead-contaminated soils that previously had been extracted with EDTA shows that the EDTA-extractable or plant available lead corresponds to mainly the exchangeable and carbonate fractions of each soil. Lead associated with oxide, organic, and residual fractions were less effectively targeted and solubilized by EDTA and therefore are not as readily available for plant uptake. Attempts to increase the available pool of soluble lead included the combination of EDTA with organic acids, reducing agents, and surfactants. Results from these studies indicate that high concentrations or extremely low pH conditions are required to enhance the plant available pool of lead by the organic acids and reducing agents. Surfactants, particularly caprylic acid in combination with 0.25 mM EDTA, were shown to be as effective as 0.50 mM EDTA alone. An amendment formulation combining less EDTA with surfactants is attractive for phytoremediation because of the biodegradability and cost concerns commonly associated with using larger amounts of EDTA.     

Antioxidant Activities of Aqueous Extract from Cultivated Fruit-bodies of Cordyceps militaris （L.） Link In Vitro

Biological antloxldants extracted from plants and fungi have potential abilities to scavenge free radicals and Inhibit lipid peroxldatlon, playing Important roles in preventing diseases, for example, cancer, and aging Induced by reactive oxygen species, which may cause oxidative damage to DNA, proteins and other macromolecules. The antloxldant potency of cultivated fruit-bodies of Cordyceps militarls （L.） Link was investigated In this study. Five established In vitro systems were employed, including the 1,1-dlphenyl-2- plcryldrazyl （DPPH） free radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical eliminating, iron chelating, Inhibition of Ilnolelc acid lipid peroxldatlon and reducing power. The aqueous extract from cultivated fruit-bodies was subjected to the test of amino acid, polysaccharlde and mannitol. Ascorblc acid （Vc）, butylated hydroxytoluene （BHT） and ethylenedlamlnetetraacetlc acid （EDTA） were used as positive controls for comparisons. Among the assays, the aqueous extract of C. mllltarls frult-bodles shows a significant scavenging effect on DPPH, eliminating the capability on hydroxyl radicals and the chelating effect on ferrous Iron. The extract also shows positive results of Inhibiting Ilnoleic acid lipid peroxldatlon and reducing power.     

trans-1,2-Diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid is superior to ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid for sequestering Mg2+ in 31P NMR experiments involving ATP spectra at neutral and acidic pH

The use of ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) to sequester Mg2+ from samples containing ATP at acidic or neutral pH prior to 31P NMR spectroscopic analysis leads to significant broadening of the gamma- and beta-phosphorus resonances of ATP as compared to ATP alone. It was found that the use of trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (CDTA) reduces the broadening of the ATP resonances. At pH 7.0, 30 mM EDTA in the presence of 5 mM ATP and 7 mM Mg2+ leads to a threefold increase in the peak width of the gamma phosphorus of ATP as compared to 5 mM ATP alone. When 30 mM CDTA is used in the place of EDTA, the peak width decreased to about 80% of the peak width of ATP alone. When the experiment is repeated at pH 8.5, both EDTA and CDTA lead to narrow peak widths with no significant difference between the two spectra. At pH 6.0, the use of EDTA leads to a spectrum that is very noisy, with a 10-fold increase in the peak width as compared to ATP in the absence of Mg2+ at this pH, whereas the increase with CDTA is only 50%. These results do not reflect the difference in chelating strength between EDTA and CDTA: The free Mg2+ concentration in the presence of each chelator, as calculated by the computer program given in the Appendix, was nearly equal at each pH. The results, however, reflect a difference in the lability of the metal-ligand bond between EDTA and CDTA.     

Simultaneous Desorption and Desorption Kinetics of Phenanthrene,Anthracene, and Heavy Metals from Kaolinite with Different Organic Matter Content

