Environmental toxicology and pharmacology最新文献

Carbendazim is widely applied in agriculture to control various fungal diseases during pre-harvest and post-harvest processes owing to its efficacy and cost-effectiveness. However, environmental and food contamination by carbendazim has become a global health issue. Indeed, the declining biodiversity of beneficial insects owing to agricultural intensification is currently of keen concern to the scientific community. The toxicological responses of Nauphoeta cinerea nymphs, a non-target insect, to ecologically realistic concentrations of carbendazim at 0, 0.25, 2.5, 5.0 and 25 μg/L for 50 uninterrupted days were assessed. Neurobehavioral data generated by video-tracking software revealed that chronic nymphal exposure to carbendazim significantly diminished the path efficiency, body rotation, maximum speed, turn angle and distance traveled but increased the immobility time, total time of freezing and episodes of freezing in insects. The deterioration in the locomotor and exploratory abilities of carbendazim-exposed insects was substantiated by high heat map intensity and reduced track plots. Further, chronic carbendazim exposure diminished acetylcholinesterase activity in head of the insects. Chronic carbendazim exposure significantly decreased antioxidant defense mechanisms but increased nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation levels in fat body, midgut and head of exposed insects. Activities of acid and alkaline phosphatases which play important roles in detoxification and metabolic processes were also markedly decreased in carbendazim-exposed insects when compared with control. Altogether, carbendazim represents an ecological threat to non-target insects through induction of oxido-inflammatory injury, providing valuable insights into the behavioral dysfunction and toxicological mechanisms of carbendazim in beneficial insects.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivation faces the challenge of excessive pesticide use. During processing, the disposal of large volumes of contaminated water into water bodies can result in severe environmental damage, such as fish deaths. This study aimed to evaluate the toxicological effects of chemical compounds present in the effluent from a potato-processing industry using the test organism Cyprinus carpio. The liver, gills, muscles, and brain were analyzed for biochemical parameters such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and lipid peroxidation (TBARS). The highest quantities of pesticides found in the effluent were atrazine, azoxystrobin, fipronil, flutolanil, imidacloprid, tebuconazole, and thiamethoxam. Fish were exposed to the effluent for 7, 14, and 28 days in the laboratory. The CAT enzyme increased activity in the gills at 7 (p-value=0.000) and 14 days (p-value=0.003). Lipid peroxidation showed an increase in the gills at seven days (p-value=0.0281) and in the liver at 7 (p-value=0.000) and 14 days (p-value=0.000). There was also a significant increase (p-value=0.000) in AChE activity in the muscle at all periods. This result highlights the environmental risk and toxicity of potato effluent containing pesticide residues, which can cause biochemical damage to C. carpio and other living organisms.

This study investigates the impact of environmentally relevant concentrations of azithromycin on Poecilia reticulata, through biomarkers at different levels. To this end, the somatic indexes of P. reticulata were evaluated, and liver and gill samples were collected and analyzed for biochemical and histopathological alterations. Azithromycin caused significant effects in P. reticulata, such as increased hepatosomatic index, altered redox responses, particularly in gills, indicating oxidative stress, and notable tissue damage in the liver and gills in a dose-dependent response manner. Principal Component Analysis highlighted differences between control and exposed groups, demonstrating the azithromycin's influence on organismal homeostasis. This research underscores the importance of understanding azithromycin action in nontarget organisms of aquatic environments.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure leads to disorders reported in female infertility patients. Our hypothesis is that PAHs accumulate in granulosa cells (Gc) according to body mass index (BMI) and directly affects its functions. All 16 high-priority PAHs were in human FF, Gc and blood plasma with the highest concentration in Gc (GC-MS/MS). Their highest concentration was in obese Gc, except for acenaphthene and acenaphthylene, and positively correlated with BMI. In FF, we noted only positive correlation between naphthalene and BMI, whereas in blood plasma positive correlation between naphthalene, acenaphthene, pyrene and BMI. Phenanthrene and naphthalene but not fluoranthene inhibited totally steroidogenesis (ELISA), CYP19A1 mRNA expression (real-time PCR) and increased oxidative stress index and catalase expression in Gc independently on BMI. While all studied PAHs decreased Gc proliferation (BrdU assay) and viability (Cell Count kit-8 assay). Thus, Gc PAHs concentrations are positively correlated with BMI and alter ovarian functions.

