Evidence for the Range Expansion of Ciguatera in French Polynesia: A Revisit of the 2009 Mass-Poisoning Outbreak in Rapa Island (Australes Archipelago)

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) results from the consumption of seafood contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs). This disease is highly prevalent in French Polynesia with several well-identified hotspots. Rapa Island, the southernmost inhabited island in the country, was reportedly free of CP until 2007. This study describes the integrated approach used to investigate the etiology of a fatal mass-poisoning outbreak that occurred in Rapa in 2009. Symptoms reported in patients were evocative of ciguatera. Several Gambierdiscus field samples collected from benthic assemblages tested positive by the receptor binding assay (RBA). Additionally, the toxicity screening of ≈250 fish by RBA indicated ≈78% of fish could contain CTXs. The presence of CTXs in fish was confirmed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The potential link between climate change and this range expansion of ciguatera to a subtropical locale of French Polynesia was also examined based on the analysis of temperature time-series data. Results are indicative of a global warming trend in Rapa area. A five-fold reduction in incidence rates was observed between 2009 and 2012, which was due in part to self-regulating behavior among individuals (avoidance of particular fish species and areas). Such observations underscore the prominent role played by community outreach in ciguatera risk management.     

An Update on Ciguatoxins and CTX-like Toxicity in Fish from Different Trophic Levels of the Selvagens Islands (NE Atlantic,Madeira, Portugal)

The Selvagens Islands, which are a marine protected area located at the southernmost point of the Portuguese maritime zone, have been associated with fish harboring ciguatoxins (CTX) and linked to ciguatera fish poisonings. This study reports the results of a field sampling campaign carried out in September 2018 in these remote and rarely surveyed islands. Fifty-six fish specimens from different trophic levels were caught for CTX-like toxicity determination by cell-based assay (CBA) and toxin content analysis by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Notably, high toxicity levels were found in fish with an intermediate position in the food web, such as zebra seabream (Diplodus cervinus) and barred hogfish (Bodianus scrofa), reaching levels up to 0.75 µg CTX1B equivalent kg⁻¹. The LC-MS/MS analysis confirmed that C-CTX1 was the main toxin, but discrepancies between CBA and LC-MS/MS in D. cervinus and top predator species, such as the yellowmouth barracuda (Sphyraena viridis) and amberjacks (Seriola spp.), suggest the presence of fish metabolic products, which need to be further elucidated. This study confirms that fish from coastal food webs of the Selvagens Islands represent a high risk of ciguatera, raising important issues for fisheries and environmental management of the Selvagens Islands.     

Effect of Different N:P Ratios on the Growth,Toxicity, and Toxin Profile of Gymnodinium catenatum (Dinophyceae) Strains from the Gulf of California

The harmful microalgae Gymnodinium catenatum is a unique naked dinoflagellate that produces paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins (PSTs). This species is common along the coasts of the Mexican Pacific and is responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning, which has resulted in notable financial losses in both fisheries and aquaculture. In the Gulf of California, G. catenatum has been related to mass mortality events in fish, shrimp, seabirds, and marine mammals. In this study, the growth, toxin profiles, and toxin content of four G. catenatum strains isolated from Bahía de La Paz (BAPAZ) and Bahía de Mazatlán (BAMAZ) were evaluated with different N:P ratios, keeping the phosphorus concentration constant. All strains were cultivated in semi-continuous cultures (200 mL, 21.0 °C, 120 µmol photon m⁻²s⁻¹, and a 12:12 h light-dark cycle) with f/2 + Se medium using N:P ratios of: 4:1, 8:1, 16:1, 32:1, and 64:1. Paralytic toxins were analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Maximum cellular abundance and growth were obtained at an N:P ratio of 64:1 (3188 cells mL⁻¹ and 0.34 div day⁻¹) with the BAMAZ and BAPAZ strains. A total of ten saxitoxin analogs dominated by N-sulfocarbamoyl (60–90 mol%), decarbamoyl (10–20 mol%), and carbamoyl (5–10 mol%) toxins were detected. The different N:P ratios did not cause significant changes in the PST content or toxin profiles of the strains from both bays, although they did affect cell abundance.     

Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide and Ultrasound on Biomass Reduction and Toxin Release in the Cyanobacterium,Microcystis aeruginosa

Cyanobacterial blooms are expected to increase, and the toxins they produce threaten human health and impair ecosystem services. The reduction of the nutrient load of surface waters is the preferred way to prevent these blooms; however, this is not always feasible. Quick curative measures are therefore preferred in some cases. Two of these proposed measures, peroxide and ultrasound, were tested for their efficiency in reducing cyanobacterial biomass and potential release of cyanotoxins. Hereto, laboratory assays with a microcystin (MC)-producing cyanobacterium (Microcystis aeruginosa) were conducted. Peroxide effectively reduced M. aeruginosa biomass when dosed at 4 or 8 mg L⁻¹, but not at 1 and 2 mg L⁻¹. Peroxide dosed at 4 or 8 mg L⁻¹ lowered total MC concentrations by 23%, yet led to a significant release of MCs into the water. Dissolved MC concentrations were nine-times (4 mg L⁻¹) and 12-times (8 mg L⁻¹ H₂O₂) higher than in the control. Cell lysis moreover increased the proportion of the dissolved hydrophobic variants, MC-LW and MC-LF (where L = Leucine, W = tryptophan, F = phenylalanine). Ultrasound treatment with commercial transducers sold for clearing ponds and lakes only caused minimal growth inhibition and some release of MCs into the water. Commercial ultrasound transducers are therefore ineffective at controlling cyanobacteria.     

Species differences in the pharmacokinetics of KW-7158 [(2S)-(+)-3,3,3-Trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5,5,10-trioxo-4,10-dihydrothieno[3,2-c][1]benzothiepin-9-yl)propanamide]: formation of hydrolyzed metabolite in human and animals

1. Species differences in the pharmacokinetics of KW-7158 [(2S)-(+)-3,3,3-Trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5,5,10-trioxo-4,10-dihydrothieno[3,2-c][1]benzothiepin-9-yl)propanamide] were studied in in vivo and in vitro experiments.

2. The exposure ratio of hydrolyzed metabolite (M2, primary metabolite in human plasma)/KW-7158 was higher than the ratio of thiophen-to-furan converted metabolite (M1)/KW-7158 in human subjects after oral administration, but the mouse, rat and dog studies gave opposite results.

3. M2 was produced in the highest amount by the 9000g supernatant of small intestine, followed by that of liver and kidney in human subjects. After correction for protein contents, the results obtained suggested that the small intestine plays a major role in the metabolism to M2 for the first pass effect after oral administration of KW-7158.

4. The formation of M2 was independent of the presence of NADPH and was inhibited by various esterase inhibitors.

5. These observations suggested that the predominant enzymes or isozymes involved in the formation of M2 are esterases, which differ between humans and animals. Such differences may be one of the reasons for the species differences in the pharmacokinetics of KW-7158 between humans and animals.

     

HSCT患儿血浆中白消安的浓度测定及暴露量研究

目的:建立测定造血干细胞移植(HSCT)患儿体内白消安(BU)血药浓度的液相色谱-串联质谱(LC-MS/MS)法,并进一步估算非清髓预处理(RIC)方案下患儿体内BU暴露情况.方法:以白消安D8(BU-D8)为内标,乙腈蛋白沉淀,色谱柱为Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEHC18(50 mm×2.1 mm,1.7μm);柱温:40℃;流动相以含0.1％甲酸的乙腈为有机相,以含10 mmol·L-1甲酸铵和0.1％甲酸的水溶液为水相,梯度洗脱;流速:0.4 mL·min-1;进样量:2μL.采用电喷雾离子源(ESI)和多反应监测(MRM)模式检测,BU和BU-D8离子通道分别为m/z 264.10→150.90和m/z 272.10→159.10.使用NextDose贝叶斯回归模型分别计算患儿体内BU暴露量,以药-时曲线下面积(AUC)表示.结果:BU在0.1～10.0μg·mL-1范围内具有良好的线性关系,定量下限为0.1μg·mL-1.定量下限以及低、中、高浓度质控品的批内和批间精密度分别为4.3％～5.1％和3.2％～6.9％,平均提取回收率为(111.2±11.8)％,经内标归一化的基质效应均<15％.21例患儿经模型估算的BU AUC中位值为1191.23(775～2511.57)μmol·min·L-1),个体间差异较大.结论:该方法灵敏度、准确度高,操作简便快速,适用于临床开展BU血药浓度监测.RIC方案下患儿体内BU暴露存在个体差异性,有待进一步开展相关研究.     

