scholarly journals Effects of Aluminium Contamination on the Nervous System of Freshwater Aquatic Vertebrates: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Marie Closset ◽  
Katia Cailliau ◽  
Sylvain Slaby ◽  
Matthieu Marin

Aluminium (Al) is the most common natural metallic element in the Earth’s crust. It is released into the environment through natural processes and human activities and accumulates in aquatic environments. This review compiles scientific data on the neurotoxicity of aluminium contamination on the nervous system of aquatic organisms. More precisely, it helps identify biomarkers of aluminium exposure for aquatic environment biomonitoring in freshwater aquatic vertebrates. Al is neurotoxic and accumulates in the nervous system of aquatic vertebrates, which is why it could be responsible for oxidative stress. In addition, it activates and inhibits antioxidant enzymes and leads to changes in acetylcholinesterase activity, neurotransmitter levels, and in the expression of several neural genes and nerve cell components. It also causes histological changes in nerve tissue, modifications of organism behaviour, and cognitive deficit. However, impacts of aluminium exposure on the early stages of aquatic vertebrate development are poorly described. Lastly, this review also poses the question of how accurate aquatic vertebrates (fishes and amphibians) could be used as model organisms to complement biological data relating to the developmental aspect. This “challenge” is very relevant since freshwater pollution with heavy metals has increased in the last few decades.

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1906
Author(s):  
Phraepakaporn Kunnaja ◽  
Sunee Chansakaow ◽  
Absorn Wittayapraparat ◽  
Pedcharada Yusuk ◽  
Seewaboon Sireeratawong

In Thailand, people in the highland communities whose occupational exposure to pesticides used the root of Litsea martabanica as a detoxifying agent. However, the scientific data to support the traditional use of this plant are insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and anti-pesticide potential of L. martabanica root extract. Antioxidant properties were investigated by 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, superoxide radicals scavenging assay, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total phenolic content determination. In all assays, L. martabanica extracts and their fractions exhibited high antioxidant activities differently. The water extract is traditionally used as a detoxifying agent. Therefore, it was chosen for in vivo experiments. The rats received the extract in a way that mimics the traditional methods of tribal communities followed by chlorpyrifos for 16 days. The results showed that acetylcholinesterase activity decreases in pesticide-exposed rats. Treatment with the extract caused increasing acetylcholinesterase activity in the rats. Therefore, L. martabanica extract may potentially be used as a detoxifying agent, especially for the chlorpyrifos pesticide. The antioxidant properties of L. martabanica may provide a beneficial effect by protecting liver cells from damage caused by free radicals. Histopathology results revealed no liver cell necrosis and showed the regeneration of liver cells in the treatment group. L. martabanica extract did not cause changes in behavior, liver weight, hematological and biochemical profiles of the rats.


Author(s):  
Anjali Daisy

Neural networks are like the models of the brain and nervous system. It is highly parallel and processes information much more like the brain than a serial computer. It is very useful in learning information, using and executing very simple and complex behaviors, applications like powerful problem solvers and biological models. There are different types of neural networks like Biological, Feed Forward, Recurrent, and Elman. Biological Neural Networks require some biological data to predict information. In Feed Forward Networks, information flows in one way. In Recurrent Networks, information flows in multiple directions. Elman Networks feature Partial re-currency with a sense of time.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Giulia Lionetto ◽  
Roberto Caricato ◽  
Antonio Calisi ◽  
Maria Elena Giordano ◽  
Trifone Schettino

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key enzyme in the nervous system. It terminates nerve impulses by catalysing the hydrolysis of neurotransmitter acetylcholine. As a specific molecular target of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, acetylcholinesterase activity and its inhibition has been early recognized to be a human biological marker of pesticide poisoning. Measurement of AChE inhibition has been increasingly used in the last two decades as a biomarker of effect on nervous system following exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides in occupational and environmental medicine. The success of this biomarker arises from the fact that it meets a number of characteristics necessary for the successful application of a biological response as biomarker in human biomonitoring: the response is easy to measure, it shows a dose-dependent behavior to pollutant exposure, it is sensitive, and it exhibits a link to health adverse effects. The aim of this work is to review and discuss the recent findings about acetylcholinesterase, including its sensitivity to other pollutants and the expression of different splice variants. These insights open new perspective for the future use of this biomarker in environmental and occupational human health monitoring.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 205873922093455
Author(s):  
Gui-hong Zhang ◽  
Krishna Dilip Murthy ◽  
Rahmawati Binti Pare ◽  
Yi-hua Qian