Soils contaminated simultaneously with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals pose major threat to human health and environment by getting released from soil into water environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate simultaneous desorption and desorption kinetics of PAHs (phenanthrene and anthracene) and heavy metals (lead, nickel, and zinc) from artificially contaminated kaolinite soils with different organic matter content. Batch desorption tests were conducted using single and combined enhancing agents containing Triton X-100 and Tween 80 as non-ionic surfactants, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a chelating agent, and citric acid as an organic acid. The solution with the highest removal efficiency was the combined solution of Triton X-100 (10% w/w) + EDTA (0.01 M). Removal levels around 92, 46, 92, 95, and 96% were obtained for phenanthrene, anthracene, lead, nickel, and zinc, respectively, by using this combination. Batch desorption kinetics experiments were performed using the mentioned combination. During the first 24 h, desorption kinetics were rapid, followed by a plateau until the end. The data obtained from desorption kinetics experiments were fitted with four kinetics models: pseudo-second-order equation, empirical power function, elovich, and parabolic diffusion. The correlation coefficient of the pseudo-second-order equation was higher than that of other functions. Moreover, batch experiments have showed inverse correlations between removal efficiency and organic matter content of soil.     

Metabolic engineering of Amycolatopsis japonicum for optimized production of [S,S]-EDDS,a biodegradable chelator

The actinomycete Amycolatopsis japonicum is the producer of the chelating compound [S,S]-ethylenediamine-disuccinc acid (EDDS). [S,S]-EDDS is an isomer of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA), an economically important chelating compound that suffers from an extremely poor degradability. Frequent use of the persistent EDTA in various industrial and domestic applications has caused an accumulation of EDTA in soil as well as in aqueous environments. As a consequence, EDTA is the highest concentrated anthropogenic compound present in water reservoirs. The [S,S]-form of EDDS has chelating properties similar to EDTA, however, in contrast to EDTA it is readily biodegradable. In order to compete with the cost-effective chemical synthesis of EDTA, we aimed to optimize the biotechnological production of [S,S]-EDDS in A. japonicum by using metabolic engineering approaches. Firstly, we integrated several copies of the [S,S]-EDDS biosynthetic genes into the chromosome of A. japonicum and replaced the native zinc responsive promoter with the strong synthetic constitutive promoter SP44*. Secondly, we increased the supply of O-phospho-serine, the direct precursor of [S,S]-EDDS. The combination of these approaches together with the optimized fermentation process led to a significant improvement in [S,S]-EDDS up to 9.8 g/L with a production rate of 4.3 mg/h/g DCW.     

Chelation in metal intoxication XVIII: Combined effects of thiamine and calcium disodium versenate on lead toxicity

Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Ca-Na2EDTA; Versenate) was more effective than thiamine (vitamin B1) in enhancing the urinary excretion of lead, reducing tissue lead and restoring lead induced biochemical alterations in rats. However, the combination of CaNa2EDTA and vitamin B1 enhanced the beneficial effect of CaNa2EDTA in lead intoxication and was particularly effective in reducing the brain concentration of lead.     

EDTA chelation effects on urinary losses of cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, magnesium, and zinc

The efficacy of a chelating agent in binding a given metal in a biological system depends on the binding constants of the chelator for the particular metals in the system, the concentration of the metals, and the presence and concentrations of other ligands competing for the metals in question. In this study, we make a comparison of the in vitro binding constants for the chelator, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, with the quantitative urinary excretion of the metals measured before and after EDTA infusion in 16 patients. There were significant increases in lead, zinc, cadmium, and calcium, and these increases roughly corresponded to the expected relative increases predicted by the EDTA-metal-binding constants as measured in vitro. There were no significant increases in urinary cobalt, chromium, or copper as a result of EDTA infusion. The actual increase in cobalt could be entirely attributed to the cobalt content of the cyanocobalamin that was added to the infusion. Although copper did increase in the post-EDTA specimens, the increase was not statistically significant. In the case of magnesium, there was a net retention of approximately 85% following chelation. These data demonstrate that EDTA chelation therapy results in significantly increased urinary losses of lead, zinc, cadmium, and calcium following EDTA chelation therapy. There were no significant changes in cobalt, chromium, or copper and a retention of magnesium. These effects are likely to have significant effects on nutrient concentrations and interactions and partially explain the clinical improvements seen in patients undergoing EDTA chelation therapy.     

