Toxicology Commons^™

An Investigation Into The Adverse Effects Of Oxidative Stress From Exposure To Bisphenol A And Its Analogues, Rachel Nas

Senior Honors Theses

Oxidative stress is a physiological event caused by an overaccumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the body. While ROS are a natural by-product of oxygen metabolism, too many can lead to cell and tissue damage and contribute to many etiologies. Bisphenol A (BPA), a component of many plastic products, has been shown to induce oxidative stress. While the industrial usage of BPA usage has lessened, the safety of its replacements is unknown. This paper will primarily discuss ROS and mechanisms of oxidative stress, the usage of BPA and its analogues, etiologies associated with oxidative stress resulting from exposure to …

Nutrient Concentration For Cyanotoxins At Turnbull (Proposal), Mori Williams

2020 McNair Scholar Collection

The purpose of this study is to analyze the concentration of microcystins from cyanobacteria along with factors that increase the likelihood of microcystins found in water systems at the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) near Cheney, Washington. Cyanobacteria are oxygen-producing bacteria that use sunlight as an energy source to convert CO2 into biomass. This bacterium has been around for around 3 billion years. However, in recent years, cyanobacteria have been a major issue in drinking water and aquatic ecosystems due to eutrophication, rising CO2 levels, and global warming (Huisman et al). Due to anthropogenic sources such as agricultural run-off and …

David S. Miller: Scientist, Mentor, Friend--A Tribute And Thank You, Björn Bauer, J. Larry Renfro, Karl J. Karnaky, Rosalinde Masereeuw, Gert Fricker, Ron E. Cannon, Anika M. S. Hartz

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

David S. Miller was Acting Scientific Director of the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, and Head of the Intracellular Regulation Group in the Laboratory of Toxicology and Pharmacology before he retired in 2016. David received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Maine in 1973. David was a Group Leader at the Michigan Cancer Foundation before joining the NIEHS in 1985. His research covered a wide range from renal excretory transport mechanisms to regulation of transporters at the blood-CSF and blood-brain barriers, from fish, amphibians and birds to …

Develop A High-Throughput Screening Method To Identify C-P4h1 (Collagen Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase 1) Inhibitors From Fda-Approved Chemicals, Shike Wang, Kuo-Hao Lee, Nathália Victoria Araujo, Chang-Guo Zhan, Vivek M. Rangnekar, Ren Xu

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase 1 (C-P4H1) is an α-ketoglutarate (α-KG)-dependent dioxygenase that catalyzes 4-hydroxylation of proline on collagen. C-P4H1-induced prolyl hydroxylation is required for proper collagen deposition and cancer metastasis. Therefore, targeting C-P4H1 is considered a potential therapeutic strategy for collagen-related cancer progression and metastasis. However, no C-P4H1 inhibitors are available for clinical testing, and the high content assay is currently not available for C-P4H1 inhibitor screening. In the present study, we developed a high-throughput screening assay by quantifying succinate, a byproduct of C-P4H-catalyzed hydroxylation. C-P4H1 is the major isoform of collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases (CP4Hs) that contributes the majority prolyl 4-hydroxylase …

Aluminum Reproductive Toxicity: A Summary And Interpretation Of Scientific Reports, Robert A. Yokel

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Publications addressing aluminum (Al)-induced reproductive toxicity were reviewed. Key details were compiled in summary tables. Approximate systemic Al exposure, a measure of bioavailability, was calculated for each exposure, based on the Al percentage in the dosed Al species, Al bioavailability, and absorption time course reports for the exposure route. This was limited to laboratory animal studies because no controlled-exposure human studies were found. Intended Al exposure was compared to unintended dietary Al exposure. The considerable and variable Al content of laboratory animal diets creates uncertainty about reproductive function in the absence of Al. Aluminum-induced reproductive toxicity in female mice and …

Virginia Wild-Caught Blue Catfish: Nutrition And Contaminant Analysis, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is an introduced freshwater species in Virginia’s tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay. Since its introduction in the 1970’s, significant recreational and commercial fisheries have developed within upriver, largely freshwater environments. Blue catfish are voracious, opportunistic predators, feeding on a variety of natural prey items, including native fish and shellfish species. Their varied diets result in a more nutrient-rich fish compared to farmraised catfish (USDA Food and Nutrient Database https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app. html#/?query=catfish) on the market, which are typically fed a plant-based diet.

