Allergic contact dermatitis due to thiuram exposure from a fungicide

Trichoderma atroviride as a promising biocontrol agent in seed coating for reducing Fusarium damping-off on maize

AIMS

The objective of this work was to identify a fungal strain showing potential biocontrol abilities against two Fusarium damping-off agents and to test it as a Biological Control Agent (BCA) in maize seed coating under field conditions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A collection of native fungal strains associated with maize in Belgium was screened for antagonistic potential against Fusarium avenaceum and Fusarium culmorum. The strain with highest biocontrol potential was identified as an endophytic Trichoderma atroviride BC0584. In greenhouse, it significantly improves the emergence of seedlings infected by F. avenaceum or F. culmorum pathogens. In most field trials carried out during the season 2017, it significantly increased the emergence rate of infected seedlings compared to untreated seeds. One slurriable powder formulation allows BCA conidia to survive over a 6-month storage period at 4°C.

CONCLUSIONS

The fungal BC0584 strain is a promising BCA that could be an alternative to synthetic fungicides. It is adapted to local environmental conditions, is easily and cheaply produced and can be stored in a low-cost formulation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

In Belgium, this is the first study to use a T. atroviride native strain against Fusarium damping-off on maize crop. Modes of action and required conditions for ensuring high biocontrol activity in the field have still to be investigated.

Trifloxystrobin-induced mitophagy through mitochondrial damage in human skin keratinocytes

Trifloxystrobin is a strobilurin class fungicide, the mode of action of which is to block the mitochondrial electron transport chain and inhibit energy production in fungi. Although adverse effects have been reported by occupational or environmental exposure of fungicides, the pathophysiological mechanism in human cells remains poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the impact of trifloxystrobin on exposed skin at the cellular organelle level using HaCaT, the human skin keratinocyte cell line. Cells were treated with trifloxystrobin for 48 hr and trifloxystrobin showed detrimental effects on mitochondria evidenced by altered mitochondrial membrane potential and morphology. To identify autophagic degradation of the damaged mitochondria, confocal imaging and Western blotting were performed. Trifloxystrobin induced autophagy-related proteins in HaCaT cells. The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species scavenger mitoTEMPO was applied to further explore the mechanism of trifloxystrobin-mediated mitophagy in human skin cells. PINK1 and Parkin were overexpressed by trifloxystrobin, and mitoTEMPO alleviated the effects on mitophagy induction. Taken together, our findings indicated that mitochondrial damage and mitophagy may play a role in trifloxystrobin-induced toxicity in human keratinocytes and this could be suggested as a mechanism of cutaneous diseases developed by exposure.

Contact allergy to thiurams: multifactorial analysis of clinical surveillance data collected by the IVDK network

PURPOSE

To analyse the association between occupation (represented by job title) and contact allergy to thiuram vulcanising agents based on data of a clinical registry (IVDK, www.ivdk.org ).

METHODS

Clinical, demographic and allergy patch test data of all patients tested between 1992 and 2006 with the thiuram mix (1% in petrolatum) as part of the baseline series was analysed (n = 121,051). Poisson regression analysis was used to quantify the association between different occupations (and other relevant factors) and a positive patch test reaction to the thiuram mix. Furthermore, the time trend of sensitisation prevalence was analysed in high-risk occupational subgroups identified.

RESULTS

In comparison to a largely unexposed reference group (office workers and teachers), rubber manufacturers had a significantly elevated risk (prevalence ratio (PR): 5.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-10.5). However, health care workers such as physicians and dentists (PR: 3.8, 95% CI: 3.0-4.8) or nursing staff (PR: 3.0, 95% CI: 2.5-3.6) as well as meat and fish processors (PR 3.5, 95% CI: 2.2-5.3) and cleaners (PR 3.1, 95% CI: 2.5-3.8) were found to have a high sensitisation risk as well. In case of health care workers, a significant downward trend during the study period was observed; while in food processors and cleaners, sensitisation prevalence remained largely stable.

CONCLUSION

The adjusted multifactorial analysis identified occupations yet unknown to be associated with elevated thiuram contact allergy risk, e.g., food processors and cleaners. Thus, (i) further in-depth research can be targeted and (ii) efforts to prevent sensitisation to thiurams focussed, e.g., by limiting thiuram concentrations in products to a residual level which is technically inevitable.

