Influence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin bioconcentration and toxicity in the marine fish European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

The present study investigated the influence of nano-TiO(2) (1 mg L(-1)) on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin(2,3,7,8-TCDD) (46 pg L(-1)) bioconcentration and toxicity in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) during 7 days in vivo exposure. A multimarkers approach was applied in different organs: detoxification in liver; innate immunity and pro-inflammatory response and adaptive immunity in gills and spleen; genotoxicity in peripheral erythrocytes and muscle. Bioconcentration of 2,3,7,8-TCDD in presence of nano-TiO2 was investigated in liver, skin and muscle as well as interaction between nano-TiO2 and organic pollutants in artificial sea water (ASW). Nano-TiO2 negatively influenced immune response induced by 2,3,7,8-TCDD in spleen but not in gills and reduced the DNA damage induced by 2,3,7,8-TCDD in erythrocytes. nano-TiO2 did not interfere with 2,3,7,8-TCDD detoxification and bioconcentration according to the observed no interaction of the nano-TiO2 with organic pollutants in ASW.

First Report of Resistance to Cyflufenamid in Podosphaera xanthii, Causal Agent of Powdery Mildew, from Melon and Zucchini Fields in Italy

The fungicide cyflufenamid (phenyl-acetamide, Fungicide Resistance Action Committee [FRAC] code U6) was approved for use in Italy in 2011 as Takumi (Certis Europe, Utrecht, The Netherlands) to control Podosphaera xanthii (Castagne) U. Braun. & N. Shishkoff, the main causal agent of cucurbit powdery mildew. Considering that strains of this pathogen have developed resistance to strobilurin (5) and demethylation inhibitor (DMI) (4) fungicides, cyflufenamid represented a viable alternative to control this disease. However, this fungicide is also prone to resistance development as illustrated by resistance of P. xanthii in Japan (3). In the 2012 and 2013 growing seasons, significant declines in cyflufenamid efficacy were observed in two experimental fields in the Apulia (AP) and Emilia-Romagna (ER) regions of Italy on Cucumis melo and Cucurbita pepo, respectively. Takumi had been applied four times at the recommended field rate of 0.15 liter/ha (15 μg/ml of active ingredient [a.i.]) each growing season since 2010 in each field. Powdery mildew-infected leaf samples were collected in 2012 from both fields (25 isolates from AP and 19 from ER), and from five gardens (one isolate per garden); while in 2013, samples were collected only from the ER field (two polyconidial isolates). Isolates were maintained on detached zucchini cotyledons (1). Sensitivity of the isolates to cyflufenamid was determined by leaf disk bioassays (4) using Takumi at 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 20, and 50 μg a.i./ml. The 50% effective concentration (EC₅₀) and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were calculated (2). Isolates collected in ER and the gardens in 2012 all had an EC₅₀< 0.01 μg/ml, and the MIC ranged from <0.01 to <1 μg/ml. Isolates from AP in 2012 had elevated EC₅₀ values, from 0.230 to >50 μg/ml, and MIC values from <10 to >50 μg/ml; by 2013, the EC₅₀ values of ER isolates ranged from 3.35 to >50 μg/ml. Based on the mean EC₅₀ value of 0.0019 μg/ml for sensitive isolates of P. xanthii in Japan (2), isolates from both the ER field and gardens in 2012 were considered sensitive to cyflufenamid. Additionally, EC₅₀ values of AP isolates from 2012 and ER isolates from 2013 were greater than those of sensitive isolates, indicating a shift in sensitivity toward resistance to cyflufenamid (resistance factor >100 [2]). Consequently, poor control of powdery mildew with cyflufenamid applications in the AP and ER trials was most likely a result of fungicide resistance. Isolates from these fields were exposed to selection pressure for fungicide resistance because cyflufenamid was applied more times than permitted in the label instructions. However, control of powdery mildew in 2013 was not as effective as in previous years in commercial fields in AP (C. Dongiovanni, personal communication). This observation, combined with proof of reduced sensitivity of some P. xanthii strains in Italy to cyflufenamid, highlights the need for implementing resistance management strategies to minimize the risk of fungicide resistant strains developing in cucurbit fields. References: (1) B. Álvarez and J. A. Torés. Bol. San. Veg. Plagas 23:283, 1997. (2) M. Haramoto et al. J. Pest. Sci. 31:397, 2006. (3) H. Hosokawa et al. Jpn. J. Phytopathol. 72:260, 2006. (4) M. T. McGrath et al. Plant Dis. 80:697, 1996. (5) M. T. McGrath and N. Shishkoff. Plant. Dis. 87:1007, 2003.

