Multi-elemental concentrations in the tissues of the oceanic squid Todarodes filippovae from Tasmania and the southern Indian Ocean

This study investigates 14 elements (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V and Zn) in the tissues of the oceanic ommastrephid squid Todarodes filippovae from waters surrounding Île Amsterdam (southern Indian Ocean) and Tasmania (Australia). As for other cephalopod species, the digestive gland and branchial hearts showed the highest concentrations of many elements (Ag, Cd, Se, V and Zn, and Cr and Ni, respectively) highlighting their role in bioaccumulation and detoxification processes. With the exception of As and Hg, the muscles showed relatively low trace element concentrations. Squid size was positively correlated to Ag, As, Cd, Hg and Zn concentrations in Tasmanian squid and negatively correlated to all but Hg and Zn concentrations in Île Amsterdam squid. Furthermore, no differences in elemental concentrations were noted between sexes. There were, however, some differences between mated and non-mated females from Tasmania. Comparing elemental concentrations in squid from both islands, higher concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb and V in squid sampled in Île Amsterdam reflect different exposure conditions. When considering T. filippovae as a dietary resource for humans it should be noted that, given their Hg content, squids from Île Amsterdam are not recommended for consumption on a regular basis. Moreover, regardless of the squid's origin, digestive glands should be avoided as Cd and Hg concentrations were above the European Union authorized limits in these organs.     

太平洋褶柔鱼肌肉主要营养成分分析及评价

<正>太平洋褶柔鱼(Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup)隶属头足纲,枪形目,开眼亚目,柔鱼科,褶柔鱼亚科,褶柔鱼属,主要分布于西太平洋寒暖流交汇水域,在我国东、黄海和台湾海峡以北也有分布。是西北太平洋海域(FAO划定,6I渔区)重要的经济头足类资源之一,在世界头     

Metallothionein concentrations in natural populations of gudgeon (Gobio gobio): relationship with metal concentrations in tissues and environment

A field monitoring campaign investigating the suitability of (Cd, Zn)-metallothionein concentrations (MTs) in different tissues of the gudgeon as a biomarker for metal contamination in the aquatic environment was conducted. Gudgeons were captured at 10 sampling sites on a river system in Flanders (Belgium). Nine sampling sites were situated along a Cd and Zn gradient with a nearby tributary as the reference site. Cadmium, Cu, and Zn concentrations were measured in the water and sediments. Concentrations of (Cd, Zn)-MT were measured in different organs (gill, liver, kidney) of gudgeon (Gobio gobio). The hepatic and gill Cd and Zn concentrations, as well as the hepatic (Cd, Zn)-MT concentrations, reflected the polymetallic contamination gradient. Moreover, the hepatic Cd and Zn concentrations could describe 72% of the variance in the (Cd, Zn)-MT concentrations in the liver, illustrating the possible use of hepatic MT concentrations as a biomarker for environmental metal contamination. In this way a dose-response relationship could be established under natural conditions. However, a poor negative relation between the Cd and Zn concentrations in the gills and the corresponding (Cd, Zn)-MT concentrations was found. No relation between the Cd and Zn concentrations in the kidney tissue and the corresponding (Cd, Zn)-MT concentrations could be established. These results clearly illustrate the tissue-specificity of the MT concentrations, thus for monitoring purposes MT concentrations should be measured in liver tissues, rather than in kidney or gill tissues.     

Lead concentrations in human tissues

Barry, P. S. L., and Mossman, D. B. (1970).Brit. J. industr. Med.,27, 339-351. Lead concentrations in human tissues. A study of 69 subjects at post-mortem, four of whom had histories of occupational exposure to lead, demonstrated a marked difference in the lead concentrations between bones and soft tissues.

The soft tissues of infants and young children contained low concentrations of lead, varying from 0·01 ppm in muscle to 0·46 ppm in liver. By the end of the second decade of life the concentrations of lead in most of the soft tissues showed values varying between 0·06 ppm in muscle and 1·35 ppm in liver and thereafter did not increase with advancing age.

