Abstract  In vivo exposure of B6C3F1 mice to the hepatotoxic chlorinated hydrocarbon, CCl4, suppresses T-cell-dependent humoral immune responses to sRBC. In the present studies, separation-crossover-reconstitution experiments with spleen cell subpopulations isolated from vehicle and CCl4-treated mice (500 mg/kg/day for 7 days) indicate that T-cells are the primary immunologic cell-type altered following CCl4 exposure. Despite suppression of T-cell activity, Con A-activated spleen cell supernatants from CCl4-treated mice produced greater amounts of biologically active IL-2 than untreated spleen cells. Furthermore, Con A-induced upregulation of the p55 subunit of the IL-2 receptor was not altered in spleen cells from CCl4-treated mice. The mediator of immune suppression is a serum-borne factor induced 48 hr following a single exposure to CCl4. Sera isolated from mice treated with CCl4 for 7 days (500 mg/kg/day) or 48 hr following a single exposure (1000 mg/kg) were found to possess high concentrations of TGF-beta 1. Direct addition studies demonstrated that T-cell-dependent AFC responses are more sensitive to suppression by TGF-beta 1 than are T-cell-independent responses. Finally, incubation of sera from CCl4-treated mice with TGF-beta 1-neutralizing mAb reversed the immune suppression associated with this serum. These results demonstrate that CCl4-induced immune suppression is at least partially mediated by induction of TGF-beta 1.

Abstract  Pretreatment of rats with large doses of vitamin A (VA) potentiates the hepatotoxicity of CCl4. Because our previous studies indicate that VA treatment does not enhance CCl4 metabolism but does enhance CCl4-induced lipid peroxidation and activates liver Kupffer cells to release increased amounts of oxygen-centered free radicals, the current studies were designed to determine if VA treatment potentiates CCl4-induced liver injury through increased release of reactive oxygen species. Plasma clearance of colloidal carbon, an index of Kupffer cell phagocytic activity, was enhanced two- to threefold in rats treated for 7 days with VA (retinol, 250,000 IU/kg per day). Accordingly, VA treatment alone caused Kupffer cell activation. To determine if these activated Kupffer cells could potentiate hepatic injury through release of reactive oxygen species upon CCl4 challenge, polyethylene glycol coupled-superoxide dismutase (PEG-SOD, 10,000 IU/kg) or -catalase (PEG-CAT, 40,000 IU/kg) was given iv 2 hr after CCl4 (0.15 ml/kg, ip) to control or VA-pretreated rats to quench any released reactive oxygen. PEG-SOD and PEG-CAT effectively blocked VA potentiation of CCl4 liver injury as assessed at 24 hr by change in plasma ALT. Methylpalmitate (MP, 2 g/kg), an inhibitor of Kupffer cell phagocytosis and related oxygen burst, also blocked the potentiation of liver injury when given iv 24 hr before CCl4 to VA-pretreated rats. At the doses used, PEG-SOD or PEG-CAT did not influence CCl4 toxicity in control rats (at 0.15 or 2 ml CCl4/kg). Importantly, SOD, CAT, and MP blocked the enhanced lipid peroxidation induced by CCl4 in VA-pretreated rats. From these findings we conclude that the potentiation of CCl4 liver injury by VA pretreatment is mediated, at least in part, by active oxygen species released from Kupffer cells and possibly other macrophages that are activated by VA. Supporting this conclusion is the failure of VA pretreatment to increase the release of LDH from suspension of hepatocytes incubated with CCl4.

Abstract  Historically, ecological risk assessments have rarely included amphibian species, focusing preferentially on other aquatic (fish, invertebrates, algae) and terrestrial wildlife (birds and mammal) species. Often this lack of consideration is due to a paucity of toxicity data, significant variation in study design, uncertainty with regard to exposure, or a combination of all three. Productive risk assessments for amphibians are particularly challenging, given variations in complex life history strategies. Further consideration is needed for the development of useful laboratory animal models and appropriate experimental test procedures that can be effectively applied to the examination of biological response patterns. Using these standardized techniques, risk estimates can be more accurately defined to ensure adequate protection of amphibians from a variety of stress agents. Patterns in toxicity may help to ascertain whether test results from 1 amphibian group (e.g., Urodela) could be sufficiently protective of another (e.g., Anura) and/or whether some nonamphibian aquatic taxonomic groups (e.g., fish or aquatic invertebrates) may be representative of aquatic amphibian life stages. This scope is intended to be a guide in the development of methods that would yield data appropriate for ecological risk decisions applicable to amphibians. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:601-613. © 2016 SETAC.