Tissue repair and regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) remains a serious medical problem. CNS diseases such as traumatic and neurological brain injuries have a high mortality and disability rate, thereby bringing a considerable amount of economic burden to society and families. How to treat traumatic and neurological brain injuries has always been a serious issue faced by neurosurgeons. The global incidence of traumatic and neurological brain injuries has gradually increased and become a global challenge. Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is the main G-actin variant molecule in eukaryotic cells. During the development of the CNS, Tβ4 regulates neurogenesis, tangential expansion, tissue growth, and cerebral hemisphere folding. In addition, Tβ4 has anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties. It promotes angiogenesis, wound healing, stem/progenitor cell differentiation, and other characteristics of cell migration and survival, providing a scientific basis for the repair and regeneration of injured nerve tissue. This review provides evidence to support the role of Tβ4 in the protection and repair of nervous tissue in CNS diseases, especially with the potential to control brain inflammatory processes, and thus open up new therapeutic applications for a series of neurodegenerative diseases.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 1882-1882
Author(s):  
Alessandro Gozzetti ◽  
Stefania Oliva ◽  
Fabiana Gentilini ◽  
Elena Marchini ◽  
Maria Teresa Petrucci ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 1882 Poster Board I-905 Introduction. Intracranial involvement (IC) in multiple myeloma (MM) is extremely rare, most frequently resulting from osseous lesions in the cranial vault and skull base. Central nervous system (CNS) MM is even rarer (arising in less than 1% of the patients) consisting in intraparenchymal localizations, cerebral plasmacytomas or CNS myelomatosis. Patients described in the literature are few and treatments are variegate: systemic chemotherapy, (CHT), intrathecal therapy, (IT), radiotherapy, (RT) with results being discouraging with median survivals of 1 month or less. The impact of new drugs (thalidomide, bortezomib, lenalidomide) on CNS and IC MM has not been reported. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively collected clinical and biological data of patients presenting with a CNS or IC MM irrespective of disease status (diagnosis, response, relapse) by sending a questionnaire to the GIMEMA (Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche dell'Adulto) centers. Twelve centers answered. Results. Clinical characteristics. A total of 32 patients (M:F=18:14) were registered. All patients had an IC or CNS MM observed in the period between 2004–2009. Ten patients presented a CNS involvement, while 22 had an IC involvement. 9/32 patients had a CNS /IC involvement at diagnosis (4/5); 23/32 patients has a CNS/IC involvement after a median of 16 months (range 1–104) from MM diagnosis. Median age was 63 years (range 44–83) with no difference in both groups; monoclonal protein was IgG 18 (k16, λ2), IgA 6 (k4, λ2), BJ 6 (k3, λ3), non secretory 2. One patient had a solitary primitive IC plasmacytoma, 1 patient had an extramedullary localization in the lung. β2-microglobulin was available in 23 patients with a median value of 4 (range 1.1–17,5): ≤3.5 in 9 patients; >3.5<5.5 in 8 patients; >5.5 in 6 patients. FISH on bone marrow plasma cells was available in 11/32 patients: 60% of the patients showed genomic abnormalities, the more frequent being in order del 13q, t(11;14), del 17p. The most frequent presenting symptoms were in order headache (30%), confusion (27%), visual disturbances (25%), extremities weakness (21%), cranial nerve palsies (21%), paraesthesias (12%), vertigo (5%), convulsions (4%). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was the preferred radiological imaging in 23/32 patients; computed tomography (CT) was used in 9/32 patients. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) involvement was demonstrated in 5/10 CNS MM. Cytogenetic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid was available in two patients who showed a complex karyotype. Treatment. CHT only was administered to 21 patients, CHT+RT to 5 patients, CHT+RT+IT to 3 patients, RT only to 1 , CHT +IT to 1, RT+IT to 1. Bortezomib was used in 15 patients, Thalidomide in 9, Lenalidomide in 3, MP in 7 , VAD in 3, PAD (with liposomal doxorubicin) in 2, cyclophosphamide in 3, other treatments in 3, and 8 patients received an high dose treatment + stem cells transplant (SCT) (5 Autologous/ 3 Allogeneic). 18/32 patients had a response after treatment defined as at least a reduction of 50% of the mass and /or M component (13 CR+VGPR) ; 17 patients had symptoms disappearance. PFS was at a median of 5 months (range 1–36). Median OS for CNS MM was 5 months (range 1–23), OS for IC MM was 9 months (range 1–42). 5/10 patients with CNS MM died at a median of 2 months (1–6); while 13/22 IC MM died at median of 8 months (1–46). 14/32 patients are alive at the present time (5 CNS, 9 IC). Interestingly, of 5 CNS MM patients alive 1 had AutoSCT , 4 received Bortezomib (1 combined with MP, 2 with liposomal doxorubicin, 1 with thalidomide); while of the 9 IC MM alive 3 received Bortezomib, 3 Auto SCT, 1 thalidomide, 1 lenalidomide, 1 cyclophosphamide. β2-microglobulin > 5.5 was a poor prognostic factor, as well as age >65 years. Conclusions. High dose therapies followed by autologous SCT seem to be the preferable therapy for eligible young patients. Novel drugs such as bortezomib, thalidomide, lenalidomide seem to increase the quality of responses and to prolong survival respect to what reported in the literature. Largest prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. Disclosures: Petrucci: celgene: Honoraria; Jansenn-cilag: Honoraria. Palumbo:CELGENE: Honoraria.


