Arhiv Za Higijenu Rada I Toksikologiju-Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology最新文献

Mistakes in translation are mostly associated with toxic effects in the cell due to the production of functionally aberrant and misfolded proteins. However, under certain circumstances mistranslation can have beneficial effects and enable cells to preadapt to other stress conditions. Mistranslation may be caused by mistakes made by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, essential enzymes that link amino acids to cognate tRNAs. There is an Escherichia coli strain expressing isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase mutant variant with inactivated editing domain which produces mistranslated proteomes where valine (Val) and norvaline (Nva) are misincorporated into proteins instead of isoleucine. We compared this strain with the wild-type to determine the effects of such mistranslation on bacterial growth in oxidative stress conditions. When the cells were pre-incubated with 0.75 mmol/L Nva or 1.5 mmol/L Val or Nva and exposed to hydrogen peroxide, no beneficial effect of mistranslation was observed. However, when the editing-deficient strain was cultivated in medium supplemented with 0.75 mmol/L Val up to the early or mid-exponential phase of growth and then exposed to oxidative stress, it slightly outgrew the wild-type grown in the same conditions. Our results therefore show a modest adaptive effect of isoleucine mistranslation on bacterial growth in oxidative stress, but only in specific conditions. This points to a delicate balance between deleterious and beneficial effects of mistranslation.

Even at low levels, exposure to ionising radiation can lead to eye damage. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood. We aimed to address this gap with a comprehensive in silico approach to the issue. For this purpose we relied on the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), ToppGene Suite, Cytoscape, GeneMANIA, and Metascape to identify six key regulator genes associated with radiation-induced eye damage (ATM, CRYAB, SIRT1, TGFB1, TREX1, and YAP1), all of which have physical interactions. Some of the identified molecular functions revolve around DNA repair mechanisms, while others are involved in protein binding, enzymatic activities, metabolic processes, and post-translational protein modifications. The biological processes are mostly centred on response to DNA damage, the p53 signalling pathway in particular. We identified a significant role of several miRNAs, such as hsa-miR-183 and hsamiR-589, in the mechanisms behind ionising radiation-induced eye injuries. Our study offers a valuable method for gaining deeper insights into the adverse effects of radiation exposure.

COVID-19 can cause a range of complications, including cardiovascular, renal, and/or respiratory insufficiencies, yet little is known of its potential effects in persons exposed to toxic metals. The aim of this study was to answer this question with in silico toxicogenomic methods that can provide molecular insights into COVID-19 complications owed to exposure to arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, and chromium. For this purpose we relied on the Comparative Toxicogenomic Database (CTD), GeneMANIA, and ToppGene Suite portal and identified a set of five common genes (IL1B, CXCL8, IL6, IL10, TNF) for the six metals and COVID-19, all of which code for pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The list was expanded with additional 20 related genes. Physical interactions are the most common between the genes affected by the six metals (77.64 %), while the dominant interaction between the genes affected by each metal separately is co-expression (As 56.35 %, Cd 64.07 %, Pb 71.5 %, Hg 81.91 %, Ni 64.28 %, Cr 88.51 %). Biological processes, molecular functions, and pathways in which these 25 genes participate are closely related to cytokines and cytokine storm implicated in the development of COVID-19 complications. In other words, our findings confirm that exposure to toxic metals, alone or in combinations, might escalate COVID-19 severity.

Traditional medicine has used sage (Salvia officinalis L.) preparations for centuries to prevent and treat various inflammatory and oxidative stress-induced conditions. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the bioactive properties of a sage leave extract obtained with environmentally friendly aqueous extraction and lyophilisation in primary human peripheral blood cells. To that end we measured the total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC, respectively) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Non-cytotoxic concentrations determined with the trypan blue assay were used to assess the antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, and PAB assay), antigenotoxic (CBMN assay), immunomodulatory (IL-1β and TNF-α), and neuroprotective effects (AChE inhibition). The extract contained high TPC (162 mg GAE/g of dry extract) and TFC (39.47 mg QE/g of dry extract) concentrations, while β-thujone content was unexpectedly low (below 0.9 %). Strong radical-scavenging activity combined with glutathione reductase activation led to a decrease in basal and H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage. A decrease in TNF-α and increase in IL-1β levels suggest complex immunomodulatory response that could contribute to antioxidant and, together with mild AChE inhibition, neuroprotective effects. Overall, this study has demonstrated that aqueous sage leave extract reduces the levels of thujone, 1,8-cineole, pinene, and terpene ketones that could be toxic in high concentrations, while maintaining high concentrations of biologically active protective compounds which have a potential to prevent and/or treat inflammatory and oxidative stress-related conditions.

Recent research has raised concern about the biocompatibility of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), as they have been reported to induce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, whilst prolonged exposure to high IONP concentrations may lead to cyto-/genotoxicity. Besides, there is concern about its environmental impact. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of IONPs on the antioxidant defence system in freshwater fish Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus, Peters 1852). The fish were exposed to IONP concentration of 15 mg/L over 1, 3, 4, 15, 30, and 60 days and the findings compared to a control, unexposed group. In addition, we followed up the fish for 60 days after exposure had stopped to estimate the stability of oxidative stress induced by IONPs. Exposure affected the activity of antioxidant and marker enzymes and increased the levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation in the gill, liver, and brain tissues of the fish. Even after 60 days of depuration, adverse effects remained, indicating long-term nanotoxicity. Moreover, IONPs accumulated in the gill, liver, and brain tissues. Our findings underscore the potential health risks posed to non-target organisms in the environment, and it is imperative to establish appropriate guidelines for safe handling and disposal of IONPs to protect the aquatic environment.