The use of plant protection products (PPPs) is a major factor contributing to global insect decline. We here use the honeybee (Apis mellifera) as a model to study combined effects of the last neonicotinoid in the EU (acetamiprid) and different fungicides on live-long foraging flights using radio frequency identification. The mixture of the sterol-biosynthesis-inhibiting fungicide difenoconazole and the insecticide acetamiprid significantly reduced the number of foraging trips per day compared to the control and each PPP alone, while a mixture of the insecticide with the non-sterol-biosynthesis inhibiting fungicide boscalid/dimoxystrobin did not affect behaviour. This potential synergistic effect of the fungicide/insecticide mixture supports the notion that some fungicides can enhance the effect of insecticides, which did not lead to significant changes in behaviour when applied on their own. Our results emphasize the need for more studies on the interaction of different PPPs.

Starry flounders (Platichthys stellatus, mean weight 105 ± 14 g, mean total length 20.2 ± 0.7 cm) were exposed to hexavalent chromium concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg Cr^6 +/L for 96 hours. The half-lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of P. stellatus induced by acute exposure to waterborne hexavalent chromium for 96 hours was found to be 58.84 mg Cr⁶⁺/L. In hematological parameters, red blood cell counts (RBCs), hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Major plasma components also changed significantly due to exposure to waterborne hexavalent chromium. Calcium in plasma inorganic components significantly increased, and glucose and cholesterol in plasma organic components also showed significant increases (P < 0.05). Plasma enzyme components such as AST, ALT and ALP were significantly increased (P < 0.05) at high levels of waterborne hexavalent chromium exposure. The results of this study suggest that acute exposure to waterborne hexavalent chromium in P. stellatus affects survival rates, hematological properties and plasma components.

2,4-D dimethylammonium, a widely used herbicide, accumulates in aquatic animals, posing risks to both their populations and human consumers. This study evaluated the effects of 2,4-D on Riceland prawn (Macrobrachium lanchesteri) using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to assess morphological changes. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) was also measured. Toxicity increased with both concentration and exposure duration. OCT revealed swelling in the gill region, tissue abnormalities, and muscle damage in the abdominal somite, telson, and uropod, along with tissue separation and degradation. Histological analysis confirmed muscle degeneration, hemocyte infiltration, and swelling. AChE expression was undetectable at 400 and 450µL/L after 96hours, with a molecular weight of 71kDa. CAT and GST activities decreased at higher herbicide concentrations, further demonstrating the harmful effects of 2,4-D on prawn health.

Veterinary antibiotics are widely spread in the environment, however, the knowledge about their impact on soil key species is still limited. This study evaluated the short-term and long-term effects of tetracycline (TC), ciprofloxacin (CIP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) (1-500 mg kg) on earthworm Dendrobaena veneta by measuring multiple parameters (survival, growth, reproduction, behavior and biochemical responses). Neither antibiotic induced acute toxicity and low mortality was observed after chronic exposure. TC and CIP had a negligible effect on the earthworm's weight from the 6th week of exposure, SMX inhibited the earthworm growth when was present in the range of 50-500 mg kg^-1. In parallel, SMX reduced earthworm reproduction at environmentally relevant concentrations. Antibiotics altered superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and gluthathione-S-transferase (GST) activities and induced lipid peroxidation. Overall, earthworms showed no apparent acute response at environmentally relevant concentrations except for avoidance behavior; after long-term exposure earthworms experienced biochemical, physiological, and reproductive impairments and reduced survival at high soil contamination.

DNA integrity is crucial for organismal health, and assessing DNA damage in aquatic organisms is essential for identifying environmental threats and informing conservation efforts. Pollutants such as metals, hydrocarbons, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and climate change are linked to genetic damage, oxidative stress, and mutagenesis in several species, such as elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). Most studies focus on bivalves, crustaceans, and bony fish, with fewer assessments being carried out in cartilaginous fish. Concerning elasmobranchs, studies employing the micronucleus test and nuclear anomaly assays have aided in understanding how this group responds to contamination by organic and inorganic pollutants. Notably, each species deals differently with these contaminants, presenting varied DNA damage levels, including low levels of response, probably associated to feeding habits, trophic position, maturation stage, sex and metabolism. Further investigations should be conducted in elasmobranchs to elucidate these variations and better understand DNA damage in this important ecological group.

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) are the fastest-growing class in agricultural protection. They target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in pests, stimulating the nervous system at low doses and causing paralysis and death at higher concentrations. NNIs are used in crop protection, seed treatment, forestry, agriculture, and flea control in domestic cattle. Effective at lower concentrations and offering long-term control, NNIs are favoured for their systemic activity. However, due to their water solubility, mobility, and moderate persistence, NNIs easily contaminate adjacent aquatic environments via runoff, leaching, or spray drift. While less toxic to vertebrates, their widespread use poses threats to aquatic and terrestrial organisms, causing neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and reproductive malformations. This review synthesizes research to address knowledge gaps on the environmental impact of NNIs and proposes policies to mitigate their harmful effects on aquatic non-target species.