Comparative Effects of Pesticides onIn VivoDopamine Release in Freely Moving Rats

012 facets modulated LDH composite for neurotoxicity risk assessment through direct electrochemical profiling of dopamine

Rising concerns of pesticide-induced neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Multiple Sclerosis, are exacerbated by overexposure to contaminated waterbodies. Therefore, evaluating the risk accurately requires reliable monitoring of related biomarkers like dopamine (DA) through electrochemical detection. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have shown great potential in sensors. However, to meet the challenges of rapid detection of large patient cohorts in real-time biological media, they should be further tailored to display superior analytical readouts. Herein, a ternary LDH (Ni2CoMn0.5) was integrated with the sheets of thermally reduced graphene oxide (trGO), to expose more highly active edge planes of the LDH, as opposed to its generally observed inert basal planes. The improvement in detection performance through such a modulated structure-property is a prospect that hasn't been previously explored for any other LDH-based materials employed in sensing applications. The 2 folds superior electrochemical activity exhibited by the face-on oriented LDH with trGO as compared to the pristine LDH material was further employed for direct detection of DA in real blood plasma samples. Moreover, the designed sensor exhibited exceptional selectivity towards the detection of DA with a limit of detection of 34.6 nM for a wide dynamic range of 0.001-5 mM with exceptional stability retaining 88.56% of the initial current even after storage in ambient conditions for 30 days.

2-Ethylhexyl Diphenyl Phosphate Causes Obesity in Zebrafish by Stimulating Overeating via Inhibition of Dopamine Receptor D2

Obesity is a popular public health problem worldwide and is mainly caused by overeating, but little is known about the impacts of synthetic chemicals on obesity. Herein, we evaluated the obesogenic effect caused by 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPHP) on zebrafish. Adult zebrafish were exposed to 5, 35, and 245 μg/L of EHDPHP for 21 days. Results showed that EHDPHP exposure significantly promoted the feeding behavior of zebrafish, as evidenced by shorter reaction time, increased average food intake, feeding rate, and intake frequency (p < 0.05). Transcriptomic, real-time quantitative PCR, and neurotransmitter analyses revealed that the dopamine (DA) receptor D2 (DRD2) was inhibited, which interfered with the DA neural reward regulation system, thus stimulating food addiction to zebrafish. This was further verified by the restored DRD2 after 7 days of Halo (a DRD2 agonist) treatment. A strong interaction between EHDPHP and DRD2 was identified via molecular docking. As a consequence of the abnormal feeding behavior, the exposed fish exhibited significant obesity evidenced by increased body weight, body mass index, plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and body fat content. Additionally, the pathways linked to Parkinson's disease, alcoholism, and cocaine addiction were also disrupted, implying that EHDPHP might cause other neurological disorders via the disrupted DA system.

Environmental Estrogens and Their Biological Effects through GPER Mediated Signal Pathways

Many environmental chemicals have been found to exert estrogenic effects in cells and experimental animals by activating nuclear receptors such as estrogen receptors and estrogen-related receptors. These compounds include bisphenols, pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate flame retardants, phthalates and metalloestrogens. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) exists widely in numerous cells/tissues of human and other vertebrates. A number of studies have demonstrated that GPER plays a vital role in mediating the estrogenic effects of environmental pollutants. Even at very low concentrations, these chemicals may activate GPER pathways, thus affect many aspects of cellular functions including proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis, resulting in cancer progression, cardiovascular disorders, and reproductive dysfunction. This review summarized the environmental occurrence and human exposure levels of these pollutants, and integrated current experimental evidence toward revealing the underlying mechanisms of pollutant-induced cellular dysfunction via GPER. The GPER mediated rapid non-genomic actions play an important role in the process leading to the adverse effects observed in experimental animals and even in human beings.

Relative toxicity for indoor semi volatile organic compounds based on neuronal death

BACKGROUND

Semi Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs) are contaminants commonly found in dwellings as a result of their use as plasticizers, flame retardants, or pesticides in building materials and consumer products. Many SVOCs are suspected of being neurotoxic, based on mammal experimentation (impairment of locomotor activity, spatial learning/memory or behavioral changes), raising the question of cumulative risk assessment. The aim of this work is to estimate the relative toxicity of such SVOCs, based on neuronal death.

METHOD

SVOCs fulfilling the following conditions were included: detection frequency >10% in dwellings, availability of data on effects or mechanism of action for neurotoxicity, and availability of dose-response relationships based on cell viability assays as a proxy of neuronal death. Benchmark concentration values (BMC) were estimated using a Hill model, and compared to assess relative toxicity.

RESULTS

Of the 58 SVOCs selected, 28 were suspected of being neurotoxic in mammals, and 21 have been documented as inducing a decrease in cell viability in vitro. 13 have at least one dose-response relationship that can be used to derive a BMC based on a 10% fall in neuronal viability. Based on this in vitro endpoint, PCB-153 appeared to be the most toxic compound, having the lowest BMC₁₀ (0.072μM) and diazinon the least toxic compound, having the highest BMC₁₀ (94.35μM). We showed that experimental designs (in particular choice of cell lines) had a significant influence on BMC calculation.

