Toxicology and Industrial Health最新文献

Nanoparticles (NPs 1-100 nm) play a vital role in medicine, food, and agriculture owing to their unique reactivity and size-dependent optical properties. There are growing concerns about health risks from exposure to engineered NPs. Among these, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) are an area of research because of their unique electronic, optical, and chemical properties. CuONPs can interact with biological systems, causing oxidative stress, inflammation, neurobehavioral changes, and other pathophysiological effects. This study evaluated the ability of a probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus) to prevent CuONP-treated neurotoxicity. In the present study, 24 animals were classified into four groups: control, probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus 6.42 mg/kg b.wt.), CuONPs-treated (80 mg/kg b.wt.), and co-administered CuONPs (80 mg/kg b.wt.) + Probiotic (6.42 mg/kg b.wt.). Neurotoxicity was assessed through behavioral tests, including open field, exploratory behavior, pole test, and grip strength tests. Levels of key neurotransmitters viz. acetylcholinesterase, dopamine, and serotonin were measured and histopathological analyses were performed. The CuONP-treated group displayed significant behavioral deficits, decreased neurotransmitter levels, and histopathological abnormalities. In contrast, co-administration of probiotic with CuONPs reduced these effects, as observed by normal behavioral parameters and neurotransmitter levels and improved histopathological architecture. These findings suggested that CuONPs caused neurotoxicity at the tested dose, but co-administration of probiotic effectively mitigated this toxicity. Hence, a probiotic is a promising preventative strategy against CuONP-induced neurotoxic effects.

Ferroptosis, a form of programmed iron-dependent cell death, is associated with various liver pathologies. Recent studies have increasingly highlighted the crucial role of ferroptosis in liver function. This study aimed to explore the development of ferroptosis in liver diseases through bibliometric analysis. We retrieved the data from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection, then imported selected articles into VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Microsoft Excel for knowledge mapping analysis. A total of 1,236 articles were included in this study, showing a steady increase in publications on ferroptosis in the liver over the past 11 years, with a significant surge in recent years. China emerged as a dominant contributor, accounting for 86% of global publications. Key institutions included Zhejiang University and Sun Yat-sen University. Zhang Feng from Nanjing Medical University was identified as the most prolific author. The journal Frontiers in Pharmacology published the most articles on this topic. High-frequency keywords included "ferroptosis," "cell death," "hepatocellular carcinoma," "oxidative stress," and "cancer." Our analysis provides insight into the leading countries, institutions, authors, and journals and it highlights recent research hotspots. As an emerging research field, studies on ferroptosis in the liver focused primarily on molecular mechanisms, pathways, and treatment strategies. Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a primary focus within ferroptosis research in the liver. In the future, therapies targeting ferroptosis may offer promising avenues for liver disease treatment.