Co-exposure to n-TiO2 and Cd2+ results in interactive effects on biomarker responses but not in increased toxicity in the marine bivalve M. galloprovincialis

The increasing production of nanoparticles (NPs) will lead to their release into the aquatic environment, where they could modify the bioavailability/bioconcentration and consequent biological impact of other contaminants. Interactive effects of n-TiO2, one of the most widespread NP type, and Cd(2+), a common heavy metal pollutant, have been described in freshwater species, whereas no information is available in marine organisms. In this work, the effects of co-exposure to n-TiO2 and Cd(2+) were investigated in the marine bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis. Experimental conditions (100 μg/L, 96 h), were chosen in order to induce early but measurable stress responses (biomarkers) without toxicity. Several biomarkers, from molecular to tissue level, were measured in hemolymph and digestive gland; the effects on embryo development were also evaluated. In hemolymph, Cd(2+) abolished the increase in immune parameters induced by n-TiO2 (NO production and lysozyme activity). In the digestive gland, distinct interactive effects of n-TiO2 and Cd(2+) were observed on different lysosomal biomarkers (lysosomal membrane stability, lipid accumulation and lysosome/cytoplasm volume ratio) and transcription of the immune genes lysozyme and toll-like receptor (TLR). However, n-TiO2 did not affect specific metal-induced responses (metallothionein induction) and tissue metal accumulation. Cd(2+) alone, but not in combination with n-TiO2, affected embryo development. The interactive effects observed on different biomarkers were not apparently due to differences in bioavailability/bioaccumulation of Cd(2+) in the presence of n-TiO2 agglomerates; these effects may result from interactions of either contaminant with both common and distinct targets/mechanisms of action at different levels of biological organization. Overall, the results indicate that co-exposure to n-TiO2 and Cd(2+) did not result in increased adverse effects in M. galloprovincialis. These data underline the need for further knowledge on the potential interactions of NPs with existing contaminants in marine organisms.

Effects of in vitro exposure to titanium dioxide on DNA integrity of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) fibroblasts and leukocytes

In the present study, the genotoxic potential of nanosized TiO2 anatase and micro-sized rutile on bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) fibroblasts and leukocytes was investigated. Human and mouse cells were also studied in order to compare susceptibility to TiO2 in different mammalian species. Cell lines were exposed for 4, 24, and 48 h to different concentrations of TiO2 (20, 50, 100, 150 μg/ml) and DNA damage was investigated by single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay). Both anatase and rutile induced increased DNA damage, even though statistically significant effects were scattered according to species and cell lines. Bottlenose dolphin leukocytes and murine fibroblasts exhibited increased DNA damage after rutile exposure at some doses/times, while human fibroblasts showed a significant dose-response effect after a 4 h exposure to anatase. Human leukocytes were tolerant to both anatase and rutile. Ultrastructural investigation showed that TiO2 particles entered the cell and were compartmentalized within membrane-bound vesicles.

Explosive type of moderate-resistance training induces functional, cardiovascular, and molecular adaptations in the elderly

Current recommendations aimed at reducing neuromuscular and functional loss in aged muscle have identified muscle power as a key target for intervention trials, although little is known about the biological and cardiovascular systemic response in the elderly. This study investigated the effects of 12 weeks of low-frequency, moderate-intensity, explosive-type resistance training (EMRT) on muscle strength and power in old community-dwelling people (70-75 years), monitoring functional performance linked to daily living activities (ADL) and cardiovascular response, as well as biomarkers of muscle damage, cardiovascular risk, and cellular stress response. The present study provides the first evidence that EMRT was highly effective in achieving a significant enhancement in muscular strength and power as well as in functional performance without causing any detrimental modification in cardiovascular, inflammatory, and damage parameters. Moreover, trained elderly subjects showed an adaptive response at both systemic and cellular levels by modulation of antioxidant and stress-induced markers such as myeloperoxidase (MPO), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and 27 (Hsp27), and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1).