O ferro é um elemento essencial para o crescimento e desenvolvimento das plantas, envolvido em processos metabólicos essenciais, como fotossíntese e respiração. Entretanto, quando livre e em excesso, pode gerar estresse oxidativo. A toxidez por excesso de ferro trata-se do maior problema nutricional em arroz alagado, sendo responsável por perdas na produtividade. Diversas estratégias para minimizar os efeitos tóxicos do ferro vêm sendo desenvolvidas, e entre elas, o uso de cultivares tolerantes é considerada a mais efetiva. Porém, poucos dados com relação à interação entre diferentes genótipos de arroz e o ambiente encontram-se disponíveis. Utilizando-se de abordagens bioquímicas e moleculares, foram analisadas as respostas de diferentes cultivares de arroz expostas a altos níveis de ferro, crescidas em campo ou em laboratório. A toxidez por excesso de ferro teve um claro efeito foto-oxidativo, levando a quedas nos teores de clorofila, bem como a danos oxidativos. Excessivos níveis de ferro levaram a um aumento na atividade de enzimas antioxidantes, bem como a alterações no estado oxidativo da célula, modificando as concentrações das formas oxidadas e reduzidas de ascorbato e glutationa. A concentração de ferro apresentou-se variável nas cultivares tolerantes testadas. Os dados obtidos indicam que possíveis mecanismos de tolerância ao excesso de ferro podem envolver a capacidade de acumular ferro em frações superiores a 3kDa, maior atividade de SOD (através da expressão diferencial de três isoformas), bem como a limitação da captura do metal, possivelmente envolvendo a lignificação e remodelamento da parede celular das células da raiz. Altos níveis de ferro levaram ao acúmulo de transcritos dos genes de ferritina, em especial de OsFER2, dependente de um passo oxidativo, bem como à expressão de outros genes relacionados a homeostase de ferro. Cinco genes pertencentes às famílias gênicas ZIP (OsZIP1, OsZIP7 e OsZIP8) e NRAMP (OsNRAMP4 e OsNRAMP5) tiveram sua expressão induzida em plantas expostas a altos níveis de ferro, sugerindo seu possível envolvimento em respostas ao excesso de ferro. Os genes OsIRT1 e OsIRT2, OsNRAMP1 e OsYS7, cuja expressão relativa foi aumentada em condições de deficiência de ferro, tiveram sua expressão reduzida em excesso de ferro. Esses genes codificam transportadores de alta afinidade por ferro, sugerindo a ocorrência de uma resposta coordenada, dependente da concentração de ferro. Plantas de cultivares de arroz distintas apresentaram diferentes mecanismos de tolerância ao excesso de ferro. / Iron is an essential nutrient for growth and development of plants, involved in important plant biological processes, such as photosynthesis and respiration. However, when free and in excessive levels inside the cell, iron can act as a pro-oxidant, leading to oxidative stress. Iron toxicity is considered the major nutritional disorder in waterlogged and lowland rice, being responsible for losses on rice production. Several management strategies have been developed to overcome iron toxicity, and the most cost-effective approach is the use of tolerant rice cultivars. Despite this, few data concerning the relation between different rice cultivars and its environment are available. Through the use of molecular and biochemical approaches, we analyzed the responses of distinct rice genotypes exposed to iron excess, cultivated in the field or in the laboratory. Iron toxicity had a clear photo oxidative damage, leading to decreases in chlorophyll levels and generating oxidative damage. Iron excess also induced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, as well as an alteration in the redox status of the cell, besides concentration varied between the studied cultivars. Mechanisms involved in the tolerance to iron toxicity may involve the capacity to accumulate iron at molecular mass fractions, a higher SOD activity (probably through the differential induction of SOD isoforms), and also the limitation of iron uptake in nutrient solution. This limitation may rely in the root cell wall remodeling and lignifications. Iron lead to an up-regulation of ferritin genes, especially OsFER2, with this induction being dependent on an oxidative step. Iron excess also lead to an induction on the relative gene expression of iron homeostasis-related genes. Five genes belonging to two distinct gene families, ZIP (OsZIP1, OsZIP7 and OsZIP8) and NRAMP (OsNRAMP4 e OsNRAMP5), were up-regulated in plants exposed to iron excess, suggesting their possible role in response to excessive amounts of iron. Interestingly, five genes (OsIRT1 and OsIRT2, OsNRAMP1 and OsYS7) up-regulated by iron deficiency, were regulated in an opposite way by iron excess. All the five genes encode proteins involved in the uptake and transport of iron, suggesting a coordinated response, depending on the iron concentration. Taken together, our results indicated that different rice cultivars can use distinct tolerance mechanisms.