Comparison of organic and inorganic amendments for enhancing soil lead phytoextraction by wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Phytoextraction has received increasing attention as a promising, cost-effective alternative to conventional engineering-based remediation methods for metal contaminated soils. In order to enhance the phytoremediative ability of green plants chelating agents are commonly used. Our study aims to evaluate whether, citric acid (CA) or elemental sulfur (S) should be used as an alternative to the ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)for chemically enhanced phytoextraction. Results showed that EDTA was more efficient than CA and S in solubilizing lead (Pb) from the soil. The application of EDTA and S increased the shoot biomass of wheat. However, application of CA at higher rates (30 mmol kg(-1)) resulted in significantly lower wheat biomass. Photosynthesis and transpiration rates increased with EDTA and S application, whereas these parameters were decreased with the application of CA. Elemental sulfur was ineffective for enhancing the concentration of Pb in wheat shoots. Although CA did not increase the Pb solubility measured at the end of experiment, however, it was more effective than EDTA in enhancing the concentration of Pb in the shoots of Triticum aestivum L. It was assumed that increase in Mn concentration to toxic levels in soil with CA addition might have resulted in unusual Pb concentration in wheat plants. The results of the present study suggest that under the conditions used in this experiment, CA at the highest dose was the best amendment for enhanced phytoextraction of Pb using wheat compared to either EDTA or S.     

Dissociation by Chelating Agents and Substructure of the Thermophilic Bacteriophage TP84

The thermophilic bacteriophage TP84 is dissociated into its head, tail, and released deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by chelating agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and phosphate. The phage is more sensitive to EDTA than to phosphate, and dialysis against either agent causes more effective dissociation than standing in their presence. The tail possesses a knobbed structure which is inserted into the head of the intact phage and to which the DNA appears to be attached. The method of dissociating TP84 described in this paper provides a source of undamaged structural components and intact strands of DNA for subsequent investigations. A possible mechanism of chelate inactivation is discussed.     

Evaluation of chelating compounds and carbofuran for inhibiting nitrification in soils

Summary Studies to evaluate 5 chelating compounds NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid), EDTA (ethylene diaminetetra acetic acid), tartaric acid, citric acid, thiourea and an insecticide, carbofuran as inhibitors of nitrifucation in a sandy loam (pH 7.7) at 10 and 50 ppm concentrations showed that except thiourea and carbofuran they had no appreciable effect on nitrification. Even thiourea and carbofuran were moderately effective at higher concentrations in retarding nitrification in soil at the most upto 3 weeks. The results of the study suggest that all the chelating compounds may not necessarily be inhibitors of nitrification process in soils as commonly believed and that carbofuran may have little effect on nitrification in soils with pH in the alkaline range under normal application rates.     

Synthesis of a new chelating gel: removal of Ca2+ ions from parvalbumin

The synthesis of a chelating gel which contains the effective metal chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid covalently linked to amino-agarose is described. This gel is shown to be a rapid and extremely effective material for the removal of tightly bound, but labile metal ions from proteins without introducing contaminants into the biological system. The synthesis involves the formation of an amide linkage between the dangling carboxylate arm of the [Co(EDTA)Cl]2-complex and amino-agarose using a standard carbodiimide coupling reaction. The chelating gel is shown to remove approximately 98.5% of the calcium from fully bound Ca2-parvalbumin and over 99% of the europium from Eu2-parvalbumin.     

Effect of EDTA and Tannic Acid on the Removal of Cd,Ni, Pb and Cu from Artificially Contaminated Soil by Althaea rosea Cavan

In this study an ornamental plant of Althaea rosea Cavan was investigated for its potential use in the removal of Cd, Ni, Pb and Cu from an artificially contaminated soil. Effect of two different chelating agents on the removal has also been studied by using EDTA (ethylenediaminetetracetic acid) and TA (tannic acid). Both EDTA and TA have led to higher heavy metal concentration in shoots and leaves compared to control plants. However EDTA is generally known as an effective agent in metal solubilisation of soil, in this study, TA was found more effective to induce metal accumulation in Althaea rosea Cavan under the studied conditions. In addition to this, EDTA is toxic to some species and restraining the growth of the plants. The higher BCF (Bio Concentration Factor) and TF (Translocation Factor) values obtained from stems and leaves by the effects of the chemical enhancers (EDTA and TA) show that Althaea rosea Cavan is a hyper accumulator for the studied metals and may be cultivated to clean the contaminated soils.     

