Industrial toxicology of metals of the platinum group

Metals of the platinum group have found important application in technology and industry. Compounds of these metals display a broad spectrum of toxic effects on the organism. In persons dealing with them in the production, they induce allergic occupational diseases of the respiratory passages, dermatoses, affections of the eyes. Their resorptive chronic effect in experiment is characterized by reduction in the body mass of the animals and the content of haemoglobin in the blood, by disturbances of the protein-synthesizing function of the liver, decreased cholinesterase activity in the blood, impaired carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, reduced concentrating capacity of the liver, development of glomerulonephritis. Platinum and platinoids irritate mucous membranes and skin. They penetrate the organism through intact skin. Data on the distribution of the metals in the organs and on their elimination from the organism are reported. Toxicity of the metals of the platinum group is correlated with valence of the compounds and with electron structure. MAC for milling and condensation aerosols of poorly soluble compounds (metal and its oxides) are recommended at 0.1 mg/m3. For aerosols of all soluble compounds of platinum and platinoids, MAC of 0.001 mg/m3 are recommended.     

Anaerobic Microbial Degradation of Polypropylene and Polyvinyl Chloride Samples

Microbiology - Resistance to biodegradation, which is among the most advantageous features of synthetic polymers, is also the reason for their accumulation in the environment and therefore...     

Multiple chromosomal rearrangements in a hybrid zone between Littorina saxatilis ecotypes

Both classical and recent studies suggest that chromosomal inversion polymorphisms are important in adaptation and speciation. However, biases in discovery and reporting of inversions make it difficult to assess their prevalence and biological importance. Here, we use an approach based on linkage disequilibrium among markers genotyped for samples collected across a transect between contrasting habitats to detect chromosomal rearrangements de novo. We report 17 polymorphic rearrangements in a single locality for the coastal marine snail, Littorina saxatilis. Patterns of diversity in the field and of recombination in controlled crosses provide strong evidence that at least the majority of these rearrangements are inversions. Most show clinal changes in frequency between habitats, suggestive of divergent selection, but only one appears to be fixed for different arrangements in the two habitats. Consistent with widespread evidence for balancing selection on inversion polymorphisms, we argue that a combination of heterosis and divergent selection can explain the observed patterns and should be considered in other systems spanning environmental gradients.     

Genetic and morphological divergence between Littorina fabalis ecotypes in Northern Europe

Low dispersal marine intertidal species facing strong divergent selective pressures associated with steep environmental gradients have a great potential to inform us about local adaptation and reproductive isolation. Among these, gastropods of the genus Littorina offer a unique system to study parallel phenotypic divergence resulting from adaptation to different habitats related with wave exposure. In this study, we focused on two Littorina fabalis ecotypes from Northern European shores and compared patterns of habitat‐related phenotypic and genetic divergence across three different geographic levels (local, regional and global). Geometric morphometric analyses revealed that individuals from habitats moderately exposed to waves usually present a larger shell size with a wider aperture than those from sheltered habitats. The phenotypic clustering of L. fabalis by habitat across most locations (mainly in terms of shell size) support an important role of ecology in morphological divergence. A genome scan based on amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) revealed a heterogeneous pattern of differentiation across the genome between populations from the two different habitats, suggesting ecotype divergence in the presence of gene flow. The contrasting patterns of genetic structure between nonoutlier and outlier loci, and the decreased sharing of outlier loci with geographic distance among locations are compatible with parallel evolution of phenotypic divergence, with an important contribution of gene flow and/or ancestral variation. In the future, model‐based inference studies based on sequence data across the entire genome will help unravelling these evolutionary hypotheses, improving our knowledge about adaptation and its influence on diversification within the marine realm.     

Neuropeptide Organization of the Nociceptive and Antinociceptive Brain Systems in the Cat