1979 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ø. Christensen

ABSTRACTSchistosoma mansonicercariae labelled with75Se-methionine were used to study host-finding capacity by determining the radioactivity of exposed mouse “target” tails. Possible interfering effects of some aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates, plants and algae and secretions and excretions of aquatic organisms were examined.A marked interferent effect due to predatory behaviour was produced byCyclops strenuus(Copepoda),Daphnia pulexandD. longispina(Cladocera),Notodromas monachaandCypria ophthalmica(Ostracoda) andLebistes reticulatus(guppy).Bufo bufo(Amphibia) andPlanaria lugubris(Turbellaria) interfered significantly, presumably by secreting cercaricidal toxins. Several other organisms apparently produced no interference. The interferent effect of the plant speciesCeratophyllum demersum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Ranunculus aquaticus, Holcus lanatus(grass) andBotryococcus brauniiwas particularly pronounced when they were confined to the surface layer of the water. Several other species did not interfere with host-finding.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixiang Huang ◽  
Gan Wang

The repair of central nervous system (CNS) injury has been a worldwide problem in the biomedical field. How to reduce the damage to the CNS and promote the reconstruction of the damaged nervous system structure and function recovery has always been the concern of nerve tissue engineering. Multiple differentiation potentials of neural stem cell (NSC) determine the application value for the repair of the CNS injury. Thus, how to regulate the behavior of NSCs becomes the key to treating the CNS injury. So far, a large number of researchers have devoted themselves to searching for a better way to regulate the behavior of NSCs. This paper summarizes the effects of different factors on the behavior of NSCs in the past 10 years, especially on the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs. The final purpose of this review is to provide a more detailed theoretical basis for the clinical repair of the CNS injury by nerve tissue engineering.


2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Moczoń ◽  
Agnieszka Świetlikowska

AbstractThe distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in oncospheres and developing cysticercoids of Hymenolepis diminuta was examined. The enzyme was localized in the nervous system and in some non-nerve cells of these larvae. In oncospheres AChE was detected in hook muscles and in the binucleated medullar center that is known to enclose two neurons. At early developmental stages of the cysticercoids the enzyme was localized in the post-oncospheral hook muscles and in subtegumental muscle fibers of the cercomer. At medium and late stages of development the activity of AChE was detected in the developing nervous system and in two and, subsequently, in four populations of cells, which gradually spread over the whole internal wall of the cyst, thus forming a thin multilayer AChE-positive lining of the cyst cavity. Following withdrawal of the scolex the lining separates the parenchyma of the turned neck from the cyst tissues and remains AChE-positive during the whole life of the parasite, i.e. up to the death of the infected host. The role played by non-neural AChE associated with the cyst cavity lining is unknown, but seems to regulate both the transport of nutrients and minerals into the scolex and waste substances in the opposite direction.


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