The common bean Phaseolus vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1753) (Fabaceae) is a legume of great importance as a source of vegetal protein in Brazil. The insect damages bean grains and reduces its quality, affecting the appearance, palatability and acceptability by the consumers. The weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman, 1833) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) is one of the main pests of stored beans. The larvae of this insect open galleries in the bean grains, attacking the cotyledons and can completely destroy them. The methods currently used to control storage pest species are the purges and treatment with residual insecticides that are not always effective to exterminate the pests or to prevent reinfestation, and may result in problems such as insect resistance and animals and humans poisoning. This work aimed to evaluate the insecticidal activity of ten different plant species for the control of Z. subfasciatus. The weevil repellence, mortality, oviposition and adult emergence were evaluated in a non-choice test and the weevil oviposition and adult emergence were evaluated in a free-choice test. The plant species used were: Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) (cebil), Annona muricata L (soursop), Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (neem), Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul. ( catingueira ), Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Mexican tea), Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. (lemongrass), Cymbopogon sp. (citronella), Momordica charantia L. (bitter melon), Ricinus communis L. (castor oil plant) and Piper nigrum L. (Black pepper). For the repellence evaluation, a repellence index was established, using the t test for comparing the means. For the mortality and oviposition analysis, in the non-choice test, the F test was used and, when necessary, the means were compared by the Tukey´s test. Mortality, oviposition and adult emergence data were verified and, through a regression analysis, it could be concluded that C. ambrosioides and P. nigrum powders were highly toxic to the weevils, both causing 100% mortality after only four days of exposure. The powders from A. muricata, A. indica, C. pyramidalis, C. ambrosioides, Cymbopogon sp., C. citratus and P. nigrum were repellent to Z. subfasciatus adults and, except for C. pyramidalis, they little prefered oviposition in the free-choice test. In the non-choice oviposition test, there were no eggs on beans treated with C. ambrosioides and P. nigrum powders, and consequently, there was no adult emergence. / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas / O feijão, Phaseolus vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1753) (Fabaceae), é a leguminosa de maior importância como fonte de proteína vegetal no Brasil. Os danos causados pelos insetos aos grãos de feijão reduzem a qualidade, afetando a aparência, palatabilidade e aceitabilidade pelo consumidor. O caruncho Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boheman, 1833) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) é uma das principais pragas do feijão armazenado. As larvas desses insetos abrem galerias no grão de feijão, atacando os cotilédones e podendo destruí-los completamente. Os métodos atualmente utilizados para o controle de espécies de pragas em armazenamento são os expurgos e o tratamento com inseticidas residuais, que nem sempre são eficientes para controlar as pragas ou para evitar a reinfestação, podendo resultar em problemas de resistência dos insetos e intoxicações em animais e seres humanos. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a atividade inseticida de dez diferentes espécies vegetais para o controle de Z. subfasciatus. Foram avaliadas a mortalidade, oviposição e emergência, em teste sem chance de escolha, repelência e oviposição e emergência, em teste com chance de escolha. As plantas estudadas foram: Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) (angico), Annona muricata L (graviola), Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (nim), Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul. (catingueira), Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (mastruz), Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. (capim-santo), Cymbopogon sp. (citronela), Momordica charantia L. (melão-de-são-caetano), Ricinus communis L. (mamona) e Piper nigrum L. (pimenta-do-reino). Para a avaliação da repelência, foi estabelecido um índice de repelência, e utilizado o teste t para comparação das médias. Na análise de mortalidade e oviposição em teste sem chance de escolha, foi usado o teste F e, quando necessário, as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. Os dados de mortalidade, oviposição e emergência foram verificados e, pela análise de variância, pôde-se observar que o pó de C. ambrosioides é altamente tóxico aos insetos, assim como P. nigrum, causando a mortalidade de 100% dos insetos em apenas quatro dias de exposição. Os pós de A. muricata, A. indica, C. pyramidalis, C. ambrosioides, Cymbopogon sp., C. citratus e P. nigrum foram repelentes aos adultos de Z. subfasciatus e, com exceção de C. pyramidalis, também foram pouco preferidos para oviposição em teste com chance de escolha. Em teste de oviposição sem chance de escolha, os feijões tratados com os pós de C. ambrosioides e P. nigrum não foram ovipositados e, consequentemente, não houve emergência de adultos.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:30:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 592598 bytes, checksum: 426ea859c7a6e32391dce6a699e79ac8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-04-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Historicamente a avaliação dos efeitos de pesticidas sobre artrópodes tem se baseado fundamentalmente em efeitos letais, sendo os efeitos sub-letais frequentemente negligenciadas. Entretanto, efeitos simulatórios associados com baixas doses de compostos que são tóxicos em altas doses, têm sido reportados recentemente e reconhecido como um fenômeno toxicológico. Evidência dessas respostas estimulatórias foram também verificadas em ácaros e alguns insetos-praga expostos a pesticidas, e é reconhecido como uma das potenciais causas de ressurgimento de pragas e aumento nas populações de pragas secundárias. Entretanto, parâmetros de fitness e suas implicações foram raramente considerados em estudos toxicológicos, sendo que inimigos naturais raramente são considerados nesses estudos. No presente estudo reportamos os efeitos simulatórios de dose sub-letais (variando de 0,02 a 172,00 ppb além do tratamento testemunha) do piretróide permetrina aplicado tópicante em nimfas de terceiro instar Podisus distinctus (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Os parâmetros estimados de tabelas de fertilidade dos insetos expostos à doses crescentes do inseticida indicaram um pequeno aumento no tempo médio de sobrevivência para as doses ≥ 0,20 ppb e um pico na taxa de reprodução básica na dose de 1,72 ppb. Essa tendência coincide e se correlaciona com a taxa de reprodução intrínseca da população (n = 18, r = 0,78, P = 0,0001), que também apresentou um pico na dose de 1,72 ppb, levando a um valores reprodutivos maiores dos insetos expostos a estas doses. Este fenômeno foi interpretado como homese induzida por inseticida e suas implicações são discutidas. / The assessment of pesticide effects in arthropods historically have relied heavily on acute lethal effects and the sub-lethal responses to such compounds are frequently neglected. However, stimulatory effects associated with low doses of compounds toxic at higher doses, such as pesticides, have been widely reported in recent years and recognized as a general toxicological phenomenon. Evidence of such stimulatory response has also been reported among mites and a few insect pest-species exposed to pesticides and recognized as a one of the potential causes underlying pest resurgence and secondary pest outbreaks. However, fitness parameters and its implications were seldom considered in these studies and natural enemies are not usually target of attention. Here we reported the stimulatory effect of sub-lethal doses (ranging from 0.02 to 172.00 ppb in addition to the control) of the pyrethroid permethrin topically applied to 3rd instar nymphs of the spined soldier bug Podisus distinctus (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). The parameters estimated from the fertility tables of insects exposed to the increasing doses of insecticide indicated a slight increase in the mean survival time for doses ≥ 0.20 ppb and a peak in the net reproductive rate at 1.72 ppb. This trend is coincident and correlated with the intrinsic rate of population growth (n = 18, r = 0.78, P = 0.0001), which also shows a peak at 1.72 ppb leading to higher reproductive values of insects exposed to this dose. The phenomenon was recognized as insecticide-induced hormesis and its potential implications were discussed.

QUARESMA, Fabrízia da Silva. Concentração letal média (CL50-96h) e efeitos subletais da amônia não ionizada sobre parâmetros hematológicos de alevinos de tambacu (Colossoma macropomum fêmea x Piaractus mesopotamicus macho). 2016. 53 f. : Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceara, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Departamento de Engenharia de Pesca, Fortaleza-CE, 2016 / Submitted by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-07-22T14:52:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_fsquaresma.pdf: 1262731 bytes, checksum: 837440ddfa1a47f8014fdf9a4a826ce7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Nádja Goes (nmoraissoares@gmail.com) on 2016-07-22T14:52:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_fsquaresma.pdf: 1262731 bytes, checksum: 837440ddfa1a47f8014fdf9a4a826ce7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-22T14:52:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_fsquaresma.pdf: 1262731 bytes, checksum: 837440ddfa1a47f8014fdf9a4a826ce7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / Ammonia is a toxic compound to aquatic organisms and at high concentrations in the water can cause various changes in the animal. Therefore, it becomes important to determine the tolerance of farmed aquatic animals for that substance. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the median lethal concentration (LC50-96h) of un-ionized ammonia (NH3) in fingerlings tambacu (Colossoma macropomum x Piaractus mesopotamicus) in acute toxicity test and evaluate the effects of concentrations sublethal through the analysis of hematological parameters. In the acute toxicity test, the fingerl ings were exposed to ammonia at concentrations of: 0,09 (control); 0,54; 1,23; 2,52; 3 ,44 and 3,66 mg L-1NH3, which were obtained from the application of NH4Cl. The test lasted 96 hours and mortalities were recorded over that period. The LC50 was determin ed by statistical method Trimmed Spearman Karber . In sublethal exposure to ammonia test concentrations used were : 0,04 (control), 0,19 and 0,35mg L-1NH3.For analysis of hematological parameters, blood samples were collected before the addition of NH4Cl(timezero) and after 96 hours of exposure.The hematological parameters analyzed were: hematocrit ( Ht), hemoglobin(Hb), red blood cell count(RBC) mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC). Data hematological parameters were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and when there was a significant difference between treatments , the averages were compared in pairs through the Tukey's HSD test (α=0,05).LC50-96h of theun - ionized ammonia (NH3) to fingerlings the hybrid tambacu was 1,63m g L-1. After 96h exposure to 0,35 mg L-1NH3, fish