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Januario CDF, Da Costa CS, Dos Santos FCF, Miranda-Alves L, Correa BS, Carneiro MTWD, Graceli JB. Subacute exposure to a mixture of tributyltin plus mercury impairs reproductive axis function, exacerbating premature ovarian insufficiency features and reducing fertility in female rats. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 129:108670. [PMID: 39032759 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Tributyltin (TBT) and mercury (Hg) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that individually cause reproductive complications. However, the reproductive consequences of exposure to a mixture of TBT plus Hg are not well known. We hypothesized that exposure to a mixture of TBT plus Hg would alter hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis function. Female rats were exposed to this mixture daily for 15 days, after which chemical accumulation in the tissues, morphology, hormone levels, inflammation, fibrosis, and protein expression in the reproductive organs were assessed. Increases in tin (Sn) and Hg levels were detected in the serum, HPG axis, and uterus of TBT-Hg rats. TBT-Hg rats exhibited irregular estrous cycles. TBT-Hg rats showed an increase in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) protein expression and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and a reduction in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. Reduced ovarian reserve, antral follicles, corpora lutea (CL) number, and estrogen levels and increased atretic and cystic follicles were found, suggesting that TBT-Hg exposure exacerbated premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) features. Furthermore, TBT-Hg rats exhibited increased ovarian mast cell numbers, expression of the inflammatory markers IL-6 and collagen deposition. Apoptosis and reduced gland number were observed in the uteri of TBT-Hg rats. A reduction in the number of pups/litter for 90 days was found in TBT-Hg rats, suggesting impaired fertility. Strong negative correlations were found between serum and ovarian Sn levels and ovarian Hg levels and ovarian reserve and CL number. Collectively, these data suggest that TBT plus Hg exposure leads to abnormalities in the HPG axis, exacerbating POI features and reducing fertility in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cidalia de F Januario
- Department of Morphology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória 290440-090, Brazil; Faculty of Health Sciences, Zambeze University, Tete RHXG+J2G, Mozambique
| | - Charles S Da Costa
- Department of Morphology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória 290440-090, Brazil
| | - Flavia C F Dos Santos
- Department of Morphology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória 290440-090, Brazil
| | - Leandro Miranda-Alves
- Experimental Endocrinology Research, Development and Innovation Group, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Governador 21941-904, Brazil
| | - Bruna S Correa
- Dept of Chemistry, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitória 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Maria T W D Carneiro
- Dept of Chemistry, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Vitória 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Jones B Graceli
- Department of Morphology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória 290440-090, Brazil.
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Haidar L, Georgescu M, Drăghici GA, Bănățean-Dunea I, Nica DV, Șerb AF. DNA Methylation Machinery in Gastropod Mollusks. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:537. [PMID: 38672807 PMCID: PMC11050768 DOI: 10.3390/life14040537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The role of DNA methylation in mollusks is just beginning to be understood. This review synthesizes current knowledge on this potent molecular hallmark of epigenetic control in gastropods-the largest class of mollusks and ubiquitous inhabitants of diverse habitats. Their DNA methylation machinery shows a high degree of conservation in CG maintenance methylation mechanisms, driven mainly by DNMT1 homologues, and the presence of MBD2 and MBD2/3 proteins as DNA methylation readers. The mosaic-like DNA methylation landscape occurs mainly in a CG context and is primarily confined to gene bodies and housekeeping genes. DNA methylation emerges as a critical regulator of reproduction, development, and adaptation, with tissue-specific patterns being observed in gonadal structures. Its dynamics also serve as an important regulatory mechanism underlying learning and memory processes. DNA methylation can be affected by various environmental stimuli, including as pathogens and abiotic stresses, potentially impacting phenotypic variation and population diversity. Overall, the features of DNA methylation in gastropods are complex, being an essential part of their epigenome. However, comprehensive studies integrating developmental stages, tissues, and environmental conditions, functional annotation of methylated regions, and integrated genomic-epigenomic analyses are lacking. Addressing these knowledge gaps will advance our understanding of gastropod biology, ecology, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Haidar
- Department of Functional Sciences, Physiology Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania;
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies (CIFBIOTEH), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
| | - Marius Georgescu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Physiology Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania;
- Center of Immuno-Physiology and Biotechnologies (CIFBIOTEH), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
| | - George Andrei Drăghici
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania;
- Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Ioan Bănățean-Dunea
- Biology and Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timișoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timișoara, Romania;
| | - Dragoș Vasile Nica
- The National Institute of Research—Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry (INMA), Bulevardul Ion Ionescu de la Brad 6, 077190 București, Romania
| | - Alina-Florina Șerb
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Biochemistry Discipline, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania;
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das Mercês Pereira Ferreira A, de Matos JM, Silva LK, Viana JLM, Dos Santos Diniz Freitas M, de Amarante Júnior OP, Franco TCRDS, Brito NM. Assessing the spatiotemporal occurrence and ecological risk of antifouling biocides in a Brazilian estuary. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:3572-3581. [PMID: 38085476 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31286-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Diuron and Irgarol are common antifouling biocides used in paints to prevent the attachment and growth of fouling organisms on ship hulls and other submerged structures. Concerns about their toxicity to non-target aquatic organisms have led to various restrictions on their use in antifouling paints worldwide. Previous studies have shown the widespread presence of these substances in port areas along the Brazilian coast, with a concentration primarily in the southern part of the country. In this study, we conducted six sampling campaigns over the course of 1 year to assess the presence and associated risks of Diuron and Irgarol in water collected from areas under the influence of the Maranhão Port Complex in the Brazilian Northeast. Our results revealed the absence of Irgarol in the study area, irrespective of the sampling season and site. In contrast, the mean concentrations of Diuron varied between 2.0 ng L-1 and 34.1 ng L-1 and were detected at least once at each sampling site. We conducted a risk assessment of Diuron levels in this area using the risk quotient (RQ) method. Our findings indicated that Diuron levels at all sampling sites during at least one campaign yielded an RQ greater than 1, with a maximum of 22.7, classifying the risk as "high" based on the proposed risk classification. This study underscores the continued concern regarding the presence of antifouling biocides in significant ports and marinas in Brazilian ports, despite international bans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana das Mercês Pereira Ferreira
- Department of Chemistry, Campus São Luís - Monte Castelo, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA), São Luís, MA, 65030-005, Brazil
| | - Jhuliana Monteiro de Matos
- Department of Chemistry, Campus São Luís - Monte Castelo, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA), São Luís, MA, 65030-005, Brazil.
