Organotins: A review of their reproductive toxicity, biochemistry, and environmental fate

The review purposes are to (1) evaluate the experimental evidence for adverse effects on reproduction and metabolism and (2) identify the current knowledge of analytical procedures, biochemistry and environmental aspects relating to organotins. Organotins are pollutants that are used as biocides in antifouling paints. They produce endocrine-disrupting effects in mollusks, such as imposex. In rodents, organotin exposure induces developmental and reproductive toxicity as well as alteration of metabolic homeostasis through its action as an obesogen. The adverse effects that appear in rodents have raised concerns about organotins' potential health risk to humans in relation to organotin exposure. At present, triorganotin, such as tributyltin, have been demonstrated to produce imposex, and mammalian reproductive and metabolic toxicity. For most mammals, triorganotin exposure predominantly occurs through the ingestion, and this compound can cross the placenta. With these risks in mind, it is important to improve our knowledge of organotins' effects on environmental health. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.

Free Amino Acids in Pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, Eggs and Larvae

Free amino acids (FAA) are used principally as substrate in protein synthesis and the source of energy in aerobic catabolism. In marine fish, embryo and larvae FAA are used to maintain body fluid osmolality during fish early development. However, there is essentially no information about FAA concentrations in early ontogeny of freshwater neotropical species in comparison to marine fishes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the FAA concentrations in pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, eggs and larvae. Broodstock fish were induced to spawn and ovulated females were stripped of their eggs and immediately sampled for analysis. Larvae were sampled right after hatching (HL) and after the completion of the yolk-sac absorption (YSA). The wet weight of the HL and YSA larvae amounted to 0.5±0.1mg and 1.1±0.3mg, respectively. HL larvae showed higher levels of most of the indispensable amino acids (IAA) in comparison to eggs and YSA larvae. Exceptions were observed with His and Trp that showed higher or similar levels, respectively, in YSA larvae. The FAA Orn, Tau, Glu, Gln, Gly, and Tyr increased concentrations in both larval stages while that of Tau was found in higher concentration in all analyzed stages. Also, the concentrations of Asn, Ala, Pro, Ser, and Asp were higher in HL larvae. Both larval stages displayed a rise in total free IAA/total free DAA (dispensable amino acids) ratio. The authors conclude that the highest level of FAA in HL pacu larvae is indicative of active proteolysis of yolk reserves and a probable catabolism regulation of some FAA through spare-effect. In addition, Tau is one of the major FAA occurring during pacu ontogeny and may be performing regulation on body fluid osmolality regulation. © Copyright by the World Aquaculture Society 2013.

Chromosomal Mapping of Repetitive DNAs in the Grasshopper Abracris flavolineata Reveal Possible Ancestry of the B Chromosome and H3 Histone Spreading

Supernumerary chromosomes (B chromosomes) occur in approximately 15% of eukaryote species. Although these chromosomes have been extensively studied, knowledge concerning their specific molecular composition is lacking in most cases. The accumulation of repetitive DNAs is one remarkable characteristic of B chromosomes, and the occurrence of distinct types of multigene families, satellite DNAs and some transposable elements have been reported. Here, we describe the organization of repetitive DNAs in the A complement and B chromosome system in the grasshopper species Abracris flavolineata using classical cytogenetic techniques and FISH analysis using probes for five multigene families, telomeric repeats and repetitive C0t-1 DNA fractions. The 18S rRNA and H3 histone multigene families are highly variable and well distributed in A. flavolineata chromosomes, which contrasts with the conservation of U snRNA genes and less variable distribution of 5S rDNA sequences. The H3 histone gene was an extensively distributed with clusters occurring in all chromosomes. Repetitive DNAs were concentrated in C-positive regions, including the pericentromeric region and small chromosomal arms, with some occurrence in C-negative regions, but abundance was low in the B chromosome. Finally, the first demonstration of the U2 snRNA gene in B chromosomes in A. flavolineata may shed light on its possible origin. These results provide new information regarding chromosomal variability for repetitive DNAs in grasshoppers and the specific molecular composition of B chromosomes. © 2013 Bueno et al.

Uranium deposition in bones of wistar rats associated with skeleton development

Sixty female Wistar rats were submitted to a daily intake of ration doped with uranium from weaning to adulthood. Uranium in bone was quantified by the SSNTD (solid state nuclear track detection) technique, and bone mineral density (BMD) analysis performed. Uranium concentration as a function of age exhibited a sharp rise during the first week of the experiment and a drastic drop of 70% in the following weeks. Data interpretation indicates that uranium mimics calcium. Results from BMD suggest that radiation emitted by the incorporated Uranium could induce death of bone cells. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Retenção do cátion do sulfato de cobre nos compartimentos biótico e abiótico de mesocosmos com sistema de fluxo contínuo de água

Pós-graduação em Aquicultura - FCAV

Efeitos do extrato bruto e da microcistina-LR em Lactuca sativa L. (Asteraceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Desempenho de reator anaeróbio de fluxo ascendente alimentado com lodo de estação de tratamento de água e esgoto sanitário

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Relações entre acúmulo de metais em tecido muscular de peixes com diferentes hábitos alimentares coletados na Bacia Hidrográfica do Turvo/Grande

Pós-graduação em Química - IBILCE

Avaliação da remoção de compostos farmacológicos em filtro ecológico seguido por filtro de carvão granular biologicamente ativado

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Civil - FEIS

A piscicultura como possível fator de mitigação aos riscos de contaminação mercurial através do consumo de peixes na região da Amazônia norte matogrossense

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Toxicidade do sulfato de cobre para a tilápia, Oreochromis niloticus e teste ecotoxicológico com Ceriodaphnia dúbia e Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Filtros UV na água de abastecimento público na região da bacia hidrográfica tietê-jacaré: desenvolvimento de método, estudo de ocorrência e concentrações ambientais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação da membrana P81 como agente ligante da técnica de difusão em filmes finos por gradiente de concentração (DGT) para determinação de mercúrio em sistemas aquáticos

Worldwide environmental degradation is an undesirable byproduct resulting from the increasing demand for natural resources. Water sources are suffering intense contamination since they usually receive a huge amount of domestic and industrial effluents - which are mostly wasted without proper treatment - inserting a large number of pollutants in the environment, heavy metals included. Mercury holds great toxicological importance because, under some physicochemical conditions in a water environment, Hg (II) ion turns into methylated compounds stemming from this element, such as methylmercury CH3Hg, which is highly toxic for the aquatic community in which bioaccumulation occurs. Nowadays passive sampling techniques are being developed to enable the analytical procedures which are applied in environmental monitoring. Diffusive gradients in thin-films technique (DGT) has been proven an interesting tool for the determination of labile metal species due to its in situ application. The DGT technique consists of a piston-like device on which the following series of agents is disposed: a binding agent (conventionally Chelex 100 resin), a diffusive agent, usually a polyacrylamide gel, and a membrane filter. Nevertheless, the agents conventinally used for this technique don't usually show satisfactory results in mercury sampling. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the phosphate-treated cellulose membrane (Whatman P 81), an alternative material, as binding agent in the DGT to determine labile mercury fractions in aquatic systems. In this context, we conducted a study of the behavior of this material in relation with system variables, pH and ionic strength. Afterwards we performed immersions of the DGT devices in real and enriched samples and in situ aiming the determination of mercury

A critical comparison of different approaches to sediment-quality assessments in the Santos estuarine system in Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Constructed Wetland for Treating Effluent from Subtropical Aquaculture Farm

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)