Concentration of heavy metals in seafood (fishes, shrimp, lobster and crabs) and human health assessment in Saint Martin Island, Bangladesh

Publication date: 15 September 2018
Source:Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Volume 159
Author(s): Mohammad Abdul Baki, Md. Muzammel Hossain, Jhuma Akter, Shamshad B. Quraishi, Md. Fajlul Haque Shojib, A.K.M. Atique Ullah, Md Firoz Khan
A contaminated aquatic environment may end up in the food chain and pose risks to tourist health in a tourist destination. To assess the health risk for tourists that visit St. Martine Island, which is a popular domestic and foreign tourist destination in Bangladesh, a study is undertaken to analyse the level of heavy metal contamination from chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and iron (Fe) in six of the most consumed fish (L. fasciatus, R. kanagurta, H. nigrescens, P. cuneatus, P. annularis and S. rubrum) and five crustacean species, which consist of a shrimp (P. sculptilis), a lobster (P. versicolor) and three crabs (P. sanguinolentus, T. crenata and M. victor) captured. The samples were analysed for trace metals using atomic absorption spectrometer, and the concentrations of the metals were interpreted using the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) health risk model. The muscle and carapace/exoskeleton of shrimp, lobster and crabs were analysed and contained various concentrations of Pb, Hg, As, Cr, Cd, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn. The hierarchy of the heavy metal in marine fish is Fe > Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Mn > Hg. The concentrations of Pb in the species R. kanagurta, H. nigresceus and S. rubrum were above the food safety guideline by Australia, New Zealand and other legislations in most marine fish and crustaceans. Crabs showed higher mean heavy metal concentrations than shrimp and lobster. Acceptable carcinogen ranges were observed in three fish species (R. kanagurata, H. nigresceus and S. rubrum) and one crustacean species (P. sculptilis) samples.



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Curcumin inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation via suppression of succinate-associated HIF-1α induction

Publication date: Available online 7 May 2018
Source:Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
Author(s): Linlin She, Dan Xu, Zixia Wang, Yirui Zhang, Qingli Wei, Jiye Aa, Guangji Wang, Baolin Liu, Yuan Xie
PurposeAberrant succinate accumulation emerges as a unifying mechanism for inflammation and oxidative stress. This study aims to investigate whether curcumin ameliorates hepatic fibrosis via blocking succinate signaling.MethodsWe investigated the effects of curcumin on hepatic succinate accumulation and liver fibrosis in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Meanwhile, we stimulated mouse primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) with succinate and observed the inhibitory effects of curcumin on succinate signaling.ResultsOral administration of curcumin and metformin combated mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and reduced hepatic succinate accumulation due to the inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and demonstrated inhibitory effect on hepatic fibrosis. In mouse primary HSCs, curcumin prevented succinate- and CoCl2-induced hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1α (HIF-1α) induction via suppression of ROS production and effectively reduced gene expressions of Col1α, Col3α, fibronectin and TGF-β1 with inflammation inhibition. Knockdown of HIF-1α with small interfering RNA blocked the action of succinate to induce HSCs activation, indicative of the essential role of HIF-1α in succinate signaling.ConclusionsHepatic succinate accumulation served as a metabolic signal to promote liver fibrosis through HIF-1α induction. Curcumin reduced succinate accumulation by combating fatty acid oxidation and prevented HSCs activation by blocking succinate/HIF-1α signaling pathway.



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Exercise training prevents obesity-associated disorders: Role of miRNA-208a and MED13

Publication date: Available online 7 May 2018
Source:Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
Author(s): Tiago Fernandes, Diego Lopes Barretti, M. Ian Phillips, Edilamar Menezes de Oliveira
Exercise training (ET) has been established as an important treatment for obesity, since it counteracts aberrant cardiac metabolism and weight gain; however, underlying mechanisms remain to be further determined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) inhibit protein expression by base-pairing with the 3′ UTRs of mRNA targets. MiRNA-208a is a cardiac-specific miRNA that regulates β-MHC content and systemic energy homeostasis via MED13. We investigated whether ET regulates the cardiac miRNA-208a and its target MED13, reducing the weight gain and β-MHC expression in obese Zucker rats (OZR). OZR (n = 11) and Lean (L, n = 10) male rats were assigned into 4 groups: OZR, trained OZR (OZRT), L and trained L (LT). Swimming ET consisted of 60 min of duration, 1x/day, 5x/week/10 weeks. MiRNA and gene expression were analysed by real-time PCR and protein levels by western blot. Resting bradycardia was observed in trained groups. ET reduced weight gain, retroperitoneal fat weight and adipocyte cell size in OZRT compared with OZR group. Cardiac miRNA-208a levels increased 57% in OZR paralleled with a decrease of 39% in MED13 protein levels compared with L group. In contrast, ET corrected the cardiac miRNA-208a and MED13 levels in OZRT compared with L group. Furthermore, ET reduced the increased cardiac mass and normalised β-MHC protein levels caused by obesity. These results suggest that ET can prevent weight gain and pathological cardiac hypertrophy via increased of cardiac MED13 by the regulation of miRNA-208a. Therefore, miRNA-208a can be used as potential therapeutic target for metabolic and cardiac disorders.