Extraction,Recovery, and Biostability of EDTA for Remediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil

Chelation removal of heavy metals from contaminated soil is seen as a viable remediation technique. A useful chelating agent should be strong, reusable, and biostable during metal extraction and recovery operations. This work tested the extraction, recovery, and biostability of EDTA as a potential remediating agent. Parameters, including EDTA concentration, soil type, soil content, washing cycle, precipitant concentration and type, and pH, were varied and tested during metal extraction and recovery operations. Factors, including EDTA concentration, aqueous and 5% soil slurry, presence of Pb, acclimated and unacclimated activated sludges, along with abiotic control, were varied and studied in the biodegradation of EDTA. The results showed that EDTA was able to extract lead completely from the tested soils, amenable to recovery by addition of cationic and anionic precipitants in the alkaline pH range, relatively biostable even under conditions very favorable toward biodegradation. Thus, EDTA is a strong, recoverable, and relatively biostable chelating agent that has potential for soil remediation application.     

Metal-ion effects on proteolysis and stability in secondary lysosomes of mouse kidney

In previous studies, in vitro digestion of [^{1 2 5}I] ribonuclease by lysosomes of mouse kidney was limited because breakdown, which was rapid at first slowed markedly so that most of the labeled protein escaped degradation. We now describe incubation conditions which allow digestion to proceed until approximately 70% of the exogenous protein label is released in acid-soluble from, after 30–45 min at 37°C. Such activity is seen with either the addition of EDTA or incubation of concentrated cell particle suspensions. EDTA is effective in low concentrations and shows the same stimulation of digestion over a range of approximately 10⁻⁶−10⁻³ M. Other chelating agents have similar effects; dipyridyl and hydroxquinoline are as effective as EDTA, o-phenanthroline and diethyldithiocarbamate are slightly less effective. When the incubation medium had been treated with a chelating resin, Chelex 100, dilute suspensions of lysosomes were as active as those in EDTA. These results lead to the conclusion that metal ions, present as contaminants in very small concentraions, inhibit the activity of mouse kidney lysosomes.The effect of the metal ions is to diminish lysosomal stability, leading to release of intact labeled ribonuclease in non-sedimentable form. Interaction between lysosomes and metal, leading to inhibition of digestion upon heating occurs at low temperature, but breakdown requires incubation at 37°C and may be autolytic. In contrast to chelators, mercaptoethanol is without marked effect on stability; the stimulation in digestion rate caused by this agent is due either to a direct effect on the lysosomal enzymes or to a non-destructive influence on the lysosomal structure.     

Further studies of swarmer cell differentiation of Proteus mirabilis PM23: a requirement for iron and zinc

Proteus mirabilis PM23, unlike other motile strains of the species, differentiates in rich fluid media to form nonseptate filaments resembling the swarmer cells formed on solid media. The swarming activity of PM23 is greater than that of the other strains on solid media and it grows faster than another strain, IM47, in differentiation-supporting broth. This faster growth is not exhibited in broth that does not support differentiation. The differentiation of PM23 in brain-heart infusion broth occurs over a wide range of pH and temperature. Inhibitors of swarming on agar plates (p-nitrophenylglycerol and boric acid) and three chelating agents (EDTA, sodium cyanide, and sodium diethyldithiocarbamate) stop differentiation both on plates and in brain-heart infusion broth; however, EGTA is not effective even at 10 mM (10 times the minimum inhibitory concentration of EDTA). The inhibitory mechanisms of p-nitrophenylglycerol and boric acid are different from that of the chelating agents. The timing of EDTA inhibition suggests generation of a "signal" to differentiate after about 2 h growth. Prevention of differentiation by addition of Fe2+ and Zn2+ up to near the time that differentiation should appear suggests that these cations have a crucial involvement in the process of initiation. However, they are not effective as additives in allowing differentiation to occur in defined media or even nutrient broth; the further addition of nucleotides or cAMP was equally ineffective.     

Protective effect of oxygen-derived free radical scavengers on the endothelium in vivo

The endothelo-protective activity of a series of low-molecular oxygen-derived free radical scavengers (OFRS) was tested in rats. A model of endothelaemia provoked by intravenous administration of hydrogen peroxide was used. With each OFRS the activity in the hydrogen peroxide model was compared with that in the less specific model using the provocation by citrate as a calcium chelating agent. Relatively unspecific but biologically important OFRS, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, troxerutin and glutathione were tested in the first phase of the study. A marked optimum of endothelo-protective activity was shown with all agents, the optimum against hydrogen peroxide having been observed at doses from 3 to 50 times lower than against citrate. Ascorbic acid, troxerutin and the combination of both were also tested in another model based on leg ischaemia produced by ligature of the common femoral artery. Without OFRS, a marked increase of endothelaemia was observed after 30-60 min ischaemia showing a second peak after the release of the ligature. This second peak was completely abolished by the preventive administration of OFRS in a dose which was also effective in the hydrogen peroxide model.     