showed significant reductions in hematocrit and the MCV and significant increase in MCHC. Already Hb,RBC and MCH did not differ significantly between treatments and time 0. The exposure to fingerlins tambacu for short period to 0,19 mg L -1 of un-ionized ammonia (NH3) does not cause significant changes in hematological parameters of these fish. / A amônia é um composto tóxico para os organismos aquáticos e em elevadas concentrações na água pode causar diversas alterações no animal. Dessa forma, torna-se importante determinar o limite de tolerância dos animais aquáticos cultivados à essa substância. Sendo assim, o objetivo do trabalho foi determinar a concentração letal média (CL50-96h) da amônia não ionizada (NH3) em alevinos de tambacu (Colossoma macropomum x Piaractus mesopotamicus), em teste de toxicidade aguda e avaliar os efeitos de concentrações subletais através da análise de parâmetros hematólogicos. No teste de toxicidade aguda, os alevinos foram expostos à amônia, nas concentrações de: 0,09 (controle); 0,54; 1,23; 2,52; 3,44 e 3,66 mg L-1 NH3, que foram obtidas a partir da aplicação de NH4Cl. O teste teve duração de 96h e as mortalidades foram registradas ao longo desse período. A CL50 foi determinada pelo método estatístico Trimmed Spearman Karber. No teste de exposição subletal à amônia, utilizou-se as concentrações: 0,04 (controle), 0,19 e 0,35 mg L-1 NH3. Para análise dos parâmetros hematológicos, foram realizadas coletas de sangue antes da adição de NH4Cl (tempo zero) e após 96h de exposição. Os parâmetros hematológicos analisados foram: hematócrito (Ht), taxa de hemoglobina (Hb), número de eritrócitos (RBC), volume corpuscular médio (VCM), hemoglobina corpuscular média (HCM) e concentração de hemoglobina corpuscular média (CHCM). Os dados dos parâmetros hematológicos foram submetidos à análise de variância (ANOVA) e quando houve diferença significativa entre os tratamentos, as médias foram comparadas duas a duas através do teste de Tukey (α=0,05). A CL50-96h da amônia não ionizada (NH3) para alevinos do híbrido tambacu foi 1,63 mg L-1. Após exposição de 96h a 0,35 mg L-1 NH3, os peixes apresentaram reduções significativas no Ht e VCM e aumento significativo na CHCM. Já Hb, RBC e HCM não diferiram significativamente entre os tratamentos e o tempo 0. A exposição de alevinos de tambacu por curto período de tempo a 0,19 mg L-1 de amônia não ionizada (NH3) não causa alterações significativas nos parâmetros hematológicos desses peixes.

No presente trabalho se estuda a degradação fotocatalítica de rosuvastatina, fármaco usado para redução dos níveis de colesterol no sangue, empregando-se ZnO como catalisador. Os experimentos foram realizados em um reator batelada de vidro com controle de temperatura, sob radiação UV. Avaliou-se a influência das principais variáveis operacionais na velocidade da reação, como concentração de catalisador, pH inicial da solução e concentração inicial de rosuvastatina. Ensaios preliminares de fotólise e adsorção foram realizados a fim de verificar seus efeitos na degradação do fármaco. A avaliação dos produtos de degradação foi realizada por cromatografia líquida acoplada à espectrometria de massas. Também foram feitos testes de toxicidade aguda com Daphnia magna. Além disso, foi estudada a atividade fotocatalítica de outros três catalisadores ZnO sintetizados. Os resultados experimentais mostraram que a degradação fotocatalítica de rosuvastatina é um processo majoritariamente fotocatalisado e que, com 1h de reação, na presença de ZnO comercial, 75% do fármaco é degradado, seguindo uma cinética de pseudoprimeira ordem. Para o caso de fotocatálise empregando ZnO comercial, os subprodutos mostraram-se mais tóxicos e mais refratários que o contaminante inicial. Além disso, o TiO2 apresentou menor toxicidade aguda do que o ZnO e a Daphnia magna mostrou alta sensibilidade a estes subprodutos. Todos os catalisadores, utilizados neste trabalho, apresentaram atividade fotocatalítica, sendo que os catalisadores sintetizados (ZnO-I, II e III) apresentaram um desempenho menor que o ZnO comercial na reação de degradação da rosuvastatina. Observou-se que a atividade fotocatalítica do ZnO é fortemente influenciada pela metodologia de preparação do catalisador, dado que o percentual de degradação da rosuvastatina diferiu entre os catalisadores, sendo o ZnO-I o catalisador que apresentou melhor desempenho entre os sintetizados, com degradação da estatina de 46%, resultado similar ao obtido para o catalisador TiO2 comercial. / The photocatalytic degradation of Rosuvastatin, a drug used to reduce blood cholesterol levels, employing ZnO as catalyst was studied in this work. The experiments were carried out in a UV irradiated batch reactor, equipped with temperature control. The effect of catalyst concentration, initial pH and initial Rosuvastatin concentration were evaluated. Photolysis and adsorption tests were conducted to verify their effects on drug degradation. The evaluation of the degradation products was performed by nano-ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Acute toxicity tests with Daphnia magna were also carried out. Additionally, we studied the photocatalytic activity of three other ZnO catalysts prepared in our lab. The experimental results showed that rosuvastatin degradation is mainly a photocatalytic process which follows a pseudo-first order kinetics and, when using commercial ZnO, presents 75% degradation after a 1h reaction time. When employing commercial ZnO, these products also proved to be more toxic and resistant than rosuvastatin. Furthermore, TiO2 showed lower acute toxicity than ZnO catalyst and Daphnia magna was found to be very sensitivity to these byproducts. All catalysts used in this study demonstrated photocatalytic activity and the prepared catalysts (ZnO-I, II e III) were less efficient than the commercial one in the rosuvastatin degradation reaction. ZnO photocatalytic activity was affected by the catalyst's preparation method. The ZnO-I presented the best performance among the synthesized catalysts, presenting 46% of statin degradation. The same result was obtained for the TiO2 catalyst.