Pedagogical work, especially with preschool children, is one of the most stressful professions, and the incidence of stress-related illnesses among preschool teachers is higher than in the general population. The aim of this cross-sectional study, conducted between October 2018 and April 2019, was to examine the prevalence of the burnout syndrome in a representative sample of 482 preschool teachers in Serbia and the factors associated with it. For this purpose, the participants completed a questionnaire composed of six sections: the socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, health and lifestyle characteristics, workplace and employment characteristics; Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI); Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The frequency of the total burnout was 27.1 %. The frequency of burnout on the CBI was 25.4 % for personal burnout, 27.0 % for work-related burnout, and 23.4 % for client-related burnout. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with total burnout as an outcome variable showed that being single (OR: 0.18; 95 % CI: 0.05-0.58), having poor (OR: 6.05; 95 % CI: 1.05-34.91), or average (OR: 3.60; 95 % CI: 1.57-8.25) self-rated health, not having didactic/play tools (OR: 2.71; 95 % CI: 1.21-6.04), having a higher score on the BDI (OR: 1.19; 95 % CI: 1.09-1.29) or SAS (OR: 1.10; 95 % CI: 1.03-1.18) was significantly associated with the total burnout among our participants. Our study shows the worryingly high prevalence of the burnout syndrome among preschool teachers in Serbia and points to its association with mental health issues, depression, and anxiety.

Organophosphorus poisoning is a critical condition that can cause central nervous system depression, respiratory failure, and death early on. As its clinical manifestations closely resemble those of carbamate pesticide poisoning, the aim of this case study is to present a case of misdiagnosis, initially identifying carbofuran poisoning as organophosphate in a patient suspect of a heatstroke. We also present a case of intentional self-poisoning with organophosphate dichlorvos to underline the likelihood of pesticide poisoning in patients exhibiting acute cholinergic symptoms when the ingested substance is not known. In such cases, empirical treatment with atropine and oxime can be started pending timely differential diagnosis to adjust treatment as necessary.

Healthcare workers handling antineoplastic drugs (ADs) in preparation units run the risk of occupational exposure to contaminated surfaces and associated mutagenic, teratogenic, and oncogenic effects of those drugs. To minimise this risk, automated compounding systems, mainly robots, have been replacing manual preparation of intravenous drugs for the last 20 years now, and their number is on the rise. To evaluate contamination risk and the quality of the working environment for healthcare workers preparing ADs, we applied the Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) method to compare the acceptable risk level (ARL), based on the risk priority number (RPN) calculated from five identified failure modes, with the measured risk level (MRL). The model has shown higher risk of exposure with powdered ADs and containers not protected by external plastic shrink film, but we found no clear difference in contamination risk between manual and automated preparation. This approach could be useful to assess and prevent the risk of occupational exposure for healthcare workers coming from residual cytotoxic contamination both for current handling procedures and the newly designed ones. At the same time, contamination monitoring data can be used to keep track of the quality of working conditions by comparing the observed risk profiles with the proposed ARL. Our study has shown that automated preparation may have an upper hand in terms of safety but still leaves room for improvement, at least in our four hospitals.

Human exposure to plastic particles has raised great concern among all relevant stakeholders involved in the protection of human health due to the contamination of the food chain, surface waters, and even drinking water as well as due to their persistence and bioaccumulation. Now more than ever, it is critical that we understand the biological fate of plastics and their interaction with different biological systems. Because of the ubiquity of plastic materials in the environment and their toxic potential, it is imperative to gain reliable, regulatory-relevant, science-based data on the effects of plastic micro- and nanoparticles (PMNPs) on human health in order to implement reliable risk assessment and management strategies in the circular economy of plastics. This review presents current knowledge of human-relevant PMNP exposure doses, pathways, and toxic effects. It addresses difficulties in properly assessing plastic exposure and current knowledge gaps and proposes steps that can be taken to underpin health risk perception, assessment, and mitigation through rigorous science-based evidence. Based on the existing scientific data on PMNP adverse health effects, this review brings recommendations on the development of PMNP-specific adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) following the AOP Users' Handbook of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The aim of this study was to determine the share of Croatian adults who walk 210 min or more a week and to explore the relationship between regular walking and demographic factors, health-related behaviours, and chronic non-communicable diseases/conditions. To this end, we used the EHIS-PAQ questionnaire and collected self-reported data on minutes spent walking during a typical week from a total of 3,496 respondents. The data were additionally analysed by gender, age, education, residence (urban/rural), counties and regions, smoking, other types of physical activity, and diseases/chronic conditions. The results show that, overall, 40.9 % of the adult Croatian population walks 210 or more minutes a week, with the largest share found among those from the Lika-Senj County (76.8 %), those who spend 300 min or more weekly on health-enhancing (non-work-related) aerobic physical activity (57.6 %), those who reported having diabetes (49.3 %), and those aged 65-74 years (44.7 %). Despite its limitations, our study gives a valuable insight into the frequency and factors determining healthy walking habits in a representative sample of Croatian adults and provides grounds for further research.