Proteolytic activity within lysosomes and turnover of pinocytic vesicles a kinetic analysis

In previous studies, in vitro digestion of [^{1 2 5}I] ribonuclease by lysosomes of mouse kidney was limited because breakdown, which was rapid at first slowed markedly so that most of the labeled protein escaped degradation. We now describe incubation conditions which allow digestion to proceed until approximately 70% of the exogenous protein label is released in acid-soluble from, after 30–45 min at 37°C. Such activity is seen with either the addition of EDTA or incubation of concentrated cell particle suspensions. EDTA is effective in low concentrations and shows the same stimulation of digestion over a range of approximately 10⁻⁶−10⁻³ M. Other chelating agents have similar effects; dipyridyl and hydroxquinoline are as effective as EDTA, o-phenanthroline and diethyldithiocarbamate are slightly less effective. When the incubation medium had been treated with a chelating resin, Chelex 100, dilute suspensions of lysosomes were as active as those in EDTA. These results lead to the conclusion that metal ions, present as contaminants in very small concentraions, inhibit the activity of mouse kidney lysosomes.The effect of the metal ions is to diminish lysosomal stability, leading to release of intact labeled ribonuclease in non-sedimentable form. Interaction between lysosomes and metal, leading to inhibition of digestion upon heating occurs at low temperature, but breakdown requires incubation at 37°C and may be autolytic. In contrast to chelators, mercaptoethanol is without marked effect on stability; the stimulation in digestion rate caused by this agent is due either to a direct effect on the lysosomal enzymes or to a non-destructive influence on the lysosomal structure.     

Nature of the Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid Requirement for Transformation of Bacillus subtilis with Single-Stranded Deoxyribonucleic Acid

The ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) requirement for transformation of Bacillus subtilis with single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was examined. The results indicate that a chelating agent such as EDTA is a stringent requirement for transformation with single DNA strands only at nonsaturating DNA concentrations, and that EDTA, when required, must be present during several steps in the transformation process and appears to insure the survival of single-stranded DNA by rendering a nuclease in competent populations inactive.     

Effect of biodegradable chelating ligands on Fe uptake in and growth of marine microalgae

Iron (Fe) is an important nutrient for phytoplankton. The low solubility of Fe in oxic waters can be a growth-limiting factor for phytoplankton. Synthetic aminopolycarboxylates (APCs) such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) are widely used as Fe complexing agents for microalgae culture. However, the presence of these non-ready biodegradable APC_S in aquatic systems may have serious environmental consequences. In the present study, the effects of biodegradable chelating ligands (hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid (HIDS), methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA), and iminodisuccinate (IDS)) on Fe uptake in and growth of three coastal microalgae (Heterosigma akashiwo, Prymnesium parvum, and Skeletonema marinoi-dohrnii complex) were investigated, and the results were compared with those of non-ready biodegradable APCs (EDTA, ethylenediamine tetra-methylene phosphonic acid (EDTMP), and DTPA). The biodegradable chelating ligands did not have significant growth inhibition effect on the phytoplankton. Although the growth of the algae (except S. marinoi-dohrnii complex) was not affected substantially by 1.5 and 7.5 μM of DTPA, growth inhibition occurred by 7.5 μM of EDTMP and 150 μM of EDTA, DTPA, and EDTMP. The effect of chelating ligands on microalgal growth was likely to be associated with the intracellular Fe uptake influenced by the chelating ligands. On average, intracellular Fe concentrations for biodegradable chelating ligands were substantially higher than those for non-ready biodegradable APCs. Except H. akashiwo, the ratio of intra/extracellular Fe concentrations was highest for MGDA followed by IDS and HIDS. The results indicate that biodegradable chelating ligands are more efficient than non-ready biodegradable APCs in intracellular Fe uptake and algal growth.