| | - Lanna Karinny Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Campus São Luís - Monte Castelo, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA), São Luís, MA, 65030-005, Brazil
| | - José Lucas Martins Viana
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Marta Dos Santos Diniz Freitas
- Postgraduate Program in Technological and Environmental Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
| | - Ozelito Possidônio de Amarante Júnior
- Department of Chemistry, Campus São Luís - Monte Castelo, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA), São Luís, MA, 65030-005, Brazil
- Institute of Oceanography, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
| | | | - Natilene Mesquita Brito
- Department of Chemistry, Campus São Luís - Monte Castelo, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão (IFMA), São Luís, MA, 65030-005, Brazil
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Nunes BZ, Moreira LB, Xu EG, Castro ÍB. A global snapshot of microplastic contamination in sediments and biota of marine protected areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161293. [PMID: 36592906 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) become ubiquitous contaminants in Marine Protected Areas (MPA) that have been planned as a conservation strategy. The present study provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, abundance, and distribution of MPs potentially affecting MPA worldwide. Data on MP occurrence and levels in sediment and biota samples were collected from recent peer-reviewed literature and screened using a GIS-based approach overlapping MP records with MPA boundaries. MPs were found in 186 MPAs, with levels ranging from 0 to 9187.5 items/kg in sediment and up to 17,461.9 items/kg in organisms. Peaked MPs concentrations occurred within multiple-use areas, and no-take MPAs were also affected. About half of MP levels found within MPA fell into the higher concentration quartiles, suggesting potential impacts on these areas. In general, benthic species were likely more affected than pelagic ones due to the higher concentrations of MP reported in the tissues of benthic species. Alarmingly, MPs were found in tissues of two threatened species on the IUCN Red List. The findings denote urgent concerns about the effectiveness of the global system of protected areas and their proposed conservation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Zachello Nunes
- Programa de pós-graduação em Oceanologia (PPGO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (IO-FURG), Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Buruaem Moreira
- Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (IMAR -UNIFESP), Rua Maria Máximo, 168, 11030-100 Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Elvis Genbo Xu
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5230, Denmark
| | - Ítalo Braga Castro
- Programa de pós-graduação em Oceanologia (PPGO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (IO-FURG), Rio Grande, RS, Brazil; Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (IMAR -UNIFESP), Rua Maria Máximo, 168, 11030-100 Santos, SP, Brazil.
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Zanol JF, Niño OMS, da Costa CS, Freitas-Lima LC, Miranda-Alves L, Graceli JB. Tributyltin and high-refined carbohydrate diet lead to metabolic and reproductive abnormalities, exacerbating premature ovary failure features in the female rats. Reprod Toxicol 2021; 103:108-123. [PMID: 34102259 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to the obesogen tributyltin (TBT) alone or high carbohydrate diet (HCD) alone leads to obesity and reproductive complications, such as premature ovary failure (POF) features. However, little is known about interactions between TBT and nutrition and their combined impact on reproduction. In this study, we assessed whether acute TBT and HCD exposure results in reproductive and metabolic irregularities. Female rats were treated with TBT (100 ng/kg/day) and fed with HCD for 15 days and metabolic and reproductive outcomes were assessed. TBT and HCD rats displayed metabolic impairments, such as increased adiposity, abnormal lipid profile and triglyceride and glucose (TYG) index, worsening adipocyte hypertrophy in HCD-TBT rats. These metabolic consequences were linked with reproductive disorders. Specifically, HCD-TBT rats displayed irregular estrous cyclicity, high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, low anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, reduction in ovarian reserve, and corpora lutea (CL) number, with increases in atretic follicles, suggesting that HCD-TBT exposure exacerbated POF features. Further, strong negative correlations were observed between adipocyte hypertrophy and ovarian reserve, CL number and AMH levels. HCD-TBT exposure resulted in reproductive tract inflammation and fibrosis. Collectively, these data suggest that TBT plus HCD exposure leads to metabolic and reproductive abnormalities, exacerbating POF features in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordana F Zanol
- Department of Morphology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Av. Marechal Campos, 1468, CEP: 290440-090 Vitória, ES, Brazil.
| | - Oscar M S Niño
- Department of Morphology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Av. Marechal Campos, 1468, CEP: 290440-090 Vitória, ES, Brazil; Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Human Sciences and Education, Universidad de los Llanos, Villavicencio-Meta, Colombia.
| | - Charles S da Costa
- Department of Morphology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Av. Marechal Campos, 1468, CEP: 290440-090 Vitória, ES, Brazil.
| | - Leandro C Freitas-Lima
- Department of Morphology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Av. Marechal Campos, 1468, CEP: 290440-090 Vitória, ES, Brazil.
| | - Leandro Miranda-Alves
- Experimental Endocrinology Research, Development and Innovation Group, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, Ilha do Governador, Cidade Universitária, RJ, UFRJ, Brazil.
| | - Jones B Graceli
- Department of Morphology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Av. Marechal Campos, 1468, CEP: 290440-090 Vitória, ES, Brazil.
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