In recent years, blue catfish populations have expanded from upriver freshwater habitat to major brackish-water …

Dihydrodinophysistoxin-1 Produced By Dinophysis Norvegica In The Gulf Of Maine, Usa And Its Accumulation In Shellfish, Jonathan R. Deeds, Whitney L. Stutts, Mary Dawn Celiz, Jill Macleod, Amy E. Hamilton, Bryant J. Lewis, David W. Miller, Kohl Kanwit, Juliette L. Smith, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Dihydrodinophysistoxin-1 (dihydro-DTX1, (M-H)⁻m/z 819.5), described previously from a marine sponge but never identified as to its biological source or described in shellfish, was detected in multiple species of commercial shellfish collected from the central coast of the Gulf of Maine, USA in 2016 and in 2018 during blooms of the dinoflagellate Dinophysis norvegica. Toxin screening by protein phosphatase inhibition (PPIA) first detected the presence of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning-like bioactivity; however, confirmatory analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) failed to detect okadaic acid (OA, (M-H)⁻m/z 803.5), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1, (M-H)⁻m/z 817.5), or dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX2, (M-H) …

Effect Of Botulinum Toxin Injection On Asymmetric Lower Face And Chin Deviation, Dongwook Kim, Ju-Hyun Park, Vittorio Favero, James Mah, Young-Soo Jung, Seong Taek Kim

Dental Medicine Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of botulinum toxin (BoNT) in masseter muscle reduction depending on the amount of chin deviation. Exploring distinctive effects of BoNT relative to the characteristics of facial asymmetry will aid in planning and predicting treatment outcomes. Sixteen adult volunteers were classified into two groups according to the degree of menton deviation observed in posteroanterior cephalograms. Eight had a menton deviation of 3 mm or more and the other eight had less than 3 mm. A total of 25 Units of BoNT was injected into the unilateral masseter muscle of the prominent …

Single-Use Plastics And Covid-19: Scientific Evidence And Environmental Regulations, Robert C. Hale, Bk Song

VIMS Articles

Waste plastics are a serious and growing environmental problem. Less than 10% of plastics are recycled, with most discarded in landfills, incinerated, or simply abandoned.1 Single-use plastics constitute about half of plastic waste. While most plastics are used and initially disposed of on land, much eventually enters aquatic ecosystems.2 Wildlife mortalities result from encounters (e.g., ingestion and entanglement) with large debris, including plastic bags. Such bags are excluded from many recycling programs, as they can entangle machinery. Most plastics do not readily biodegrade in the environment. However, they can be embrittled by UV exposure and fragment into microplastics (mm) and …

Association Of Long-Term Consumption Of Repeatedly Heated Mix Vegetable Oils In Different Doses And Hepatic Toxicity Through Fat Accumulation, Gul Ambreen, Afshan Siddiq, Kashif Hussain

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: Hepatic diseases are one of the chief reasons for worldwide morbidity and mortality. The increased incidence in Asian countries is driving researchers to explore preventive ways from nature. It is more practical to go with healthy routine edibles like vegetable oils to avoid environmental and chemical hepatic injuries. With the use of thermally oxidized oils overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with overwhelmed cellular antioxidants defense system results in oxidative stress, the known cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Little is investigated about the effect of daily used oxidized cooking oils on hepatic function changes with …

Assessing Field-Scale Risks Of Foliar Insecticide Applications To Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Larvae, Niranjana Krishnan, Yang Zhang, Keith G. Bidne, Richard L. Hellmich, Joel R. Coats, Steven P. Bradbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Establishment and maintenance of milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) in agricultural landscapes of the north central United States are needed to reverse the decline of North America's eastern monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population. Because of a lack of toxicity data, it is unclear how insecticide use may reduce monarch productivity when milkweed habitat is placed near maize and soybean fields. To assess the potential effects of foliar insecticides, acute cuticular and dietary toxicity of 5 representative active ingredients were determined: beta-cyfluthrin (pyrethroid), chlorantraniliprole (anthranilic diamide), chlorpyrifos (organophosphate), and imidacloprid and thiamethoxam (neonicotinoids). Cuticular median lethal dose values for …

The Impact Of Nicotine Accumulation Exposure On Lithobates Catebeianus Larvae Mortality, Luke Micek

UCARE Research Products

Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world and contain over 4,000 chemicals, including the organic compound nicotine (Slaughter et al. 2011). Billions of cigarette butts are littered each year which may wash into bodies of water, impacting the local wildlife. To determine how introduced chemicals impact the environment, it is important to study its effects on indicator species. Amphibians, such as Lithobates catebeianus, act as indicator species due to their extreme sensitivity to chemical changes in its environment. The purpose of this research project was to obtain data to help determine the impact nicotine accumulation has …