CONCLUSION

For the first time, the relative in vitro toxicity of 13 indoor contaminants belonging to different chemical families has been assessed on the basis of neuronal cell viability. Lack of comparable toxicity datasets limits the number of SVOCs that can be included. More standardized protocols in terms of cell lines, species and exposure duration should be developed with a view to cumulative risk assessment.

The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) alters hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission by modulation of the GABAergic system

The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induces Parkinson's disease-like symptoms following administration to mice, monkeys, and humans. A common view is that MPTP is metabolized to 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP(+)) to induce its neurodegenerative effects on dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Moreover, the hippocampus contains dopaminergic fibers, which are projecting from the ventral tegmental area, SN and pars compacta and contain the whole machinery required for dopamine synthesis making them sensitive to MPTP and MPP(+). Here, we present data showing that acute bath-application of MPP(+) elicited a dose-dependent facilitation followed by a depression of synaptic transmission of hippocampal Schaffer collaterals-CA1 synapses in mice. The effects of MPP(+) were not mediated by D1/D5- and D2-like receptor activation. Inhibition of the dopamine transporters did not prevent but increased the depression of excitatory post-synaptic field potentials. In the search for a possible mechanism, we observed that MPP(+) reduced the appearance of polyspikes in population spikes recorded in str. pyramidale and increased the frequency of miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents. The acute effect of MPP(+) on synaptic transmission was attenuated by co-application of a GABAA receptor antagonist. Taking these data together, we suggest that MPP(+) affects hippocampal synaptic transmission by enhancing some aspects of the hippocampal GABAergic system.

Effects of low dose endosulfan exposure on brain neurotransmitter levels in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis

Understanding the impact of pesticides in amphibians is of growing concern to assess the causes of their decline. Among pesticides, endosulfan belongs to one of the potential sources of danger because of its wide use and known effects, particularly neurotoxic, on a variety of organisms. However, the effect of endosulfan was not yet evaluated on amphibians at levels encompassing simultaneously brain neurotransmitters and behavioural endpoints. In this context, tadpoles of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis were submitted to four treatments during 27 d: one control, one ethanol control, and two low environmental concentrations of endosulfan (0.1 and 1 μg L(-1)). Endosulfan induced a significant increase of brain serotonin level at both concentrations and a significant increase of brain dopamine and GABA levels at the lower exposure but acetylcholinesterase activity was not modified by the treatment. The gene coding for the GABA transporter 1 was up-regulated in endosulfan contaminated tadpoles while the expression of other genes coding for the neurotransmitter receptors or for the enzymes involved in their metabolic pathways was not significantly modified by endosulfan exposure. Endosulfan also affected foraging, and locomotion in links with the results of the physiological assays, but no effects were seen on growth. These results show that low environmental concentrations of endosulfan can induce adverse responses in X. laevis tadpoles. At a broader perspective, this suggests that more research using and linking multiple markers should be used to understand the complex mode of action of pollutants.

Isomer-nonspecific action of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane on aryl hydrocarbon receptor and G-protein-coupled receptor 30 intracellular signaling in apoptotic neuronal cells

Extended residual persistence of the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) raises concerns about its long-term neurotoxic effects. Little is known, however, about DDT toxicity during the early stages of neural development. This study demonstrated that DDT-induced apoptosis of mouse embryonic neuronal cells is a caspase-9-, caspase-3-, and GSK-3β-dependent process, which involves p,p'-DDT-specific impairment of classical ERs. It also provided evidence for DDT-isomer-nonspecific alterations of AhR- and GPR30-mediated intracellular signaling, including changes in the levels of the receptor and receptor-regulated mRNAs, and also changes in the protein levels of the receptors. DDT-induced stimulation of AhR-signaling and reduction of GPR30-signaling were verified using selective ligands and specific siRNAs. Co-localization of the receptors was demonstrated with confocal microscopy, and the presence of functional GPR30 was detected by electrophysiology. This study demonstrates that stimulation of AhR-signaling and impairment of GPR30-signaling play important roles in the propagation of DDT-induced apoptosis during the early stages of neural development.

Paraquat neurotoxicity is mediated by the dopamine transporter and organic cation transporter-3

The herbicide paraquat (PQ) has increasingly been reported in epidemiological studies to enhance the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). Furthermore, case-control studies report that individuals with genetic variants in the dopamine transporter (DAT, SLC6A) have a higher PD risk when exposed to PQ. However, it remains a topic of debate whether PQ can enter dopamine (DA) neurons through DAT. We report here a mechanism by which PQ is transported by DAT: In its native divalent cation state, PQ(2+) is not a substrate for DAT; however, when converted to the monovalent cation PQ(+) by either a reducing agent or NADPH oxidase on microglia, it becomes a substrate for DAT and is accumulated in DA neurons, where it induces oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Impaired DAT function in cultured cells and mutant mice significantly attenuated neurotoxicity induced by PQ(+). In addition to DAT, PQ(+) is also a substrate for the organic cation transporter 3 (Oct3, Slc22a3), which is abundantly expressed in non-DA cells in the nigrostriatal regions. In mice with Oct3 deficiency, enhanced striatal damage was detected after PQ treatment. This increased sensitivity likely results from reduced buffering capacity by non-DA cells, leading to more PQ(+) being available for uptake by DA neurons. This study provides a mechanism by which DAT and Oct3 modulate nigrostriatal damage induced by PQ(2+)/PQ(+) redox cycling.