Melamine–cyanurate complexes and oxidative stress markers in trout kidney following melamine and cyanuric acid long-term co-exposure and withdrawal

In 2007, renal failure and death in pets were linked to pet food containing both melamine (MEL) and cyanuric acid (CYA). In mammals and fish, the co-administration of MEL and CYA causes renal crystal formation. Moreover, little is known about the process of crystal removal in fish. The aim of this study was to evaluate the formation of MEL–cyanurate crystals in kidney of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed combined MEL and CYA diets for 10 weeks at 250, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg in feed (equivalent to 2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg body weight of trout fed 1 % body weight per day). During the exposure trial and throughout a withdrawal period, prooxidant effects of MEL and CYA were evaluated on oxidative stress markers such as catalase, glutathione S-transferase and malondialdehyde. Crystal formation was dose and time dependent, and after six withdrawal weeks, crystals persisted in kidney of trout treated the highest triazine dose. Catalase and glutathione S-transferase activity in kidney of trout exposed to both triazines for 10 weeks indicated that MEL (with or without CYA) can exert a higher prooxidant effect than CYA dispensed singly. Although the enzymes activity increase appears to be reverted after two MEL withdrawal weeks, persistence of crystals may lead to severe damage in renal cells of fish.     

Treated Industrial Wastewater Effects on Chemical Constitution Maize Biomass,Physicochemical Soil Properties,and Economic Balance

Irrigation with treated wastewaters can improve nutrient levels and yield of crops planted on degraded soils. This study evaluated how irrigation with treated industrial wastewater affected biomass production and nutrition of maize plants and physio-chemical properties of a degraded soil. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using PVC columns. Treatments consisted of 8 treatments irrigated with clean water and increasing doses of N and P, and 8 treatments with 4 proportions of wastewater irrigation (25%, 50%, 75% and 100% v/v). In general, maize biomass did not differ between irrigation water sources. Differences were largely associated with N nutrition. We observed increases in concentrations of N, P, K, S, Mn, Na, Cu, and Zn in tissue of maize under irrigation with wastewater. The addition of treated wastewater increased the P and Na concentrations, and EC values in the soil without affecting clay dispersion in water. An associated economic analysis indicated that wastewater irrigation would not be economically feasible without including environmental benefits. In southern Brazil, the proportion of irrigation water that is wastewater should not exceed 50%.     

Employment of Marine Polysaccharides to Manufacture Functional Biocomposites for Aquaculture Feeding Applications

In this study, polysaccharides of marine origin (agar, alginate and κ-carrageenan) were used to embed nutrients to fabricate biocomposites to be employed in animal feeding. The consistency of biocomposites in water has been evaluated up to 14 days, by several methods: swelling, nutrient release and granulometric analysis. Biocomposites were produced with varying percentages of nutrients (5%–25%) and polysaccharides (1%–2%–3%). All possible biopolymer combinations were tested in order to select those with the best network strength. The best performing biocomposites were those manufactured with agar 2% and nutrients 10%, showing the lowest percentage of water absorption and nutrient release. Biocomposites made of agar 2% and nutrients 10% were the most stable in water and were therefore used to analyze their behavior in water with respect to the release of quercetin, a phenolic compound with demonstrated high antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The leaching of such molecules in water was therefore employed as a further indicator of biocomposite water stability. Altogether, our results confirm the suitability of agar as a binder for biocomposites and provide a positive contribution to aquaculture.     

Detection and Quantification of Human Adenoviruses in Surface Waters by Nested PCR, TaqMan Real-Time PCR and Cell Culture Assays

Adenoviruses are emerging pathogens which may represent new indicators of microbial water quality. In the present study, environmental samples of seawater, estuarine water, and influents of sewage treatment plants underwent both standard bacteriological and viral analyses (adenovirus identification, typing and quantification) in order to evaluate the role of surface water contamination as a possible vehicle for the transmission of adenovirus, and the relevance of adenoviruses as an additional tool in water quality assessment. Qualitative PCR methods were used for the detection and typing of adenoviruses. This was done through the sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of segments of the hexon- and fiber-coding regions of the viral genome. Subsequently, quantitative PCR assays based on TaqMan probe hydrolysis technology were used to assess virus concentrations in environmental samples. Results showed a widespread presence of adenovirus in the environment, even in the absence of bacterial indicators, confirming the relevance of evaluating these viruses as possible indicators of viral contamination of water.     

Cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of 4-methylthio-3-butenyl isothiocyanate from Raphanus sativus L. (Kaiware Daikon) sprouts