Comparing Statistical Analyses To Estimate Thresholds In Ecotoxicology, Marcos Krull

VIMS Articles

Different methods are used in ecotoxicology to estimate thresholds in survival data. This paper uses Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the accuracy of three methods (maximum likelihood (MLE) and Markov Chain Monte Carlo estimates (Bayesian) of the no-effect concentration (NEC) model and Piecewise regression) in estimating true and apparent thresholds in survival experiments with datasets having different slopes, background mortalities, and experimental designs. Datasets were generated with models that include a threshold parameter (NEC) or not (log-logistic). Accuracy was estimated using root-mean square errors (RMSEs), and RMSE ratios were used to estimate the relative improvement in accuracy by each design …

Data From: Consumption Of The Total Western Diet Promotes Colitis And Inflammation-Associated Colorectal Cancer In Mice, Abby D. Benninghoff

Browse all Datasets

Gene expression data for colon tissues obtained prior to, during, and after onset of colitis in mice fed either a standard or Western type diet.

File 1: probe annotations.

File 2: nSolver differential expression analysis results.

File 3: Gene set analysis

File 4: nSolver pathway scores

File 5: STRING-db networks and clusters

File 6: Metascape ontology results

File 7: nSolver cell type profiling scores

Development Of A Hybrid Bayesian Network Model For Predicting Acute Fish Toxicity Using Multiple Lines Of Evidence, S. Jannicke Moe, Anders L. Madsen, Kristin A. Connors, Jane M. Rawlings, Scott E. Belanger, Wayne G. Landis, Raoul Wolf, Adam D. Lillicrap

IETC Publications

A hybrid Bayesian network (BN) was developed for predicting the acute toxicity of chemicals to fish, using data from fish embryo toxicity (FET) testing in combination with other information. This model can support the use of FET data in a Weight-of-Evidence (WOE) approach for replacing the use of juvenile fish. The BN predicted correct toxicity intervals for 69%–80% of the tested substances. The model was most sensitive to components quantified by toxicity data, and least sensitive to components quantified by expert knowledge. The model is publicly available through a web interface. Further development of this model should include additional lines …

Worker Exposure To Flame Retardants In Manufacturing, Construction And Service Industries, C. Fairfield Estill, J. Slone, A. Mayer, I-C Chen, Mark J. La Guardia

VIMS Articles

Workers in several industries are occupationally exposed to flame retardants. This study characterizes flame retardant exposure for nine industries through air and hand wipe measures for 105 workers. Specifically, we analyzed 24 analytes from three chemical classes: organophosphate flame retardants (OFRs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and non-PBDE brominated flame retardants (NPBFRs). The industries were: carpet installation, chemical manufacturing, foam manufacturing, electronic scrap, gymnastics, rigid board installation, nail salons, roofing, and spray polyurethane foam. Workers wore personal air samplers for two entire workdays and provided hand wipe samples before and after the second work day. Bulk products were also analyzed. The …

Natural Sources And Bioactivities Of 2,4-Di-Tert-Butylphenol And Its Analogs, Fuqiang Zhao, Ping Wang, Rima D. Lucardi, Zushang Su, Shiyou Li

NCPC Publications and Patents

2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol or 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-phenol (2,4-DTBP) is a common toxic secondary metabolite produced by various groups of organisms. The biosources and bioactivities of 2,4-DTBP have been well investigated, but the phenol has not been systematically reviewed. This article provides a comprehensive review of 2,4-DTBP and its analogs with emphasis on natural sources and bioactivities. 2,4-DTBP has been found in at least 169 species of bacteria (16 species, 10 families), fungi (11 species, eight families), diatom (one species, one family), liverwort (one species, one family), pteridiphyta (two species, two families), gymnosperms (four species, one family), dicots (107 species, 58 families), monocots (22 species, …

Qualitative Approach To Comparative Exposure In Alternatives Assessment, William Greggs, Thomas Burns, Peter Egeghy, Michelle R. Embry, Peter Fantke, Bonnie Gaborek, Lauren Heine, Olivier Jolliet, Carolyn Lee, Derek Muir, Kathy Plotzke, Joseph Rinkevich, Neha Sunger, Jennifer Y. Tanir, Margaret Whittaker

Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Most alternatives assessments (AAs) published to date are largely hazard-based rankings, thereby ignoring potential differences in human and/or ecosystem exposures; as such, they may not represent a fully informed consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of possible alternatives. Building on the 2014 US National Academy of Sciences recommendations to improve AA decisions by including comparative exposure assessment into AAs, the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute's (HESI) Sustainable Chemical Alternatives Technical Committee, which comprises scientists from academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations, developed a qualitative comparative exposure approach. Conducting such a comparison can screen for alternatives that are expected to have …

Biophysical And Biomechanical Properties Of Neural Progenitor Cells As Indicators Of Developmental Neurotoxicity, Gautam Mahajan, Moo-Yeal Lee, Chandrasekhar R. Kothapalli

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Conventional in vitro toxicity studies have focused on identifying IC50 and the underlying mechanisms, but how toxicants influence biophysical and biomechanical changes in human cells, especially during developmental stages, remain understudied. Here, using an atomic force microscope, we characterized changes in biophysical (cell area, actin organization) and biomechanical (Young's modulus, force of adhesion, tether force, membrane tension, tether radius) aspects of human fetal brain-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) induced by four classes of widely used toxic compounds, including rotenone, digoxin, N-arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA), and chlorpyrifos, under exposure up to 36 h. The sub-cellular mechanisms (apoptosis, mitochondria membrane potential, DNA damage, glutathione …

Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Cytotoxicity And Mutagenicity: A Study Of Protection By Ascorbic Acid And Epigallocatechin Gallate, Timothy P. Mayotte

Honors Program Projects

Hexavalent chromium, or Cr(VI), is a potent oxidizer and known carcinogen, that is found at varying levels in the water sources of more than 200 million Americans. However, the exact mechanism of carcinogenicity remains unknown, and though the government currently regulates total chromium levels, they have yet to determine a permissible exposure limit for Cr(VI). Moreover, there is currently no preventative treatment for Cr(VI). Because of Cr(VI)’s strong oxidative power, we hypothesized that it causes DNA mutation and cell death via oxidation and that antioxidants could prevent this from occurring. To test this, we first assessed the viability of human …

Residues Of Thiamethoxam And Mefenoxam In Vegetative And Floral Tissue Of Soybean At The Early Reproductive Stage Resulting From Seed Treatments, Carolina Camargo, Daniel D. Snow, Sathaporn Onanong, Thomas Hunt, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Thiamethoxam with mefenoxam is the most widely used neonicotinoid insecticide/fungicide mixture applied to soybean (Glycine max [L]) as seed treatments. Based on the systemic nature of thiamethoxam and mefenoxam, residues of this insecticide/fungicide mixture may be present in soybean vegetative and floral tissue and negatively impact beneficial insects. Although neonicotinoids are often applied in combination with systemic fungicides, the research on ecological risks of neonicotinoids has been focused on the analysis of these compounds without considering their interaction with other agrochemicals. The objective of this study was to identify the concentration of thiamethoxam and mefenoxam in soybean flowers and …

Effects Of Harvest Time On The Aroma Of White Wines Made From Cold-Hardy Brianna And Frontenac Gris Grapes Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction And Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry, Somchai Rice, Madina Tursumbayeva, Matthew Clark, David Greenlee, Murlidhar Dharmadhikari, Anne Fennell Dr, Jacek A. Koziel

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

The Midwest wine industry has shown a marked increase in growers, hectares planted, wineries, and wine production. This growth coincides with the release of cold-hardy cultivars such as Brianna and Frontenac gris, in 2001 and 2003, respectively. These white grape varieties account for one-third of the total area grown in the state of Iowa. It is generally accepted that the wine aroma profile plays a crucial role in developing a local, sustainable brand. However, the identity of Brianna/Frontenac Gris-based wine aromas and their link to the grape berry chemistry at harvest is unknown. This study aims to preliminarily characterize key …

Exploration Of Sonic Hedgehog Gene Expression In Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promelas), Brooke Renee Greiner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pollutants, as a result of wastewater treatments, have been shown to have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. To better understand the possible consequences caused by effluents on ecosystems, it is important to examine ecotoxicology data. One of the most commonly used species for water quality testing is the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas. Ecotoxicology can then be taken one step further to understand the effects of pollutants on a molecular level. Previous research had identified effluents as causes for abnormal minnow fin morphology. In order to collect additional data on development, tanks with fathead minnows were placed at the Charleston …

Biogenic Volatiles Emitted From Four Cold-Hardy Grape Cultivars During Ripening, Somchai Rice, Devin L. Mauer, Anne Fennell, Murlidhar Dharmadhikari, Jacek A. Koziel