The concentrations of lead in bone were considerably greater than those in soft tissues, being about 1 ppm in infants and young children and increasing to more than 40 ppm in persons over the age of 50 years. Adult male bones contained more lead than adult females by a ratio of 3 to 2, and in both sexes the long bone contained concentrations of lead two and a half times that observed in the flat bone. No marked difference was noted in lead concentrations between the corresponding soft tissues of the two sexes.

From the findings it appeared that in adults the total body burden varied widely from subject to subject. Nearly 95% was represented by the lead content in bone, of which more than 70% was in dense bone. A far lower concentration of lead was found in the bones of children than in those of adults, but there was less divergence in the lead concentrations in the soft tissues.

The total lead content in the soft tissues of the majority of the subjects investigated appeared to be relatively stable and did not correlate with levels in bone.

The four male subjects with known occupational exposure to lead had greater concentrations of lead in bone than those with no known occupational exposure, but no difference was noted in the soft tissues between the two groups, with the exception of the most heavily exposed subject in whom concentrations of lead in the brain were over 4 ppm and in the aorta 28 ppm.

Hair and nails were found to contain relatively high concentrations of lead, approximately 20 ppm; some significance may be attached to this finding in a medico-legal context.

The findings of this study would suggest that the present intake of lead among the general population is no greater than in the past.

     

Distribution and accumulation of mercury in tissues of captive-reared common loon (Gavia immer) chicks

We determined the distribution and accumulation of Hg in tissues of common loon (Gavia immer) chicks maintained for up to 15 weeks on either a control diet with no added methylmercury chloride (MeHgCl) or one containing either 0.4 or 1.2 microg Hg (as MeHgCl)/g wet-weight food. Total Hg and MeHg tissue concentrations were strongly positively correlated (r2 > 0.95) with the amount of Hg delivered to individual chicks throughout the course of the experiment. The pattern of differential Hg concentration in internal tissues was consistent within each treatment: Liver > kidney > muscle > carcass > brain. Feather Hg concentrations were consistently higher than those of internal tissues and represented an important route of Hg elimination. Feather mass accounted for 4.3% +/- 0.1% (average +/- standard error) of body mass, yet 27.3% +/- 2.6% of total Hg intake was excreted into feathers. Our calculations indicate that 26.7% +/- 4.9% of ingested Hg was not accounted for and, thus, either was never absorbed or was absorbed and subsequently eliminated in feces. With the additional excretion into feathers, 54% of ingested Hg was excreted. Demethylation was evident in the liver at all treatment levels and in the kidneys of chicks dosed at 1.2 microg Hg/g. Mercury concentrations were strongly positively correlated (r2 > or = 0.95) among internal tissues and with blood Hg concentration. Mercury concentrations of secondary feathers were moderately correlated (r2 = 0.82-0.93) with internal tissues. We supply regression models that may be used to provide perspective and a useful means of interpreting the variety of measures of Hg exposure reported in the literature.     

Geographic, seasonal and ontogenetic variation in cadmium and mercury concentrations in squid (Cephalopoda: Teuthoidea) from UK waters

Cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) levels were measured in the tissue samples of two loliginid (Alloteuthis sp. and Loligo forbesi) and two ommastrephid (Todarodes sagittatus and Todaropsis eblanae) squid species collected from research cruise and fishery (market) samples in UK waters during 2004–05. Concentrations of Cd were generally higher in the ommastrephids, in all tissues except muscle. Hg concentrations were higher in T. sagittatus than in the loliginids. In L. forbesi, metal concentrations differed between tissues and also varied in relation to body size, geographic origin, and season. Cd levels decreased with increasing body size. This may be related to a shift in the diet with growth, since small L. forbesi feed on benthic invertebrates that have relatively high Cd concentrations, whereas larger individuals prey mainly on fish that have low Cd concentrations. Hg levels increased with body size, indicating its retention, and they were highest at the end of the spawning season and in squid from the English Channel and the Scottish West Coast. It is likely that the ambient concentration of Hg in seawater plays an important part in its accumulation in squid tissues. As it is a short-lived species, L. forbesi may therefore function as a bioindicator species for Hg contamination of the marine environment. Our results indicate that there is no significant danger to humans from consuming squid from UK waters.     

