Genotoxic analysis of nickel-iron oxide in Drosophila.

It is known that nickel-iron oxide nanocomposite (NiFe2O4NP) is used in many important areas such as modern industry, biomedical applications, magnetic resonance imaging, construction of sensors, targeted drug treatment, and photoelectric devices in our life. In this study, we have carried out a genotoxic evaluation of NiFe2O4NP (30 nm) in Drosophila melanogaster by using the wing somatic mutation and recombination assay. For this purpose, third instar larvae carrying the recessive genes (flr3) and multiple wing hairs (mwh) in their third chromosomes were used. The larvae were fed at concentrations ranging from 25 µg/mL to 200 µg/mL. The genotoxic effects of NiFe2O4NPs were evaluated according to mutant trichomes resulting from genetic changes (mitotic recombination, deletion, point mutation, nondisjunction) on development of the wing imaginal discs. Mutant clone evaluations were performed based on small single spots, large single spots, and twin spots classifications. The results showed that significant increases were observed in the frequency of all spots, indicating that the highest concentration of nanoparticles was able to induce genotoxic activity in the wing spot assay of D. melanogaster.

Protective effects of coenzyme Q10 and resveratrol on oxidative stress induced by various dioxins on transheterozigot larvae of Drosophila melanogaster.

Dioxin and dioxin-like compounds are known as a class of highly toxic and persistent environmental contaminants threatening human and animal health. In the present study, the protective effects of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and Resveratrol (RSV) against 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDD, and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-OCDD induced acute toxicity and measurement of oxidative stress were studied. Lethal doses of these chemicals were determined. Transheterozigot larvae of Drosophila melanogaster were treated using either dioxins (10 × 10-7 µg mL-1) or dioxins + CoQ10 (10 × 10-7 µg mL-1 + 150 µg mL-1) and dioxins + RSV (10 × 10-7 µg mL-1 + 100 µM). After dioxin treatment, antioxidant combination therapy with dioxins and CoQ10 or dioxins and RSV resulted in indicators of acute toxicity including a decrease in total oxidant status as compared to dioxins alone (p < 0.05). The combination treatment also produced a significant increase in total antioxidant status as compared to dioxins only (p < 0.05). Results indicate a potential role of dioxins for oxidative stress with acute toxicity and the protective performance of CoQ10 and RSV in the overall toxicity of dioxins including measuring oxidative stress.

Evaluation of maternal and embryotoxic effects following the treatment of chloral hydrate in Drosophila melanogaster.

Chloral hydrate (CH) is commonly used as a sedative and a hypnotic in pediatric medicine. In this study, the effects of CH on various developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster were investigated. Different concentrations of CH (0.1; 0.3; 0.5 and 1 mg/mL) were used during development of the flies. Maternal toxicity due to increasing the concentration of CH was observed as a large number of adult flies died. When the F1 progeny of the control and application groups were compared, CH was found to extend the process of metamorphosis and to decrease the total number of offspring. The embryotoxic effects on the offspring and an increase in the number of malformed offspring was identified as depending on feeding. It was found that the difference between the groups was significantly important (p < 0.05).

Disappearing Inferior Vena Cava in A Pediatric Patient with Down Syndrome and Hereditary Thrombophilia.

Absence of the infrarenal segment of the inferior vena cava is an extremely rare anomaly. The reasons for such a developmental failure are unclear. Most researchers believe that the cause lies in embryonic dysgenesis affecting separate segments or the entire inferior vena cava. Others suggest that absence of the inferior vena cava is not embryonic in origin, rather the result of intrauterine or perinatal thrombosis. We report a case here that during a period of six months, inferior vena cava first occluded, then become redundant in a baby girl with several chromosomal and gene defects, including Down syndrome and hereditary thrombophilia, admitted to our hospital due to the swelling and redness of the right lower extremity. From this observation, we propose that the absence of the inferior vena cave was not of embryonic origin but due to thrombosis.