In vitro release dynamics of thiram fungicide from starch and poly(methacrylic acid)-based hydrogels

In order to make the judicious use of pesticide/fungicide and to maintain the environment and ecosystem we have developed the starch and poly(methacrylic acid)-based agrochemical delivery system for their controlled and sustained release. The delivery device was prepared by using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (N,N'-MBAAm) as crosslinker and was characterized with FTIR, TGA and with swelling studies as a function of time and crosslinker concentration. This article discusses the swelling kinetics of polymer matrix and release dynamics of thiram (fungicide) from hydrogels for the evaluation of the diffusion mechanism and diffusion coefficients. The values of the diffusion exponent 'n' for both cases, that is the swelling of hydrogels and for the release of thiram from the hydrogels have been observed between 0.7 and 0.9 when the concentration of the crosslinker in the polymers were varied from 6.49x10(-3) to 32.43x10(-3) moles/L. It is inferred from the values of the 'n' that Non-Fickian diffusion mechanism has occurred in both the cases.

Controlled release of thiram fungicide from starch-based hydrogels

In order to make the judicious use of thiram fungicide and to exploit the potential of agri-polymers, we have developed the starch- poly(acrylamide) and starch-poly(acrylic acid) based agrichemical delivery system (hydrogels) for its controlled and sustained release. Polymeric networks have been prepared by using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (N,N-MBAAm) as crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and swelling studies. Release dynamics of thiram fungicide from polymeric matrices has been studied for the evaluation of the diffusion mechanism and diffusion coefficients. It has been established that Non-Fickian diffusion mechanism has occurred for the release of thiram from these polymeric matrices. Furthermore, the initial rate of diffusion of thiram from these polymeric matrices is more as compared to the late stages of diffusion, which is analogous to the trends obtained for the diffusion of water molecules from these polymer matrices.

Reduction of glucocorticoid receptor ligand binding by the 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 inhibitor, Thiram

Endogenous and synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs), such as cortisol and dexamethasone (Dex), modulate airway inflammation, regulate the production of surfactant by lung epithelial cells, and influence fetal lung maturation. The 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD2) enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of bioactive cortisol and Dex to their 11-keto metabolites. Thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide) specifically inhibits HSD2 activity by oxidizing cysteine residues located in the cofactor binding domain of the enzyme. During studies performed to define a potential role for HSD2 in modulating GC action in human lung epithelial cells, we observed that exposure of intact human lung epithelial cells (NCI-H441) to 50 microM Thiram significantly attenuated the down-stream effects of Dex (100 nM) on the expression of two GC-sensitive genes, pulmonary surfactant proteins A and B. This observation appeared to be inconsistent with simple inhibition of HSD2 activity. Although Thiram inhibited HSD2 oxidase activity in a dose-dependent manner without affecting HSD2 protein expression, Thiram also reduced specific binding of [3H]-Dex to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Pre-treatment of cells with 1 mM dithiothreitol (DTT), a thiol-reducing agent, completely blocked the inhibitory effect of Thiram on ligand binding. These results are suggestive that Thiram may alter the ligand-binding domain of the GR by oxidizing critical thiol-containing amino acid residues. Taken collectively, these data demonstrate that attenuated down-stream GC signaling, via decreased binding of ligand to the GR, is a novel cellular effect of Thiram exposure in human lung epithelial cells.

Effect of glutathione depletion on apoptosis induced by thiram in Chinese hamster fibroblasts

Fungicide thiram, which is also known as an inducer of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), was used as a model compound of thiuram chemicals, and its cellular effects were investigated in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells. The level of intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH), protein sulfhydryl (PSH) groups, protein carbonyls (PC), membrane lipid peroxidation reflected by enhanced thiobarbituric acid reactive substrates (TBARS) production, as well as apoptotic effect were determined. The apoptosis induction was determined by assessing DNA fragmentation by TUNEL, annexin V binding, and caspases activation assays, using fluorescent microscope or flow cytometry, respectively. The concentrations of thiram required to induce cellular GSH depletion (by 40-50%), protein, and membrane lipid peroxidation (2-fold, and 1.7-fold, respectively), as well as to induce apoptosis in V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts without causing necrosis through cytotoxic effects were between 50-100 microM. To investigate the role of decreased GSH content in the toxicity of thiram, GSH level was modified prior to exposure. Pretreatment of V79 cells with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a GSH biosynthesis precursor, prevented GSH decrease, PC and TBARS production, as well as caspases activation induced by thiram exposure. On the other hand, thiram effects were enhanced by the previous depletion of cellular GSH by L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO).