1,720,994 research outputs found
Canine Leishmaniasis in the Salento peninsula of Apulia, Italy: a preliminary report
No full textCanine leishmaniasis is endemic to the Mediterranean area. In Italy this zoonosis is distributed over a large portion of the Country. We studied a representative sample of 638 dogs of the canine population subjected to routine veterinary check in Salento peninsula (Apulia, Italy) where the exact entity of the zoonosis is currently unknown. Amastigote’s indirect immunofluorescence (IFAT) and electrophoresis of serum proteins were used as specific and non-specific diagnostic tests, respectively. In addition, lymph node and bone marrow aspirates were examined by light microscopy after May-Grunwald Giemsa or Diff Quick staining, to confirm the suspected pathology. Results demonstrated that about 13% of dogs were affected by leishmaniasis. This prevalence value, significantly higher than that reported in a previous study conducted twenty years ago, strongly suggests that leishmaniasis is endemic in Salento
Effect of chemical pollutants on F-actin cytoskeleton in earthworm coelomocytes
No full textEarthworms are very important organisms for soil formation and organic matter breakdown in most terrestrial environments. Because of their strong interaction with soil, they are profoundly affected by soil pollution. The coelomic fluid is one of the first targets of toxicants in earthworms because it can receive and vehicle pollutants to the all animal tissues. The aim of the present work was to investigate possible pollutant-induced alterations in earthworms coelomocytes cytoskeleton in view of future application as sensitive biomarker for soil monitoring and assessment applications. The study was carried out on the earthworm Eisenia foetida. The animals were exposed in controlled laboratory conditions either to the heavy metal based fungicide copper sulphate or to the PAH fluorantene. Coelomocytes were labelled with rhodamine-phalloidine for F-actin visualization by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The attention was focussed on granulocytes which are the cell type major involved in humoral immune response.
Results showed a significant (P<0.01) increase in the F-actin content in granulocytes from treated animals with respect to control groups either in copper or fluorantene exposed animals. While in copper exposed animals the increase was markedly limited to the cortical region of the cells, in fluorantene exposed animals a general increase of F-actin polimeryzation was observed in the whole cell.
In conclusion the present study demonstrated that F-actin cytoskeleton of earthworm coelomocytes represents an important cellular target of the effect of organic or inorganic chemical pollutants in these bioindicator organisms and give useful information for a potential use of this response as exposure/effect biomarker in soil risk assessment
Enzymatic responses in Eisenia fetida exposed to perFluoroEther Carboxylic Acids (PFECA) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) via OECD Contact Test n°207: Insights into Oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and immune response.
No full textDevelopment of a behavioural test in the terrestrial oligochaetes Eisenia spp. Exposed to per and polifluoro allylic substances PFAS.
No full textApplication of biomarkers in Lumbricus terrestris for pollution soil monitoring
No full textAs recently recognised the measurement of biochemical and cellular responses to pollutants (i.e. biomarkers) on living organisms in the soil has become of major importance for the assessment of the quality of terrestrial ecosystems. The aim of the preset work was to analyze a suite of cellular and biochemical biomarkers suitable for assessing the pollutant induced stress syndrome in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris chosen as soil bioindicator organism. Several biomarkers were studied: granulocyte morphometric alteration, lysosomal membrane stability, tissutal metallothionein concentration, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, micronuclei frequencies. Biochemical and cellular responses were related to whole organism endpoints (grow and reproduction rates).
The study was carried out in standardised laboratory conditions and further validated in field conditions. In the laboratory study earthworms were exposed to copper sulphate and methiocarb in the soil, as representative models of heavy metals and organic xenobiotics. In the field study L. terrestris specimens were sampled in four sites in the Salento Peninsula (South of Italy) exposed to different anthropogenic impacts.
The cellular and molecular biomarkers showed significant changes in response to both contaminant exposures. They corresponded to alteration in whole organism endpoints such as individual grow and reproduction rates and proved to be suitable for assessing stress syndrome in the field exposure experiment. In particular morphometric alterations of granulocytes proved to be a suitable biomarker of pollutant effect to be included in a multibiomarker strategy. It provides a sensitive generalized response to pollutants that can integrate the combined effect of multiple contaminants present in the soil
Immunotoxic Effects of Legacy and Next-Generation PFAS on Earthworms: Insights for Environmental Regulation and Health Assessment
No full textIn-Gel Assay to Evaluate Antioxidant Enzyme Response to Silver Nitrate and Silver Nanoparticles in Marine Bivalve Tissues
No full textSilver is back in vogue today as this metal is used in the form of nanomaterials in numerous commercial products. We have developed in-gel electrophoretic techniques to measure the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and used the same techniques in combination with HSP70 Western blot analysis to evaluate the effects of nanomolar amounts of silver nitrate and 5 nm alkane-coated silver nanoparticles in tissues of the marine bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lam.) exposed for 28 days in mesocosms. Our results showed a negligible effect for nanosilver exposure and dose-dependent effects for the nitrate form
Cytotoxicity of ether perfluoro carboxylic acid PFAS congeners in earthworm granulocytes
No full textAcetylcholinesterase inhibition as a relevant biomarker in environmental biomonitoring: New insights and perspectives
No full textAcetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key enzyme in the nervous system, terminating nerve impulses by catalyzing the hydrolysis of neurotransmitter acetylcholine. AChE is the target site of inhibition by organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides. In particular, organophosphorous pesticides inhibit the enzyme activity by covalently phosphorylating the serine residue within the active site group. They irreversibly inhibit AChE, resulting in excessive accumulation of acetylcholine, leading to the hyperactivities and consequently paralysis of the neural and muscle system. Therefore, monitoring of AChE inhibition is widely used as a biomarker of organophosphorous and carbamate exposure either in aquatic or terrestrial environments. Recently, new insights are emerging in the use of AChE as biomarker in environmental biomonitoring. A number of important contaminants other than carbamate and organophosphorus pesticides have recently been shown to have anticholinesterase properties, including heavy metals, detergents, hydrocarbons, and herbicides. It is also worth noting that not only different compounds may reach levels of significance in terms of anticholinesterase effect, but, moreover, combinations of different chemical classes were shown to be highly synergistic in their ability to inhibit AChE activity. Moreover, evidence for additional function of AChE is recently emerging. Apart from its catalytic function in hydrolyzing acetylcholine, different forms of AChE have been shown to affect cell proliferation, differentiation, and responses to various stresses. In addition, the relationship among the antioxidant defence systems and the AChE inhibition is now emerging. These recent insights open a new future in biological monitoring and environmental assessment to this “old” biomarker. Furthermore, its use in different phyla, either vertebrates or invertebrates, makes AChE a particularly versatile biomarker that can be used to investigate pollutant effects in many trophic levels and in many different environments
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