This study assessed the concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in chemical stores at Ogbete Market, Enugu, and Ogbo-ogwu Market, Onitsha, southeastern Nigeria, during the wet season (June to August 2024). Air quality measurements, taken from six randomly selected stores in each market and a control site (clothing store) located at about 900 m away, revealed that while concentrations of SO₂ and NO₂ far exceeded public health guidelines (WHO), they remained below Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limits. However, chronic low-level exposure, even within OSHA limits, can still lead to respiratory symptoms and reduced work productivity over time, especially in poorly ventilated indoor shops. Sampling was conducted at a height of 2 m above ground to reflect the breathing zone of an average adult, with data collected during morning and afternoon sessions to capture fluctuations in market activity. Using the Aeroqual Series 300 gas monitor, real-time results indicated hazardous conditions in many stores, and exposure factor-adjusted air concentrations (EF-AACs) were calculated to assess actual exposure scenarios. Hazard quotients (HQs) for each pollutant showed a concerning risk of respiratory diseases, particularly from SO₂ and NO₂ exposure, with multiple stores exhibiting HQ values greater than 1. The findings highlight the urgent need for improved ventilation and stricter regulations in these markets, while also contributing to the limited research on air quality in commercial environments in Nigeria. This study lays the foundation for future interventions aimed at protecting the health of workers in informal markets, advancing public health initiatives in regions with underdeveloped regulatory frameworks.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a white powder used in toothpaste, pharmaceuticals, sunscreen, food additives, cosmetics, paints, decontaminants, and photocatalysts. It is produced and used in the workplace in fine and ultrafine particle sizes. International organizations set occupational exposure limits for fine and ultrafine TiO₂ particles. TiO₂ has not been confirmed to have carcinogenicity in humans, with available assessment data being limited and inconclusive owing to nonspecific effects observed from TiO₂ inhalation. The purpose of this toxicological alert is to encourage new studies to determine whether TiO₂ is a human carcinogen. TiO₂'s classification as a possible carcinogen was based on laboratory experiments that produced TiO₂ particles with 30-60 nm diameters. These studies assessed the potential risk of exposure to TiO₂ nanoparticles, which have diverse and atypical characteristics compared to those found in workplace settings. To date, there are no studies with sufficient data on the duration of pulmonary exposure to TiO₂ nanoparticles with significantly relevant workplace associations. Extrapolating results from rodent studies with limited parameter controls do not provide an adequate (translational) assessment of the toxicity of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the human respiratory system.

Risk assessment is necessary for the safety of employees in the workplace. Risk assessment methods contain some deficiencies arising from the persons performing the analysis. In order to partially overcome this situation, a risk assessment method has been developed by the authors by utilizing the data on occupational accidents in Turkey. In the method, Occupational Health and Safety Professionals who will perform the risk assessment can calculate the risk score without giving a numerical value for any hazard and corresponding risk that they identify in the workplace. In the study, a user-friendly online software called RSCAL by the authors, with a web address of https://rscal.com.tr/, which can meet all the above-mentioned requirements and calculate risk scores for workplaces serving in all types of sectors, has been developed. Through this online application, the identified hazard, risk and exposures of the business to be analyzed can be selected; the necessary corrective and preventive actions can be written by the user and then the risk score can be calculated. After that, all hazards specific to the enterprise can be meticulously identified and the risk assessment of the enterprise can be made by calculating the risk scores. This risk assessment can also be printed out in excel file format. In the future, parameters such as the deadline for each hazard, the legal requirement or standard from which the corrective preventive action to be taken arises can be added to the RSCAL calculation tool.

The health risks associated with benzene series emissions from decorative materials have become a paramount concern in indoor air quality assessments, particularly given their established link with cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. Despite epidemiological evidence supporting this correlation, the underlying mechanisms remain under debate. This research comprehensively reviewed contemporary epidemiological studies on the cardiovascular impacts of benzene series emissions. It concentrated on the elucidation of their vascular toxicity, encompassing structural damage to vascular tissues, impaired vasoconstrictive-diastolic function, and abnormal lipid accumulation. By illuminating these research advancements, this study aimed to outline directions for future investigations and furnish insights into mitigating the risk of cardiovascular diseases stemming from benzene-contaminated decorative materials, ultimately contributing to public health protection.

A key issue related to the development of nanotechnology is the protection of researchers in laboratories and workers in production facilities from exposure to engineered nanoparticles (ENPs). Personal protective equipment (PPE) can only provide protection if it is selected correctly, well maintained, and used properly in all possible exposures. The objective of this review was to systematically evaluate studies that have assessed the effectiveness of PPE against ENPs. The scientific literature search included the electronic databases of Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Collaboration Summaries, and NIOSHTIC. According to the PRISMA flow diagram, 24 papers that met the exclusion and inclusion criteria were included in this review. The review results on gloves, masks, and protective clothing revealed that among the common gloves assessed, nitrile 100 gloves were reported as the least suitable protection method against penetration. Also, most masks have low percent penetration. N99 and P100 masks were more effective than N95 masks. The results also indicated that the physical properties of textiles such as fiber diameter, fabric thickness, porosity, air permeability, and pore size are crucial in determining fabric performance against nanomaterials. Most studies have not used a standardized methodology for evaluating the performance of PPE against nanoparticles, highlighting the need for designing and developing a new method. It is essential to develop a precise and valid application guideline based on scientific evidence to assess protection methods for occupational exposure to ENPs.