Hexacosanoate contents in Japanese common foods

Recently, a diet enriched in oleate and moderately restricted in hexacosanoate (C26:0) was found effective to reduce the plasma very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) levels in patients with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), an X-linked disorder characterized by demyelination of the adrenal cortex and cerebral white matter, and accumulation of saturated VLCFA, particularly C26:0, in tissues of the demyelination. The information about the C26:0 content in Japanese food was, however, almost nil except for one report about foods in the USA, but this did not include some Japanese common foods. With the hope of treating an ALD patient in our hospital, C26:0 contents in Japanese common foods (42 items) were measured. In our case, a one-hour direct transesterification method was used to obtain methylesters of total fatty acids in foods and they were applied directly to a selected ion monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the quantitative C26:0 analysis. The C26:0 content in nuts and seeds as well as in fats and oils was found to be significantly higher than in other foods; the content was highest in peanuts. The content in almost all kinds of examined fishes, the common protein foods in Japan, was relatively low. From these data and that in the national nutrition survey in 1986, the daily intake of C26:0 from the average Japanese diet could be estimated to be 12-36 mg. It can be recommended, therefore, that nuts and seeds as well as fats and oils should be restricted as severely as possible from the diet of ALD patients in Japan in order to keep daily C26:0 intake below 10 mg as recommended in the USA.     

Estimation of intake level of di (2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in Japanese pregnant women based on measurement of concentrations of three urinary metabolites

OBJECTIVES: [corrected] The daily intake level of di (2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) of Japanese pregnant women was estimated on the basis of the measurement of the urinary concentrations of three DEHP metabolites. METHODS: Spot urine samples were collected from 42 pregnant women who visited the gynecology division of a hospital for routine health check between June and October, 2003. The urinary concentrations of three DEHP metabolites, namely, mono (2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono (2-ethy-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), and mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) were measured by HPLC/MS/MS. RESULTS: The concentrations of urinary MEHP, MEOHP and MEHHP (n=40) were 3.27-39.5 (median 9.83), 1.51-41.0 (median 10.4) and 4.6-26.6 (median 10.9) microg/g cre, respectively. The ranges of the estimated daily intake of DEHP per body weight based on the MEHP, MEOHP and MEHHP concentrations (n=40) were 3.45-41.6 (median 10.4), 0.66-17.9 (median 4.55) and 1.47-8.57 (median 3.51) microg/kg/day, respectively. The maximum estimated intake level per body weight (41.6 microg/kg/day) reached the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) level of 40-140 microg/kg/day set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (now the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). CONCLUSIONS: The health risk of DEHP exposure of our study subjects was found to be minimum from the viewpoint of the current knowledge of its risk level, although the human health effects of low-level DEHP exposure have to be studied further.     

A comparison of concentrations of lead in human tissues.

