Journal of Xenobiotics

19 pages, 3399 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exposure to DEP Modifies the Human Umbilical Artery Vascular Resistance Contributing to Hypertension in Pregnancy

by Melissa Mariana, Amadeu M. V. M. Soares, Miguel Castelo-Branco and Elisa Cairrao

J. Xenobiot. 2024, 14(2), 497-515; https://doi.org/10.3390/jox14020030 - 18 Apr 2024

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Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) are the most prevalent diseases during pregnancy. In addition to the already identified risk factors, exposure to environmental contaminants has been also considered a new one. Phthalates, which are classified as priority environmental pollutants due to their ubiquitousness and endocrine disrupting properties, have been implicated in HDP in some epidemiological studies. Nevertheless, phthalates’ vascular impacts still need to be clarified. Thus, we aimed to understand the connection between phthalates exposure and the occurrence of gestational hypertension, as well as the pathway involved in the pathological vascular effects. We investigated diethyl phthalate’s (DEP) effect on the vascular reactivity of the human umbilical arteries (HUAs) from normotensive and hypertensive pregnant women. Both DEP’s nongenomic (within minutes effect) and genomic (24 h exposure to DEP) actions were evaluated, as well as the contribution of cyclic guanosine monophosphate and Ca²⁺ channel pathways. The results show that short-term exposure to DEP interferes with serotonin and histamine receptors, while after prolonged exposure, DEP seems to share the same vasorelaxant mechanism as estrogens, through the NO/sGC/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway, and to interfere with the L-type Ca²⁺ channels. Thus, the vascular effect induced by DEP is similar to that observed in HUA from hypertensive pregnancies, demonstrating that the development of HDP may be a consequence of DEP exposure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in the Human Health)

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13 pages, 4308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Effects of Graphene-Based Nanoparticles on Early Salmonids Cardiorespiratory Responses, Swimming and Nesting Behavior

by Tomas Makaras, Magdalena Jakubowska-Lehrmann, Živilė Jurgelėnė and Sergej Šemčuk

J. Xenobiot. 2024, 14(2), 484-496; https://doi.org/10.3390/jox14020029 - 14 Apr 2024

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Abstract

Graphene-based nanomaterials are exceptionally attractive for a wide range of applications, raising the likelihood of the release of graphene-containing nanoparticles into aquatic environments. The growing use of these carbon nanomaterials in different industries highlights the crucial need to investigate their environmental impact and evaluate potential risks to living organisms. The current investigation evaluated the nanotoxicity of graphene (nanoflakes) and graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles on the cardiorespiratory responses (heart rate, gill ventilation frequency), as well as the swimming and nesting behavioral parameters of early stage larvae and juvenile salmonids. Both short-term (96 h) and long-term (23 days) exposure experiments were conducted using two common species: brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The findings demonstrated notable alterations in fish nesting behavior, swimming performance, and cardiorespiratory functions, indicating the potential toxicity of nanoparticles. This impact was observed at both physiological and whole-organismal levels in salmonids at early stages. Future investigations should explore different types of nanocarbons and their potential enduring effects on fish population structure, considering not only individual survival but also broader aspects of development, including feeding, reproductive, and other social dynamics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 10th International Conference on Environmental Management, Engineering, Planning and Economics (CEMEPE 2023) and SECOTOX Conference)

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17 pages, 4889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aquatic Fate and Ecotoxicology Effect of ZnS:Mn Quantum Dots on Chlorella vulgaris in Fresh Water

by Bingbing Deng, Rania Maaloul, Sophie Nowak, Yann Sivry, Claude Yéprémian, Souad Ammar, Fayna Mammeri and Roberta Brayner

J. Xenobiot. 2024, 14(2), 467-483; https://doi.org/10.3390/jox14020028 - 26 Mar 2024

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Abstract

With the increasing integration of nanomaterials into daily life, the potential ecotoxicological impacts of nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted increased attention from the scientific community. This study assessed the ecotoxicity of ZnS quantum dots (QDs) doped with varying molar concentrations of Mn²⁺ on Chlorella vulgaris. The ZnS:Mn QDs were synthesized using the polyol method. The size of the ZnS:Mn QDs ranged from approximately 1.1 nm to 2 nm, while the aggregation size in Seine River water was 341 nm at pH 6 and 8. The presence of ZnS:Mn (10%) NPs exhibited profound toxicity to Chlorella vulgaris, with immediate reductions in viability (survival cells) from 71%, 60% to 51%, 52% in BG11 and Seine River water, respectively, at a concentration of 100 mg L⁻¹ of ZnS:Mn (10%) NPs. Additionally, the ATP content in Chlorella vulgaris significantly decreased in Seine River water (by 20%) after 3 h of exposure to ZnS:Mn (10%) NPs. Concurrently, SOD activity significantly increased in Seine River water, indicating that the ZnS:Mn (10%) NPs induced ROS production and triggered an oxidative stress response in microalgae cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Ecotoxicology)

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15 pages, 3184 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Acute and Developmental Exposure to Bisphenol S on Chinese Medaka (Oryzias sinensis)

by Bingying Li, Yongsi Huang, Duan Pi, Xiang Li, Yafen Guo, Zhiying Liang, Xiaohong Song, Junjie Wang and Xuegeng Wang

J. Xenobiot. 2024, 14(2), 452-466; https://doi.org/10.3390/jox14020027 - 22 Mar 2024

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Abstract

Bisphenol S (BPS), one of the substitutes for bisphenol A (BPA), is widely used in various commodities. The BPS concentrations in surface water have gradually increased in recent years, making it a predominant bisphenol analogue in the aquatic environment and raising concerns about its health and ecological effects on aquatic organisms. For this study, we conducted a 96 h acute toxicity test and a 15-day developmental exposure test to assess the adverse effects of BPS exposure in Chinese medaka (Oryzias sinensis), a new local aquatic animal model. The results indicate that the acute exposure of Chinese medaka embryos to BPS led to relatively low toxicity. However, developmental exposure to BPS was found to cause developmental abnormalities, such as decreased hatching rate and body length, at 15 dpf. A transcriptome analysis showed that exposure to different concentrations of bisphenol S often induced different reactions. In summary, environmental concentrations of BPS can have adverse effects on the hatching and physical development of Chinese medaka, and further attention needs to be paid to the potential toxicity of environmental BPS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Ecotoxicology)

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J. Xenobiot., Volume 14, Issue 2 (June 2024) – 4 articles

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