Evaluation of the inflammatory responses to sol-gel coatings with distinct biocompatibility levels.

The immune system plays a crucial role in determining the implantation outcome, and macrophages are in the frontline of the inflammatory processes. Further, cellular oxidative stress resulting from the material recognition can influence how cell responses develop. Considering this, the aim of this study was to study oxidative stress and macrophages phenotypes in response to sol-gel materials with distinct in vivo outcomes. Four materials were selected (70M30T and 35M35G30T, with high biocompatibility, and 50M50G and 50V50G, with low biocompatibility). Gene expression, immunocytochemistry and cytokine secretion profiles for M1 and M2 markers were determined. Moreover, oxidative stress markers were studied. Immunocytochemistry and ELISA showed that 50M50G and 50V50G lead to a higher differentiation to M1 phenotype, while 70M30T and 35M35G30T promoted M2 differentiation. In oxidative stress, no differences were found. These results show that the balance between M1 and M2, more than individual quantification of each phenotype, determines a biomaterial outcome.

Biochemical and Behavioral Consequences of Ethanol Intake in a Mouse Model of Metabolic Syndrome.

Ethanol abuse is a common issue in individuals with sedentary lifestyles, unbalanced diets, and metabolic syndrome. Both ethanol abuse and metabolic syndrome have negative impacts on the central nervous system, with effects including cognitive impairment and brain oxidative status deterioration. The combined effects of ethanol abuse and metabolic syndrome at a central level have not yet been elucidated in detail. Thus, this work aims to determine the effects of ethanol intake on a mouse model of metabolic syndrome at the behavioral and biochemical levels. Seven-week-old male control (B6.V-Lep ob/+JRj) and leptin-deficient (metabolic syndrome) (B6.V-Lep ob/obJRj) mice were used in the study. Animals were divided into four groups: control, ethanol, obese, and obese-ethanol. Ethanol consumption was monitored for 6 weeks. Basal glycemia, insulin, and glucose overload tests were performed. To assess short- and long-term memory, an object recognition test was used. In order to assess oxidative status in mouse brain samples, antioxidant enzyme activity was analyzed with regard to glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione, glutathione disulfide, lipid peroxidation products, and malondialdehyde. Ethanol intake modulated the insulin response and impaired the oxidative status in the ob mouse brain.

Effects of Acute Ethanol Administration on Brain Oxidative Status: The Role of Acetaldehyde.

BACKGROUND: Ethanol (EtOH), one of the most widely consumed substances of abuse, can induce brain damage and neurodegeneration. EtOH is centrally metabolized into acetaldehyde, which has been shown to be responsible for some of the neurophysiological and cellular effects of EtOH. Although some of the consequences of chronic EtOH administration on cell oxidative status have been described, the mechanisms by which acute EtOH administration affects the brain's cellular oxidative status and the role of acetaldehyde remain to be elucidated in detail. METHODS: Swiss CD-I mice were pretreated with the acetaldehyde-sequestering agent d-penicillamine (DP; 75 mg/kg, i.p.) or the antioxidant lipoic acid (LA; 50 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 minutes before EtOH (2.5 g/kg, i.p.) administration. Animals were sacrificed 30 minutes after EtOH injection. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) mRNA levels; GPx and glutathione reductase (GR) enzymatic activities; reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), glutamate, g-L-glutamyl-L-cysteine (Glut-Cys), and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations; and protein carbonyl group (CG) content were determined in whole-brain samples. RESULTS: Acute EtOH administration enhanced GPx activity and the GSH/GSSG ratio, while it decreased GR activity and GSSG concentration. Pretreatment with DP or LA only prevented GPx activity changes induced by EtOH. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, these results show the capacity of a single dose of EtOH to unbalance cellular oxidative homeostasis.

Analysis of thiabendazole, 4-tert-octylphenol and chlorpyrifos in waste and sewage water by direct injection ­ micellar liquid chromatography.

A micellar liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of the pesticides thiabendazole and chlorpyrifos, as well as an alkylphenol, which is included in pesticide formulations, i.e., 4-tert-octylphenol, in water. A sample was filtered and directly injected, avoiding large extraction steps using toxic solvents, thus expediting the experimental procedure. The contaminants were eluted without interferences in <17 min, using a mobile phase of 0.15 M sodium dodecyl sulfate ­ 6% 1-pentanol buffered at pH 3, running through a C18 column at 1 mL min(-1) under the isocratic mode. This optimal mobile phase was selected using a statistical approach, which considers the retention factor, efficiency and peak shape of the analytes measured in only a few mobile phases. The detection was carried out by measuring absorbance at 220 nm. The method was successfully validated in terms of specificity, calibration range (0.5-10 mg L(-1)), linearity (r(2) > 0.994), limit of detection and quantification (0.2-0.3; and 0.5-0.8 mg L(-1), respectively), intra- and interday accuracy (95.2-102.9%), precision (<8.3%), and ruggedness (<9.3%). The stability in storage conditions (at least 14 days) was studied. The method was safe, inexpensive, produced little pollutant and has a short analysis time, thus it is useful for the routine analysis of samples. Finally, the method was applied to analyse wastewater from the fruit-processing industry, wastewater treatment plants, and in sewage water belonging to the Castelló area (Spain). The results were similar to those obtained by an already reliable method.