There is high current interest in the chemopreventive potential of Brassica vegetables (cruciferae), particularly due to their content in glucosinolates (GL), which upon myrosinase hydrolysis release the corresponding isythiocyanates (ITC). Some ITCs, such as sulforaphane (SFN) from broccoli ( Brassica oleacea italica), have been found to possess anticancer activity through induction of apoptosis in selected cell lines, as well as indirect antioxidant activity through induction of phase II detoxifying enzymes. Japanese daikon ( Raphanus sativus L.) is possibly the vegetable with the highest per capita consumption within the Brassicaceae family. Thanks to a recently improved gram scale production process, it was possible to prepare sufficient amounts of the GL glucoraphasatin (GRH) as well as the corresponding ITC 4-methylthio-3-butenyl isothiocyanate (GRH-ITC) from its sprouts. This paper reports a study on the cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of GRH-ITC compared with the oxidized counterpart 4-methylsulfinyl-3-butenyl isothiocyanate (GRE-ITC) on three human colon carcinoma cell lines (LoVo, HCT-116, and HT-29) together with a detailed kinetic investigation of the direct antioxidant/radical scavenging ability of GRH and GRH-ITC. Both GRH-ITC and GRE-ITC reduced cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis in the three cancer cell lines. The compounds significantly ( p < 0.05) increased Bax and decreased Bcl2 protein expression, as well as producing caspase-9 and PARP-1 cleavage after 3 days of exposure in the three cancer cell lines. GRH-ITC treatment was shown to have no toxicity with regard to normal human lymphocytes (-15 +/- 5%) in comparison with SFN (complete growth inhibition). GRH and GRH-ITC were able to quench the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, with second-order rate constants of 14.0 +/- 2.8 and 43.1 +/- 9.5 M(-1) s(-1), respectively (at 298 K in methanol), whereas the corresponding value measured here for the reference antioxidant alpha-tocopherol was 425 +/- 40 M (-1) s (-1). GRH reacted with H2O2 and tert-butyl hydroperoxide in water (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C, with rate constants of 1.9 +/- 0.3 x 10(-2) and 9.5 +/- 0.3 x 10(-4) M(-1) s (-1) (paralleling recently developed synthetic antioxidants) being quantitatively (>97%) converted to GRE. It is demonstrated that GRH-ITC has interesting antioxidant/radical scavenging properties, associated with a selective cytotoxic/apoptotic activity toward three human colon carcinoma cell lines, and very limited toxicity on normal human T-lymphocytes.     

Modelling the distribution of marine fishery resources: Where are we?

Ecological niche models (ENMs) and species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely applied to various studies relevant to biogeography, conservation biology, and ecology. These modelling techniques seek to develop spatial maps for projecting, among others past, current, and future species distributions. Born in the field of terrestrial ecology, only in recent years have these models been applied to marine environmental issues, especially to improve the forecasting of the distribution of occurrences and capturing of fishery resources. This study aimed to present through bibliometric analysis the characteristics of articles related to the use of ENMs and SDMs in marine fishery resources considering three main points: (1) state of the art: number of articles over the years, journals, countries, collaborations, and focus of research; (2) characteristics linked to fishery resources: marine biogeographic realms, taxonomic groups, life phases, oceanographic zones, and behaviours; (3) characteristics linked to methods: type of method, type of biological and, environmental data. We provide a list of 378 articles (derived from 930 screened ones), the results, and a discussion of our findings, which represent a baseline for the current status (strengths, limits, and gaps) of the interface between ENMs/SDMs and fishery resources.     

Cellular and humoral response of in ovo-bursectomized chickens to experimental challenge with velogenic Newcastle disease virus

Humorally deficient, in ovo-bursectomized (Bx) and sham-Bx chickens were vaccinated twice, 1 month apart, with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) Roakin strain and challenged with a velogenic viscerotropic NDV strain via the oronasal route. Hemagglutination-inhibition and seroneutralization tests showed that Bx chickens had reduced antibody-mediated immunity to virus infection. In contrast, they had significantly higher cell-mediated immunity (CMI) before challenge, as estimated simultaneously by determination of blastogenic capacity of peripheral blood lymphocytes induced by phytohemagglutinin and by specific antigen stimulation. After virus challenge, there was transitory inhibition of CMI based on marked reductions in levels of stimulation indices, and this impairment in CMI was supported by persistence of virus in Bx chickens for longer periods. Bx chickens resisted challenge, even though antibody titers were well below those considered predictive of resistance to challenge, suggesting that CMI provides a degree of resistance to velogenic NDV.     

Giardia intestinalis in North Island possums, house mice and ship rats

Giardia intestinalis cysts were detected in faeces from 12.9% of 124 brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) trapped in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, the Wairarapa and Wellington; in faecal material from 61.0% of 77 ship rats (Rattus rattus) from areas of Auckland, Hawke's Bay and Wellington; and in faecal material from 25.3% of 182 house mice (Mus musculus) from the North Island. Possums and rodents in forested areas of Auckland and Wellington city water catchments were infected. The role of wild animals in maintaining and spreading Giardia in New Zealand is discussed.     

Carcinoma of the submandibular salivary glands with multiple metastases in a cat

A 9-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented because of coughing, dysphagia, and prostration. Examination revealed firm bilateral anterocervical swellings extensively adhered to the surrounding tissues. Anisocoria with left-side miosis was also evident. X-ray and ultrasound examinations along with a fine-needle aspiration biopsy were performed. Slides were stained with May-Grünwald Giemsa, and a diagnosis of salivary gland carcinoma was made. At surgery, the tumor was found to involve both submandibular salivary glands as well as adjacent lymph nodes and surrounding tissues. The cat was euthanized and necropsy was performed. The majority of tissues and organs examined histologically, including mandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes, soft palate, laryngopharynx and lungs, contained neoplastic cells whose appearance was consistent with adenocarcinoma. Bilateral salivary adenocarcinoma has not previously been reported in cats, and extensive metastases are rare.