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HIV aspartyl protease inhibitors modify the percentage of activated leukocytes, as well as serum levels of IL-17A and NO during experimental leishmaniasis

Publication date: July 2018
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 60
Author(s): Daniele Luísa Ribeiro Alvarenga, Amanda Helen dos Santos Silva, Jacqueline Araújo Fiuza, Soraya Torres Gaze, Jaquelline Germano de Oliveira, Rodrigo Corrêa Oliveira, Carlos Eduardo Calzavara-Silva, Marcelo Antônio Pascoal-Xavier, Érica Alessandra Rocha Alves
HIV aspartyl protease inhibitors are able to modulate multiple defense mechanisms. However, their influence on the immune response against Leishmania has rarely been investigated. The aim of our study was to investigate whether in vivo treatment with HIV aspartyl protease inhibitors is able to modulate the immune response during Leishmania infection. Using Leishmania (L.) amazonensis-infected mice, we analyzed the disease evolution and parasite load, immunophenotypic profiles of splenic T and B lymphocytes, numbers of lymphoid aggregates in the spleen, percentages of circulating atypical lymphocytes and reactive monocytes, and serum levels of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) after 30 days of oral treatment with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV) or atazanavir (ATV). We observed that LPV/RTV and ATV did not modify the disease evolution or parasite load. However, the antiretroviral treatment induced an increase in activated lymphocytes in the spleen and blood, as well as a decrease in CD69 expression in T and B lymphocytes in the spleen. The treatment also resulted in an increase in activated monocytes in the blood. In addition, antiretrovirals decreased levels of IL-17A and increased levels of NO in sera from Leishmania-infected mice. Thus, our results demonstrate for the first time that in vivo treatment with HIV aspartyl protease inhibitors modifies innate and adaptative immune responses during Leishmania infection and suggest that these drugs could change the clinical course of leishmaniasis in HIV infected-individuals.

Graphical abstract

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Serum human epididymis protein 4 is a predictor for developing nephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A prospective cohort study

Publication date: July 2018
Source:International Immunopharmacology, Volume 60
Author(s): Yingpeng Ren, Jing Xie, Feng Lin, Wanwan Luo, Zhencheng Zhang, Panying Mao, Renqian Zhong, Yan Liang, Zaixing Yang
BackgroundIt has been demonstrated that serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a useful biomarker for differentiating lupus nephritis (LN) from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, it remains unclear whether HE4 can be used to predict the development of LN.MethodsA total of 74 SLE patients without LN were recruited between August 2008 and September 2013. Serum HE4 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These patients were followed up from the date of SLE diagnosis to LN development or the end of the study. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was drawn to assess the predictive value of HE4 for the incidence of LN. In addition, Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the prognostic factors for the incidence of LN.ResultsSerum HE4 levels significantly increased in patients who are positive for anti-dsDNA antibody, low C3 and the incidence LN (P < 0.05), and these were closely correlated with age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) (P < 0.05). During the follow-up, 44 patients developed LN. The ROC curve revealed that for HE4 levels, the predictive performance for LN with 64.8 pM as an optimal cutoff yielded an AUC of 0.714, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.597–0.831, and a sensitivity and specificity of 81.8% and 53.3%, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that LN occurred in 72% of high-HE4 patients and 33.3% of low-HE4 patients (P = 0.036). The univariate analysis revealed that anti-dsDNA antibody, low C3, SLEDAI and HE4 were significantly associated with the incidence of LN (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression revealed that only SLEDAI and HE4 were independently associated with the incidence of LN.ConclusionElevated serum HE4 is significantly associated with a higher risk of incidence for LN, and may be a useful predictor for developing LN.



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Erratum: Hörsturz mit Surditas, Schwindel und Tinnitus - eine 12-jährige Odyssee

Laryngo-Rhino-Otol
DOI: 10.1055/a-0623-6622

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

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Anwendung von Vakuum-Wundtherapie bei Spalthaut-Transplantaten im Kopf-Hals-Bereich

Laryngo-Rhino-Otol
DOI: 10.1055/a-0606-5166

Hintergrund Bei der Vakuum-Wundtherapie (VAC) wird durch einen Unterdruck Wundsekret kontinuierlich abgesaugt und so die Bildung von Granulationsgewebe signifikant gesteigert. Im Bereich der Viszeral-, Unfall- und Verbrennungschirurgie kommt diese bei kritischen Wunden häufig zum Einsatz. Im Kopf-Hals-Bereich gibt es wenige Publikationen und begrenzte Erfahrungen. Insbesondere zur Anwendung des VAC-Systems bei Spalthaut-Transplantation (SHT) liegt bislang keine Evidenz vor. Material und Methoden Eine retrospektive Datenbankrecherche ergab insgesamt 36 VAC Anwendungen bei 13 Patienten, die über den Zeitraum von 2012 bis 2017 an der HNO-Universitätsklinik Ulm behandelt wurden. Es erfolgte eine Analyse der Indikationen, klinischen Verläufe und des Outcomes der VAC-Therapie mit Fokus auf die Anwendung im Rahmen einer SHT. Ergebnisse Neben den klassischen Indikationen wie pharyngo-cutanen Fisteln oder Wundheilungsstörungen nach Lappenchirurgie, konnten 7 Fälle von VAC-Anwendung bei Spalthaut-Transplantation identifiziert werden. Die mediane VAC-Behandlungsdauer lag bei 11 Tagen, der VAC-Verband wurde im mittel 2-mal gewechselt, der Sog lag durchschnittlich bei 70 mmHg. Der Wundverschluss war in 13/13 Fällen erfolgreich, in 7/13 Fällen wurde der definitive Wundverschluss durch SHT mit synchronem Anbringen eines VAC-System erreicht, in 4/13 Fällen führte die Sekundärheilung zum Wundverschluss und in 2/13 Fällen war eine Nah- bzw. Fernlappenplastik erforderlich. Schlussfolgerungen Die VAC-Therapie scheint bei prolongierten Wundheilungsverläufen im Kopf-Hals-Bereich eine effektive Therapie darzustellen. Die hier erstmals beschriebene SHT unter VAC-Therapie führt zu hohen Erfolgsraten insbesondere bei vorbestrahlten Patienten oder dem Krankheitsbild der nekrotisierenden Fasziitis und ersetzt zusätzlich den Druckverband.
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© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

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