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

In this research dataset, we summarize for the first time volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted in vivo from ripening wine grapes. We studied four cold-hardy cultivars grown in the Midwestern U.S.: St. Croix, Frontenac, Marquette, and La Crescent. These cultivars have gained popularity among local growers and winemakers, but still very little is known about their performance compared with long-established V. vinifera grapes. Volatiles were collected using two novel approaches: biogenic emissions from grape clusters on a vine and single grape berries. A third approach was headspace collection of volatiles from crushed grapes. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was used to collect …

The Effects Of Copper Exposure On Fish Locomotion And Predator-Prey Interactions, Tiffany N. Yanez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study determined the effects of the copper water quality criterion (WQC) by the EPA on [1] swimming performance and [2] predator-prey interactions of the Sailfin Molly, across a salinity gradient. Fish acclimated to FW (0 ppt) and 8-ppt saltwater were exposed to 11.3 and 8.44 µg/L Cu for 96 h, respectively. At the end of the exposures, fish swimming performance was determined by using the critical swimming speed, U_crit, the speed at which a fish cannot longer maintain position in the water column. U_critwas then measured again after a 4-week depuration period to determine if …

Aptamer-Based Assay For Detection Of Ochratoxin A, Amanda Nicole Bartley

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent mycotoxin found in a wide range of agricultural products that has been linked to mitochondrial damage and renal disease. The standard methods for OTA analysis currently rely on the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to fluorescence detection or mass spectrometry. Toward a highthroughput analysis of OTA, a single-stranded DNA aptamer, modified with a fluorophore, coupled to a complementary sequence, modified with a FRET-based quencher that dissociates in the presence of the target toxin, is proposed. In order to integrate “target trapping,” aptamer immobilization methods were explored to mediate interference issues. Assays were …

Postmortem Toxicology Of New Synthetic Opiods, Marta Concheiro, Rachel Chesser, Justine Pardi, Gail Cooper

Publications and Research

One hundred fifteen Americans die every day from opioid overdose. These overdose fatalities have been augmented by the increased availability of potent synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and its derivatives. The death rate of synthetic opioids, other than methadone, increased by 72.2% from 2014 to 2015, and doubled from 2015 to 2016, situating the USA in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic. The analytical identification of these opioids in postmortem samples and the correct toxicological data interpretation is critical to identify and implement preventive strategies. This article reviews the current knowledge of postmortem toxicology of synthetic opioids and the …

The Value Of Chemical Defense: The Effects Of Toxin Milking On The Physical, Physiological, And Behavioral Performance Of Cane Toads (Rhinella Marina), Ryann Blennerhassett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Amphibians have cutaneous glands on their skin which produce a number of toxic compounds that serve as protection against predators and microorganisms. Cane toads (Rhinella marina) have large parotoid glands located on their shoulders to store toxins, many of which are derived from lipids and are thus energetically expensive to produce. I used a combination of field and laboratory studies to investigate behavioral and physiological consequences of toxin loss and replenishment in cane toads. In a cross-sectional study, free-ranging toads were euthanized and dissected to identify correlations between toxin content and morphology /physiology. Experimental manipulations (manually expressing toxin from glands) …

The Effect Of Imidacloprid On Honey Bee Queen Fecundity, Jamilyn Martin, Julia D. Fine, Amy Cash-Ahmed, Gene E. Robinson

PRECS 2018

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide commonly used in agricultural settings to control insect pests by acting as an agonist of acetylcholine receptors and inducing paralysis and mortality. In small doses, imidacloprid can cause loss of memory and foraging ability along with impaired learning and a lowered immune response in western honey bees (Apis mellifera). Effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on colony reproduction have been documented including decreased colony expansion, queen failure and replacement, and decreased queen egg laying.

For this study, we examined the effects of imidacloprid on the fecundity of queen bees when their worker attendants were exposed to low …

The Cyclodextrin-Perfluorinated Surfactant Host-Guest Complex: Fundamental Studies For Potential Environmental Remediation And Therapeutic Applications, Mary J. Errico

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are contaminants of emerging concern, and have been detected in drinking water, wildlife, humans, and the environment. Cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic sugars composed of glucose monomers, are proposed as a potential remediation strategy. CDs can form host-guest complexes with hydrophobic molecules; this complexation could be capitalized on for PFAS removal and sequestration. These dissertation projects aim to study the fundamental host-guest interactions between a variety of PFASs and CDs for eventual applications in environmental and biological remediation. 1D and 2D Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods were employed to determine the strength, dynamics, and structure of the CD:PFAS …