This postmortem study of lead concentrations in the tissues of 129 subjects is an extension to a report by Barry and Mossman (1970). Lead concentrations in bone greatly exceeded the concentrations in soft tissues and were highest in the dense bones. Bone lead concentrations increased with age in both sexes, more especially in male subjects and in dense bone, varying between mean values of 2-16 ppm in the ribs of children to over 50 ppm in the dense petrous temporal bones of elderly male adults. Male adults contained over 30% more lead in their bones than females. Mean concentrations of lead in the soft tissues varied from less than 0-1 ppm in organs such as muscle and heart to over 2 ppm in the aorta. In most tissues with lead values in excess of 0-2 ppm the male concentrations exceeded female values by about 30%. With the exception of the aorta, spleen, lung, and prostate, lead concentrations did not increase with age in the soft tissues of either sex after about the second decade of life. Children showed concentrations of lead in their soft tissues comparable to female adults, but the concentrations in bone were much lower. It is suggested that children do not possess the same capacity as adults to retain lead in bone. In male adults occupationally exposed to lead the concentrations of lead in bone exceeded the concentrations in unexposed male adults within the same age group by two-to three-fold. Soft tissue lead concentrations between the two groups were less divergent. An assessment of the total body burden of lead revealed higher levels in adult male subjects than in females at mean values of 164-8 mg compared to 103-6 mg, respectively. Over 90% of the total body burden of lead in adults was in bone, of which over 70% was in dense bone. Male adults occupationally exposed to lead had mean total body burdens of 566-4 mg Pb, of which 97% was in bone. The release of lead from bone in conjunction with calcium was not considered to be of physiological significance. Lead concentrations of hair and nails were higher than soft tissue lead concentrations and varied widely. Hair lead measurements were not considered to provide a reliable assessment of lead absorption. The concentrations of lead in tissues of a mixed group of subjects with no known occupational exposure to lead have been shown to be comparable to the findings in earlier studies. Present levels of lead in the environment are not considered to be a hazard to the health of the population in general.     

Antibodies to influenza viruses (including the human A2-Asian-57 strain) in sera from Australian shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus)

Sera were collected from 320 shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus chlororhynchus) nesting on two islands off the east coast of northern Australia in December 1969. About 10% of these sera specifically inhibited the neuraminidase of the 1957 strain of human influenza (A2/Asian/57), some to high titre.     

Studies of serum lipoproteins of adolescent Japanese and U.S. (Bogalusa) children using a common laboratory

A cross-cultural comparison of serum lipoprotein profiles was made between adolescent children ages 12, 15, 16, and 17 years from the United States (Bogalusa) and Japan using a common laboratory. Characteristically, adolescent white children have relatively low total and alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol levels and high pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol, while black children have high total and alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol levels and low triglycerides; Japanese children, in contrast, have high total and beta-lipoprotein cholesterol and disproportionately high triglyceride levels in relation to low levels of pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol. The sex-related differences were similar among Japanese and white children, with boys showing lower alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol and higher triglyceride levels than girls. In terms of changes in beta-lipoprotein cholesterol/alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol ratios with age, the values showed an increase among white boys, no change among black children, and a decrease among white girls as well as among Japanese children of both sexes. There was no inverse relationship between alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides or pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol in Japanese children. These observations suggest intrinsic metabolic differences among these race-sex groups. Such information should help elucidate environmental factors that influence cardiovascular risk among varied cultures.     

Reference values for nickel concentrations in human tissues and bile

Nickel concentrations in human tissues and gallbladder bile were determined by analysis of postmortem specimens from ten consecutive autopsies of adult persons. The tissue samples were collected and homogenized with precautions to avoid nickel contamination and were analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry with Zeemann background correction. In decreasing order of mean nickel concentrations, the following results were obtained (mean and range, microgram/kg dry weight, N = 7-10): lung 173 (71-371), thyroid 141 (41-240), adrenal 132 (53-241), kidney 62 (19-171), heart 54 (10-110), liver 50 (11-102), brain 44 (20-65), spleen 37 (9-95), and pancreas 34 (7-71). In five specimens of gallbladder bile, nickel concentrations averaged 2.3 +/- 0.8 micrograms/l (range 1.5-3.3). These data furnish reference values for use in evaluating tissue nickel concentrations in persons with occupational exposures to nickel, provide the first demonstration that nickel concentrations in thyroid and adrenal glands are approximately equal to those in lung and are higher than in other organs, and suggest that biliary excretion may be a significant route for the elimination of nickel in humans.