Introduction: Bone defects and non-unions caused by trauma, tumor resection, pathological degeneration, or congenital deformity pose a great challenge in the field of orthopedics. Traditionally, these defects have been repaired by using autografts and allografts. Autografts have set the gold standard for clinical bone repair because of their osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity and osteogenicity. Nevertheless, the application of autografts is limited because of donor availability and donor site morbidity. Allografts have the advantage that the tissues are readily available and can be easily applied, especially when large segments of bone are to be reconstructed. However, their use is also limited by the risk of disease transfer and immune rejection. To circumvent these limitations tissue engineering has evolved as a means to develop viable bone grafts. An ideal bone graft should be both osteoconductive and osteoinductive, biomechanically strong, minimally antigenic, and eliminates donor site morbidity and quantity issues. The biodegradable polymer, Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLAGA) was chosen because of its commercial availability, biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, controlled degradation rate, and its ability to promote optimal cell growth. To improve the mechanical properties of PLAGA, Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT) were used as a reinforcing material to fabricate composite scaffolds. The overall goal of this project is to develop a Single Walled Carbon Nanotube composite (SWCNT/PLAGA) for bone regeneration and to examine the interaction of MC3T3-E1 cells (mouse fibroblasts) and hBMSCs (human bone marrow derived stem cells) with the SWCNT/PLAGA composite via focusing on extracellular matrix production and mineralization; and to evaluate its toxicity and bio-compatibility in-vivo in a rat subcutaneous implant model. We hypothesize that reinforcement of PLAGA with SWCNT to fabricate SWCNT/PLAGA composites increases both the mechanical strength of the composites as well as the cell proliferation rate on the surface of the composites while expressing osteoblasts phenotypic, differentiation and mineralization markers; and SWCNT/PLAGA composites are biocompatible and non-toxic, and are ideal candidates for bone tissue engineering. Methods: PLAGA and SWCNT/PLAGA composites were fabricated with various amounts of SWCNT (5, 10, 20, 40 and 100mg), characterized and degradation studies were performed. PLAGA (poly lactic-co-glycolic acid) and SWCNT/PLAGA microspheres and composites were fabricated; characterized and mechanical testing was performed. Cells were seeded and cell adhesion/morphology, growth/survival, proliferation and gene expression analysis were performed to evaluate biocompatibility. Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted subcutaneously with Sham, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLAGA) and SWCNT/PLAGA composites, and sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 and 12 week post-implantation. The animals were observed for signs of morbidity, overt toxicity, weight gain, food consumption, hematological and urinalysis parameters, and histopathology. Results: Imaging studies demonstrated uniform incorporation of SWCNT into the PLAGA matrix and addition of SWCNT did not affect the degradation rate. Composites with 10mg SWCNT resulted in highest rate of cell proliferation (p<0.05) among all composites. Imaging studies demonstrated microspheres with uniform shape and smooth surfaces, and uniform incorporation of SWCNT into PLAGA matrix. The microspheres bonded in a random packing manner while maintaining spacing, thus resembling trabeculae of cancellous bone. Addition of 10mg SWCNT led to greater compressive modulus and ultimate compressive strength. Imaging studies revealed that MC3T3-E1 cells adhered, grew/survived, and exhibited normal, non-stressed morphology on the composites. SWCNT/PLAGA composites exhibited higher cell proliferation rate and gene expression compared to PLAGA. No mortality and clinical signs were observed. All the groups showed consistent weight gain and rate-of-gain for each group was similar. All the groups exhibited similar pattern for food consumption. No difference in urinalysis parameters, hematological parameters; and absolute and relative organ weight was observed. A mild to moderate summary toxicity (sumtox) score was observed for animals treated with the PLAGA and SWCNT/PLAGA whereas the sham animals did not show any response. At all the time intervals both PLAGA and SWCNT/PLAGA showed a significantly higher sumtox score compared to the Sham group. However, there was no significant difference between PLAGA and SWCNT/PLAGA groups. Conclusion: Our SWCNT/PLAGA composites, which possess high mechanical strength and mimic the microstructure of human trabecular bone, displayed tissue compatibility similar to PLAGA, a well known biocompatible polymer over the 12 week study. Thus, the results obtained demonstrate the potential of SWCNT/PLAGA composites for application in BTE and musculoskeletal regeneration. Future studies will be designed to evaluate the efficacy of SWCNT/PLAGA composites in bone regeneration in a non-union ulnar bone defect rabbit model. As interest in carbon nanotube technology increases, studies must be performed to fully evaluate these novel materials at a nonclinical level to assess their safety. The ability to produce composites capable of promoting bone growth will have a significant impact on tissue regeneration and will allow greater functional recovery in injured patients.

The Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) is a federally endangered species that is endemic to Barton Springs in Austin, Texas. Development within the Barton Springs watershed threatens the continued existence of E. sosorum. A factor that may be contributing to its decline is contamination from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Nearby asphalt parking lots paved with coal-tar and asphalt sealants can be sources of PAHs. Unaltered parent compounds of PAHs can have toxic effects, but oxidation and ultraviolet radiation can create degradation products 100 times more toxic than the parent compounds. The objective of this project was to determine if PAHs are potentially harmful to E. sosorum using two surrogate species. Adult eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) and larval spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) were exposed to sediments with nominal concentrations of total PAHs that ranged from 0 to 1500 mg/kg under UV (290 - 400 nm) and visible (400 - 700 nm) light to determine concentration/response relationships. No statistically significant mortality occurred under any treatment. Exposure to both coal-tar sealant and UV light resulted in sublethal effects such as decreased righting ability and swimming speed. Difficulty in performing such movements would make it difficult to catch prey and increase susceptibility to predation. Exposure to UV light also resulted in elevated numbers of micronucleated erythrocytes and white blood cells. This study shows that simultaneous exposure to PAHs and UV light result in sublethal effects that could make the population of E. sosorum vulnerable to further decline.

Communication is a large part of multiplayer games, however sometimes communication may lead to misunderstandings or undesired effects which results in hostile behaviors. Toxicity is a huge problem in the video game culture, but by knowing the different emotional effects that voice and text communication causes on a human in a game environment, might be a step towards preventing toxicity from happening.

Base teórica: As fluoropirimidinas possuem significativa variabilidade na resposta terapêutica e na ocorrência de toxicidade, o que tem sido relacionado à deficiência na depuração metabólica mediada pela enzima diidropirimidina desidrogenase (DPD). Mutações nos genes codificadores da enzima, bem como fatores ambientais podem levar à baixa ou nula expressão enzimática, provocando efeitos adversos graves devido ao acúmulo destes fármacos. Até o presente, nenhum teste reconhecidamente valido para a identificação de indivíduos em risco de toxicidade severa está estabelecido na prática oncológica. A genotipagem para o gene DPYD apresenta poder preditivo limitado, pois é capaz de rastrear somente as mutações já conhecidas, que apresentam baixa frequência populacional. Por esta razão, ensaios funcionais baseados na avaliação da redução fisiológica do uracil (U) para diidrouracil (UH2), igualmente medidada pela DPD, têm sido propostos na identificação de pacientes predispostos à toxicidade. Nesta abordagem são estimadas as razões plasmáticas [UH2]/[U] em níveis basais ou após uma dose oral do U. Recentemente, foi sugerida a realização do teste funcional em saliva como amostra alternativa ao plasma, com maior estabilidade dos analitos. Entretanto, a associação entre as razões metabólicas nesta matriz e a toxicidade não foi validada em amostras clínicas. Objetivos: Avaliar a efetividade dos métodos de determinação da razão metabólica [UH2]/[U] em plasma e saliva e a genotipagem para o gene DPYD como preditores de toxicidade por fluoropirimidinas em pacientes com neoplasias gastrointestinais. Adicionalmente, o trabalho propôs o desenvolvimento de um método bioanalítico para a determinação de U e UH2 por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. Métodos: Foram obtidas amostras pareadas de plasma e saliva de 60 pacientes diagnosticados com neoplasia gastrointestinal e com indicação de tratamento com fluoropirimidinas. As concentrações de U e UH2 foram determinadas nas duas matrizes através de LC-MS/MS. Os efeitos adversos do primeiro ciclo de quimioterapia foram classificados de acordo com o NCI-CTCAE versão 4. A genotipagem da DYDP foi realizada por PCR tempo real e incluiu os alelos *2A; *13, Y186C; I560S, *7 Y186C. Resultados: 35% dos pacientes apresentaram toxicidade severa (graus 3/4), sendo a neutropenia a mais frequente (n=11). A genotipagem da DYDP não foi capaz de identificar pacientes em risco de toxicidade, uma vez que não foram encontrados portadores de alelos variáveis. As razões [UH2]/[U] variaram amplamente entre os pacientes, de 0,09 a 26,73 no plasma e de 0,08 a 24 na saliva. As razões [UH2]/[U] no plasma e na saliva demonstraram correlação elevada (rs=-0,575; P<0,01), porém, a saliva demonstrou maior correlação com o grau de toxicidade quando comparada ao plasma (rs=-0,515; P<0,01 vs rs=-0,282 P<0,05). Pacientes com grau de toxicidade 3/4 (n=21) apresentaram menor razão metabólica em comparação a pacientes com grau 1/2 (n=26) ou com ausência de toxicidade (n=13) (média 0.59 vs 2.22 e 2.83 no plasma e 1.62 vs 6.88 e 6.75 na saliva, P<0.01). A partir de curva ROC foi determinado o valor de corte de 1,16 para a razão em saliva com 86% de sensibilidade e 77% de especificidade para a identificação de pacientes com toxicidade severa. Nas amostras de plasma o valor de corte foi 4.0 com 71% de sensibilidade e 76% de especificidade. Adicionalmente, foi desenvolvido e validado um método bioanalítico para a dosagem de U e UH2 com exatidão (98.4–105.3%) e precisão precisão intra-ensaio (5.1–12.1%) e inter-ensaios (5.3–10.1%) satisfatórios. Conclusão: Neste grupo de pacientes a genotipagem dos alelos *2A; Y186C; I560S, Y186C e *7 da DPYD não mostrou-se útil na identificação de indivíduos com deficiência severa da DPD. Entretanto, as razões metabólicas [UH2]/[U] demonstraram ser um promissor teste para avaliar a funcionalidade da enzima e identificar a maioria dos casos de pacientes com sujeitos a toxicidade grave à fluoropirimidinas, com sensibilidade superior da saliva. / Background: Variation on therapeutic response to fluoropirimidines and toxicity have been related to impaired dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) mediated metabolism. Mutations in genes encoding the enzyme as well as environmental factors can lead to reduced or absent enzyme expression, causing serious adverse effects due to the accumulation of these drugs. To date, there is no clinically recognized valid assay, for the identification of individuals at risk of severe toxicity in oncological practice. DPYD genotyping has a limited prediction power, since it is able to identify only the already known mutations, which have low frequency in population. Therefore, functional DPD assays based on the assessment of uracil (U) to dihydrouracil (UH2) metabolism, which is also dependent on DPD, have been proposed to identify patients prone to toxicity. Thus, endogenous metabolic ratios of [UH2]/[U] or after an oral dose of U are determined in plasma. Recently, the use of saliva has been suggested as alternative matrix to plasma, with higher stability of analytes. However, the association between salivary metabolic ratios and toxicity has not been validated in clinical samples. Objective: To evaluate the use of plasma and saliva uracil (U) to dihydrouracil (UH2) metabolic ratios and DPYD genotyping, as a means to identify patients with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency and fluoropyrimidine toxicity. Additionally, the work proposed the development of a bioanalytical method for the determination of U and UH2 by high-performance liquid chromatography. Methods: Paired plasma and saliva samples were obtained from 60 patients with gastrointestinal cancer before fluoropyrimidine treatment. U and UH2 concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS. DPYD was genotyped for alleles *2A; Y186C; I560S, Y186C and *7. Results: 35% of the patients had severe toxicity. There was no variant allele carrier for DPYD. The [UH2]/[U] metabolic ratios were 0.09-26.73 in plasma and 0.08-24.0 in saliva, with higher correlation with toxicity grade in saliva compared to plasma (rs=-0.515 vs rs=-0.282). Median metabolic ratios were lower in patients with severe toxicity as compared to those with absence of toxicity (0.59 vs 2.83 plasma; 1.62 vs 6.75 saliva, P<0.01). A cut-off of 1.16 for salivary ratio was set with 86% sensitivity and 77% specificity for the identification of patients with severe toxicity. Similarly, a plasma cut-off of 4.0 revealed a 71% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Additionally, a bioanalytical method for the quantification of U and UH2, with adequate accuracy (98.4–105.3%) and precision (intra-assay CV 5.1–12.1% and inter-assay CV 5.3–10.1%) was develop and validated. Conclusions: DPYD genotyping for alleles *2A; Y186C; I560S, Y186C and *7 was not helpful in the identification of patients with severe DPD deficiency in this series of patients. The [UH2]/[U] metabolic ratios, however, proved to be a promising functional test to identify the majority of cases of severe DPD activity, with saliva performing better than plasma.