Using radioimmune techniques, we studied in detail the concentrations of -endorphin (-En), met- and leu-enkephalins (mE and lE, respectively), and substance P (SP) in a number of structures of the brainstem and forebrain of the cat. According to the proposed concept, these structures comprise the noci- and antinociceptive brain systems (NS and ANS). The above indices were measured in intact animals and in animals after nociceptive electrocutaneous stimulation (NECS) of the limb, stimulation of the ventrolateral zone of the midbrain central gray (vl SGC, a nociceptive midbrain structure), stimulation of the dorsolateral part of the above region and dorsal raphe nucleus (dl SGC and Rd, antinociceptive midbrain structures), and after combined stimulations (NECS preceded by conditioning stimulation of one of the above midbrain zones). We found that in the norm maximum SP concentrations were observed in the NS structures, while those of -En and mE were the highest in the hypothalamic nuclei belonging to the ANS and in its midbrain centers (dl SGC and Rd). Nociceptive ECS, stimulations of the studied midbrain zones, and combinations of these stimulations could result in specific and, in some cases, very significant (by an order of magnitude and more) shifts in the concentrations of the mentioned neuropeptides in the studied set of the central structures. After NECS and its combination with vl SGC stimulation, SP concentrations in the NS structures considerably increased, while -En and mE concentrations in the ANS components dropped. Stimulations of the dl SGC and Rd were accompanied by increases in the mE and -En levels and simultaneous drops in the SP concentrations in the ANS components; reciprocate shifts were observed within the NS. Changes in the lE level, which were related to the influences used, were less specific and mostly appeared as increases in this index in the structures of both the NS and ANS. Combinations of NECS with conditioning stimulations of the vl SGC, dl SGC, or Rd demonstrated that the latter exert significant modulatory effects on the NECS-induced shifts in the concentrations of the studied neuropeptides. Considering the obtained data, a hypothetical scheme of neuropeptide organization of the cerebral NS and ANS has been proposed. In the examined brain structures, there are neuronal populations belonging to the two main neurochemical systems. One of them is SP-ergic, while another consists of mE- and -En-ergic neurons; these systems are in antagonistic relations. Changes in the levels of mE and -En always induce the attended opposite shifts in the SP levels, and vice versa. The lE-ergic neuronal populations, which co-exist with the above neurochemical systems, are relatively nonspecifically activated by either (noci- and antinociceptive) drives, but, according to the pattern of its responses, the lE-ergic system is closer to the SP-ergic one. It is supposed that pain signals, when coming to the vl SGC, activate SP- and lE-ergic neuronal populations; later on, the posterior and lateral hypothalamic nuclei and preoptic region are involved in the transmission of the above signals. When released by the corresponding neuronal populations in the vl SGC, lE activates the key ANS structures (dl SGC and Rd), and the latter, in turn, activate other components of this system, which form its ascending compartment (ventromedial, dorsomedial, and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei, septum, basolateral amygdala, hippocampal fields 3 and 4, and cingular cortex). In the ANS,-En and mE function as transmitters.     

Stress in Morphine-Addicted Rats: Antistressor Properties of Comenic Acid

In chronic experiments carried out on 128 rats we demonstrated that the withdrawal syndrome revealed in morphine-addicted animals is combined with the development of stress. This was reflected in an increase in the total duration of grooming behavior and in changes in its temporal pattern. In morphine-addicted animals, only the initial and final phases of the seven successive grooming phases remained clearly pronounced, whereas intermediate stages were lost. A recycling of the initial grooming stage, which could result in self-inflicted damage to the skin, was observed. Under conditions of complete discontinuation of morphine, disturbances of grooming were even intensified, and during 18 days after discontinuation of the drug such disturbances gradually disappeared. Injections of comenic acid against the background of discontinuation of morphine significantly accelerated the process of normalization of both the duration and pattern of grooming (9 days after discontinuation of the drug). In intact rats, comenic acid did not induce noticeable disturbances of grooming. We conclude that comenic acid possesses antistressor properties under conditions of the withdrawal syndrome.     

Biocides formulation of essential oils having antimicrobial activity

Essential oils of fennel, peppermint, caraway, eucalyptus, geranium and lemon were tested for their antimicrobial activities against some plant pathogenic micro-organisms (Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternate, Penicilium italicum Penicilium digitatum and Botyritus cinerea). Essential oils of fennel, peppermint, caraway were selected as an active ingredient for the formulation of biocides due to their efficiency in controlling the tested micro-organisms. Successful emulsifiable concentrates (biocides) were prepared from these oils using different emulsifiers (Emulgator B.L.M. Tween20 and Tween80) and different fixed oils (sesame, olive, cotton and soybean oils). Physico-chemical properties of the formulated biocide (spontaneous emulsification, emulsion stability test, cold stability and heat stability tests as well as viscosity, surface tension and pH) were measured. The prepared biocides were ready to be tested for application in a future work as a safe pesticide against different pathogens.     

Lung tissue extracellular matrix-derived hydrogels protect against radiation-induced lung injury by suppressing epithelial–mesenchymal transition

This study aimed to examine whether lung tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels have protective effects on radiation-induced lung injury (RILI). The cytocompatibility and histocompatibility were tested for the obtained ECM-derived hydrogel. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 18): control group (control); rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of normal saline (IR + NS); and rats receiving irradiation and intratracheal injection of lung ECM-derived hydrogel (IR + ECM). The wet/dry weight ratio was used to evaluate the congestion and edema of the lungs. Histopathological analysis of lung tissues was performed using hemotoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analyses were carried out to determine the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in lung tissues (E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA], and vimentin). In addition, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), hydroxyproline, malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were also evaluated. The ECM-derived hydrogels had good cytocompatibility and histocompatibility. ECM-derived hydrogel treatment improved lung histopathology injury and pulmonary edema. Higher expression of E-cadherin and lower expression of vimentin and α-SMA were found in the IR + ECM group compared with those in the IR + NS group. Hydroxyproline levels were reduced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment compared with those in the IR + NS group. Obvious increases of TNF-α, IL-6, and TGF-β1 were identified following irradiation. Marked reductions in MDA content and increases in SOD were induced by ECM-derived hydrogel treatment in rats after radiation. ECM-derived hydrogels were shown to protect against RILI, potentially by reducing EMT, inflammation, and oxidative damage.