Effects of Cu+2 and pH on the fitness of Ceriodaphnia dubia (Richard 1894) (Crustacea, Cladocera) in microcosm experiments

An important disturbance of anthropogenic origin frequently occurring in freshwater ecosystems is a rise in the concentration of heavy metals in solution, among which copper stands out due to its known toxicity. However, the study of the chemical behavior of copper in solution is highly dependent on pH. In this study, the effect of ionic copper on the fitness of Ceriodaphnia dubia was assessed in microcosm experiments under different conditions of Cu+2 and pH. Two groups of experiments were conducted: effects on survival and fecundity, and effects on population dynamics. In the former, both pH and copper concentrations were manipulated. On the other hand, only the concentration of biologically available ionic copper was manipulated whereas pH was maintained constant in the population dynamics experiments. There was an agreement between both sets of experiments in terms of their results, showing important toxic effects of copper as evidenced through significant differences between controls and treatments in survival and fecundity. Mean age of first reproduction was delayed, and both the number of neonates produced per female and number of broods decreased with the increase in the concentration of copper. R0 was always lower at pH 6 than at pH 8 and was negatively related to the increment in the concentration of copper under either pH. A significant effect on population dynamics at 5 micrograms l-1 of copper sulfate was found and the extinction of the population at 20 micrograms l-1 of copper sulfate. New values of toxicity from copper are proposed, and the potential effects that an increment in copper could have on the communities that occupy a central position in aquatic food webs are discussed.     

Effect of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on human and mouse fetal testis: In vitro and in vivo approaches

The present study was conducted to determine whether exposure to the mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) represents a genuine threat to male human reproductive function. To this aim, we investigated the effects on human male fetal germ cells of a 10^− 5 M exposure. This dose is slightly above the mean concentrations found in human fetal cord blood samples by biomonitoring studies. The in vitro experimental approach was further validated for phthalate toxicity assessment by comparing the effects of in vitro and in vivo exposure in mouse testes.Human fetal testes were recovered during the first trimester (7-12 weeks) of gestation and cultured in the presence or not of 10^− 5 M MEHP for three days. Apoptosis was quantified by measuring the percentage of Caspase-3 positive germ cells. The concentration of phthalate reaching the fetal gonads was determined by radioactivity measurements, after incubations with ¹⁴C-MEHP.A 10^− 5 M exposure significantly increased the rate of apoptosis in human male fetal germ cells. The intratesticular MEHP concentration measured corresponded to the concentration added in vitro to the culture medium. Furthermore, a comparable effect on germ cell apoptosis in mouse fetal testes was induced both in vitro and in vivo.This study suggests that this 10^− 5 M exposure is sufficient to induce changes to the in vivo development of the human fetal male germ cells.     

4-[4″-(2″,2″,6″,6″-四甲基哌啶氮氧自由基)氨基]-4′-去甲表鬼臼毒对L1210细胞系增殖、克隆形成和DNA合成的影响

新合成的鬼臼毒自旋标记衍生物4-(4″-(2″,2″,6″,6″-四甲基哌啶氮氧自由基)氨基)-4′-去甲表鬼臼毒(GP-7)显著抑制体外培养的L1210细胞生长。抑制作用和浓度及处理时间正相关,作用特点和鬼臼乙叉甙(VP-16)相似,24,48hIC_(50)分别为1.51和0.13μmol/L。GP-7和VP-16对L1210细胞软琼脂克隆形成均有抑制作用,且有浓度依赖性,IC_(50)分别为3.29和2.82μmol/L。GP-70.08～100μmol/L对L1210细胞DNA合成抑制率为18.4～80.7％。本文结果表明GP-7体外抗肿瘤作用与VP-16相似。     

R-(+)-[2,3-Dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4-morpholinylmethyl)-pyrrolo-[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl]-1-naphtalenylmethanone (WIN-2) ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and induces encephalitogenic T cell apoptosis: partial involvement of the CB(2) receptor

Many reports have shown that cannabinoids might be beneficial in the symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). We have investigated the therapeutic properties of the non-selective cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN-2 as a suppressive drug in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS. In the passive variety of EAE, induced in Lewis rats by adoptive transfer of myelin-reactive T cells, WIN-2 ameliorates the clinical signs and diminishes the cell infiltration of the spinal cord. Due to the involvement of cannabinoids in the regulation of cell death and survival, we investigated the effects of WIN-2 on the encephalitogenic T cell population. WIN-2 induced a profound increase of apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The potential involvement of cannabinoid receptors (CB) was investigated by encephalitogenic T cell stimulation in the presence of the CB(1) (SR141716A) and CB(2) (SR144528) antagonists, pertussis toxin (PTX) and the inactive enantiomer WIN-3. WIN-2-induced apoptosis was partially blocked by SR144528 and PTX, whereas, WIN-3 only exerted a mild effect on cell viability. These results point to the partial involvement of CB(2) receptor together with other receptor-independent mechanism or by yet unknown cannabinoid receptors. Moreover, WIN-2 induced the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis, as shown by caspase-10 and -3 activation. These results suggest that cannabinoid-induced apoptosis of encephalitogenic T cells may cooperate in their anti-inflammatory action in EAE models. The partial involvement of CB(2) receptors in WIN-2 action may open new therapeutic doors in the management of MS by non-psychoactive selective cannabinoid agonists.