L’incorporation croissante des (nanomatériaux) NMx dans les aliments et les emballages a contribué à une demande sociétale majeure au regard de l’évaluation des risques des NMx sur la santé. Toutefois, en raison des nombreux paramètres des NMx (taille, forme, structure cristalline, solubilité…), ainsi que des processus physiologiques (comme la digestion) pouvant impacter sur l’absorption et la réponse toxique des NMx, l’évaluation des risques des NMx est compliquée. De plus, leur évaluation in vitro est délicate en raison d’interférences (optiques, catalytiques…) lors de la réalisation des tests. Notre projet de recherche visait à déterminer, l’impact des paramètres d’hydrophobicité des NMx de TiO2 de structure cristalline rutile et l’impact de la solubilité des NMx d’Al0 et Al2O3 sur leur toxicité/génotoxicité au niveau intestinal (organe primo-exposé) et hépatique (organe d’accumulation). Les effets de ces NMx ont été étudiés par une combinaison de méthodes complémentaires in vivo par gavage sur rat, et in vitro sur les lignées humaines Caco-2 et HepaRG différenciées, tout en tenant compte des interférences in vitro. Aucune réponse toxique et génotoxique n’a été observée in vitro malgré la différence de revêtement hydrophobe/hydrophile des NMx de TiO2. Seuls les NMx d’Al2O3 ont induit des lésions oxydatives de l’ADN mais uniquement dans les cellules Caco-2, tandis que de fortes interférences ont empêché de conclure avec les NMx d’Al0. Aucun dommage chromosomique n’a été observé pour ces NMx. In vivo aucun effet génotoxique n’a été observé dans l’intestin, le colon et le foie mais des dommages à l’ADN ont été décelés avec les NMx d’Al2O3 dans la moelle osseuse. La comparaison des résultats avec ceux de la forme ionique AlCl3 suppose un mécanisme de génotoxcité indépendant de la solubilité des NMx d’Al0 et d’Al2O3 dans les milieux biologiques. Malgré les nombreux progrès en nanotoxicologie, l’ensemble de nos résultats a souligné la difficulté d’obtenir des conclusions fiables avec des tests classiques utilisés pour les produits chimiques in vitro, la difficulté d’extrapolation in vitro/in vivo des effets des NMx et le besoin de poursuivre les recherches pour disposer de méthodes et d’outils permettant d’évaluer les effets des NMx de manière fiable. / The growing incorporation of nanomaterials (NMs) into food and packaging has contributed to the increasing demand for the assessment of the health hazards of these particles. However, this task is rendered difficult since the numerous intrinsic parameters (size, shape, crystalline structure, solubility ...), as well as physiological processes (such as digestion) can have an impact on the absorption and toxicological responses of NMs. Moreover, their evaluation in vitro is complicated by various sources of interference (optical, catalytic …) with toxicity tests. Our research project aimed to evaluate, the impact of hydrophobicity of rutile TiO2 NMs and solubility of AlO and Al2O3 NMs on their intestinal (first-exposed organ) and hepatic (accumulation organ) toxicity/genotoxicity. The effects of these NMs were investigated by a combination of complementary methods, in the rat in vivo by gavage, and in vitro using differentiated human Caco-2 and HepaRG cell lines, while taking into account potential interference with in vitro tests. No toxic/genotoxic response was observed in vitro despite the difference of hydrophobic/hydrophilic surface coating for TiO2 NMs. Only Al2O3 induced oxidative DNA damage solely in Caco-2 cells, while significant interference led to inconclusive results for AlO NMx. No chromosomal damage was observed for Al0 or Al2O3 NMx. In vivo no genotoxic effect was observed in the intestine, colon and liver but DNA damage was detected with Al2O3NMx in the bone marrow. Comparison of results with those for the ionic form AlCl3 demonstrated that effects observed were not related to the solubility of Al0 and d’ Al2O3 NMs in the biological environment. Despite considerable progress in nanotoxicology, our results have highlighted the difficulty to obtain reliable re sults with the traditional toxicity tests used for chemical compounds in vitro, the difficulty associated with the in vitro/in vivo extrapolation of the effects of NMs, as well as the need to continue research aimed at developing robust and reliable methods and tools for the evaluation of the effects of NMs.