Because of their beneficial effects in controlling pests, pesticides are used worldwide to reduce pests in agricultural fields and commercial gardens, thereby increasing the crop yield. Pesticides are ubiquitous in the environment and besides targeting pests they also affect non-target organisms. This study was undertaken to evaluate the activity of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) inhibition and its associated health effects in female tea plantation workers (TPW). In silico analysis was applied to identify whether pesticide exposure had an increased affinity after binding with the AChE enzyme, and the findings were validated by measuring the AChE activity in the plasma of study subjects by the biochemical analysis. The activity of AChE was found to be considerably compromised in TPW exposed to pesticides. Inhibition of AChE activity may lead to severe adverse health effects, such as cough, fatigue, and headache in TPW exposed to pesticides. Among all pesticides, λ-cyhalothrin, fipronil, and fenazaquine had the highest binding affinity with AChE (-10.098 Kcal/mol, -8.574 Kcal/mol, and -8.507 Kcal/mol, respectively) as compared to the other pesticides and their natural acetylcholine substrate (-4.398 Kcal/mol). Based on in silico results, AChE was found to have the highest binding affinity with λ-cyhalothrin, fipronil, and fenazaquine, and these pesticides could be responsible for the enzyme activity inhibition. Hence, these pesticides may cause more adverse health effects on humans compared to other pesticides. This finding on biomarker role for AChE may aid in the development of effective antidotes against pesticide exposure, thereby faciliating mitigation of negative health effects of pesticides.

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by long-term inhalation of silica dust. Its characteristic pathological manifestation is progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in the occurrence and development of silicosis fibrosis, and N6-methyladenosine (m6A), as an important form of RNA modification, is closely related to the expression and regulation of multiple genes in the process of fibrosis. In the present study, we demonstrated that m6A modification significantly increases during silica-induced EMT. Silencing Methyltransferase Like 3 (METTL3) to reduce m6A modification levels inhibited the EMT process, suggesting that METTL3-mediated m6A modification could be an effective strategy for intervening in pulmonary fibrosis. Subsequently, through RNA sequencing, protein-protein interaction network analysis, and Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation-RT-qPCR, we identified c-Myc as a downstream target of METTL3. In summary, our findings illuminate the relationship between m6A modification, METTL3, and the progression of silicosis, particularly through the EMT process. These results suggest that targeting METTL3 could be a promising therapeutic approach for modulating m6A levels and intervening in the progression of silicosis.

Acrylamide (Acr) poses reproductive toxicity risks to humans due to its ability to penetrate cell membranes and disrupt cellular balance. Taurine (Tau), a sulfur-containing amino acid with cell membrane stabilization and antioxidant properties, may mitigate these effects. This study examined how Tau can protect against oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by Acr in mouse ovarian tissue. Forty adult healthy mice, aged 6-8 weeks, were randomly assigned to four groups including the controls (received normal saline orally), Acr (50 mg/kg/day Acr orally), Acr + Tau75 (Acr and 75 mg/kg/day Tau), and Acr + Tau150 (Acr and 150 mg/kg/day Tau). Treatments were administered for 35 days, followed by assessments of stress markers and apoptosis via immunofluorescence and TUNEL assays. Both doses of Tau significantly increased the gene and protein expression levels of stress response enzymes, including Gpx1, Sod1, and Cat. Moreover, Tau significantly decreased the gene expression levels of apoptotic markers Caspase3 and Bax, while upregulating the antiapoptotic gene Bcl2l2. The TUNEL assay revealed the preventive properties of Tau against Acr-induced apoptosis in the ovaries. The current findings suggest the promising properties of Tau in the prevention of Acr-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in mouse ovarian tissue. Therefore, Tau could play a protective role against Acr-induced reproductive toxicity in females, meriting further research into its potential applications.