Atypical Feeding and Drainage of Dural AV Fistula.

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) are frequent causes of pulsatile tinnitus. Color Doppler sonography may play a useful, complementary role to CTA/MRA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the assessment of these anomalies' characteristics, such as an ipsilateral increased flow volume and a low resistive index. In this article, we report a case of DAVF first detected with Color Doppler sonography that displayed an uncharacteristic venous drainage pattern.

Rare Variants of Carotid-Vertebrobasilar Anastomoses.

Carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses generally disappear during embryogenesis. However, if a problem exists during regression, these arteries persist in adult period and are named as persistent arteries. Their persistence in adult patients is sometimes pathological and may result in the development of an aneurysm or a compressive syndrome. These anastomoses are frequently associated with proximal or distal arterial pathology. Herein, we present three rare variants of carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses: a persistent trigeminal artery, persistent hypoglossal artery, and a persistent otic artery. These variants should be kept in mind to avoid errors both in clinical reporting and surgical procedures.

The hazardous effects of three natural food dyes on developmental stages and longevity of Drosophila melanogaster.

Nowadays, food dyes obtained from herbal, animal, microbial and mineral sources are widely used as food additives. In this study, the toxic effects of three different natural food dyes (carmine, turmeric and annatto) on 72 ± 4 h larvae of Oregon-R wild type of Drosophila melanogaster were investigated. For this purpose, four different application doses (50, 75, 100, 125 mg mL(-1)) were chosen by means of preliminary studies. It was determined that larval mortality increased with increasing concentration in the application groups and the toxicity order was carmine > turmeric > annatto. It was observed that the survival rate was highest in the control with 98% and lowest in 125 mg mL(-1) carmine with 16%. In addition, the average lifespan of the adult individuals obtained from third instar larvae was also studied. While the average lifespan was 40.88 ± 1.44 days in the control group, these values were 10.81 ± 0.55-23.90 ± 1.27 days in the carmine group, 15.00 ± 0.80-22.42 ± 1.43 days in the turmeric group and 10.33 ± 1.03-35.68 ± 1.54 days in the annatto group, respectively. According to the obtained results, when both the developmental period from larvae into adults and the lifespan of the developing adults were compared with the control group, the food dyes were found to be toxic and the toxicity order of carmine > turmeric > annatto was identified.

Detection of cytochrome P450-2A6, -3A5 and -4B1 with real-time polymerase chain reaction in prostate tissue.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is a heme-containing enzyme superfamily metabolizing a wide variety of xenobiotics, including drugs and carcinogens. The majority of CYP genes are expressed in the liver, however, some CYP isoforms are also reported for a number of extra hepatic tissues. We analyzed Cytochrome P450-2A6, -3A5 and -4B1 mRNAs using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a total of 21 homogenized prostate tissues with or without malignancy. We detected a consistent expression of CYP2A6 and CYP3A5 in all, and of CYP4B1 in some (11/21) of the samples at mRNA level. Neither the histopathological status nor the smoking habit of the individuals affected CYP4B1 expression. Our results reflect possible roles for these particular CYPs in therapy and protection of prostate tissue.

Context matters: the benefits and costs of expressing positive emotion among survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Positive emotions promote adjustment to aversive life events. However, evolutionary theory and empirical research on trauma disclosure suggest that in the context of stigmatized events, expressing positive emotions might incur social costs. To test this thesis, the authors coded genuine (Duchenne) smiling and laughter and also non-Duchenne smiling from videotapes of late-adolescent and young adult women, approximately half with documented histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), as they described the most distressing event of their lives. Consistent with previous studies, genuine positive emotional expression was generally associated with better social adjustment two years later. However, as anticipated, CSA survivors who expressed positive emotion in the context of describing a past CSA experience had poorer long-term social adjustment, whereas CSA survivors who expressed positive emotion while describing a nonabuse experience had improved social adjustment. These findings suggest that the benefits of positive emotional expression may often be context specific.