Abstract  Transient flux profiles from in vitro flow-through cell experiments exhibit different characteristics depending upon the properties of the penetrants and vehicle mixtures applied. To enable discrimination of the chemical properties contributing to these differences, a consistent mathematical model should first be developed. A mixed effects modeling framework was used so that models can be estimated with as few parameters as possible, while also quantifying variability and accounting for correlation in the data. The models account for diffusion and binding within the membrane as well as dynamics on the diffusion coefficient. The models explain key features of the data, such as: lag time, sharp peaks in flux, two terminal phases, and low flux profiles. The models with dynamic diffusivity fit the data better than those without—particularly the sharp peaks. The significance of changing diffusivity over time suggests that vehicle effects are transient and are more accurately estimated when dynamics are modeled.

Abstract  Hepatic fibrosis, a disease characterized by altered accumulation of extracellular matrix, can cause cirrhosis and liver failure. There is growing interest in the impact of co-activators on hepatic fibrogenesis. Here, we provided genetic evidence that mice lacking steroid receptor co-activator-3 (SRC-3) were protected against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver necrosis and chronic hepatic fibrosis. After acute CCl4 treatment, SRC-3(-/-) mice showed attenuated profibrotic response and hepatocyte apoptosis, whereas hepatocyte proliferation was elevated in SRC-3(-/-) mice versus SRC-3+/+ mice. Similarly, chronically CCl4-treated SRC-3(-/-) mice showed significant weakening of inflammatory infiltrates, hepatic stellate cell activation and collagen accumulation in the liver compared with SRC-3+/+ mice. Further investigation revealed that TGFbeta1/Smad signaling pathway was impaired in the absence of SRC-3. Moreover, the expression levels of SRC-3, as assessed in human tissue microarray of liver diseases, correlated positively with degrees of fibrosis. These data revealed that SRC-3(-/-) mice were resistant to CCl4-induced acute and chronic hepatic damage and TGFbeta1/Smad signaling was suppressed in the lack of SRC-3. Our results established an essential involvement of SRC-3 in liver fibrogenesis, which might provide new clues to the future treatment of hepatic fibrosis.

Abstract  Quercitrin is one of the primary flavonoid compounds present in vegetables and fruits. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of quercitrin against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced brain injury and further to elucidate its probable mechanisms. ICR mice received CCl4 intraperitoneally with or without quercitrin co-administration for 4 weeks. Our data showed that quercitrin significantly suppressed the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, reduced tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity, enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities and abrogated cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) induction in mouse brains. Quercitrin also prevented CCl4 induced cerebral function disorders associated with its ability to inhibit the activities of monoamine oxidase (MAO), acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 2B subunit (NR2B). In addition, western blot analysis showed that quercitrin suppressed the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Taken together, our findings suggested that quercitrin may be a potential candidate to be developed as a neuroprotective agent.

Abstract  The process of ultrasound-assisted emulsification-microextraction (USAEME) was successfully applied for the first time for the extraction and pre-concentration of trace cadmium from water samples, followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). In the proposed approach, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate trihydrate solution (NaDDTC.3H(2)O) was used as a chelating agent and carbon tetrachloride was selected as extraction solvent. Some effective parameters on the microextraction and the complex formation were selected and optimized. These parameters included extraction solvent type as well as extraction volume, time, temperature, and pH, the amount of the chelating agent, and salt effect. Under optimum conditions, an enrichment factor of 95 was obtained from only 5.0 mL of water sample. The calibration graph was linear in the range of 10-600 microg L(-1) with a detection limit of 0.91 microg L(-1). The relative standard deviation (R.S.D) for ten replicate measurements of 50 and 500 microg L(-1) of cadmium were 2.56 and 1.62%. This proposed method was successfully applied in the analysis of four real environmental water samples and good spiked recoveries over the range of 96.5-101.7% were obtained.