Oil in Northeast Brazil: mapping conflicts and impacts of the largest disaster on the country's coast.

The crude oil spill on the Brazilian coast in 2019 is considered the largest environmental disaster of this nature in the country. It had important repercussions on the environment and on the living and health conditions of the population, particularly artisanal fishermen, intensifying the vulnerability process, causing situations of injustice and environmental conflicts with negative repercussions on the territories. Aiming to analyze this environmental conflict and its impacts on environment and health of the affected population, the study applied the method proposed by the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice. It analyzed open-access documents made available by governmental and non-governmental organizations, and publications in newspapers of wide circulation. The data obtained allowed to characterize the oil spill and the identification of the socioeconomic, health, and environmental impacts published in the Atlas. There was a deepening of the vulnerability of the people of the waters, influencing the social determination of the health-disease process. The lack of sustainability of the current development model pushes for building environmental and health diagnoses in order to take remedial measures in disasters such as oil spills. EJAtlas is a way to debate situations of environmental injustice and give voice to historically oppressed communities.

Renal function and historical environmental cadmium pollution from zinc smelters.

We investigated whether there was an association between renal function and cadmium pollution in areas with different exposures. Cadmium was measured in the soil and in vegetables in 10 districts, 6 of which were close to zinc smelters; and renal function and the concentrations of metals in blood and urine were measured in 703 randomly selected residents. 6 polluted areas, compared with 4 others showed higher cadmium concentrations in the soil (4.86 vs 0.81 ppm) and in locally grown vegetables, such as celery (2.43 vs 0.68 ppm) and beans (0.42 vs 0.15 ppm). Residents in polluted areas had higher urinary cadmium (10.5 vs 7.9 nmol/24 hours) and copper (0.16 vs 0.14 mumol/24 hours); higher serum creatinine (100 vs 97 mumol/L) urinary excretions of beta 2-microglobulin (109 vs 95 micrograms/24 hours), retinol-binding-protein (136 vs 118 micrograms/24 hours), and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (1.78 vs 1.38 U/24 hours). Serum zinc (12.2 vs 12.6 mumol/L) and creatinine clearance (87 vs 92 mL/min) were reduced in the 6 polluted areas. In all 10 districts, cadmium in the soil was positively correlated with cadmium in celery (r = 0.77), in beans (r = 0.67), and in residents' urine (r = 0.76). The creatinine clearance was inversely correlated with cadmium in soil (r = -0.78), in celery (r = -0.90), and in beans (r = -0.70). Past emissions from zinc smelters gave rise to contamination of the environment with cadmium, which gets into the food chain and has the potential to cause renal dysfunction and alterations in zinc and copper homeostasis.

Transfer of cadmium from a sandy acidic soil to man: a population study.

This population study included 230 subjects (age range 20-83 years) who consumed vegetables grown in kitchen gardens on a sandy acidic soil (mean pH approximately 6.3). The study investigated the association between the Cd (cadmium) levels in blood and urine and the Cd concentration in the soil (range 0.2-44 ppm). Seventy-six subjects were current smokers and 122 participants lived in a district with known Cd pollution. Urinary Cd in the 230 subjects averaged 8.7 nmole/24 hr, (range 1.3 to 47 nmole/24 hr) after age adjustment positively correlated with the Cd level in the soil; a twofold increase of the Cd concentration in the soil was accompanied by a 7% rise in urinary Cd in men (R2 = 0.05; P = 0.04) and by a 4% rise in women (R2 = 0.02; P = 0.05). Blood Cd averaged 11.5 nmole/liter (range 1.8-41 nmole/liter) and was negatively associated with the Cd level in the soil. After adjustment for significant covariates (smoking and serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in both sexes, and age and serum ferritin in women), a twofold increase in the Cd concentration in the soil was accompanied by a 6% decrease in blood Cd in men (R2 = 0.03; P = 0.09) and by a 10% decrease in women (R2 = 0.06; P less than 0.01). In conclusion, in a rural population, consuming vegetables grown on a sandy acidic soil, 2 to 4% of the variance of urinary Cd was directly related to the Cd level in the soil. The negative correlation with blood Cd, a measure of more recent exposure, was biased by the implementation of preventive measures in the polluted district.

Influence of Lactobacillus arabinosus on metabolic enzyme activity of methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate in gnotobiotic mice.

The role of Lactobacillus arabinosus in the malignant transformation of tumors of the large intestine was investigated in mice. Methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate, at a weekly dose of 0.2 mg/10 g body weight, was given to germfree mice and to mice monocontaminated with either L. arabinosus or Escherichia coli. At sacrifice, the activity of non-specific esterase, beta-glucuronidase, and alcohol dehydrogenase within the liver and intestine was examined biochemically and histochemically. Non-specific esterase activity in the liver and large intestine was significantly higher in L. arabinosus mice than in the other 2 groups. Also, beta-glucuronidase activity in the large intestine and alcohol dehydrogenase activity in the liver were significantly greater in L. arabinosus mice than in the other groups. Esterase was localized in the mitochondria and absorptive granules within the mucosal epithelium of the large intestine. An apparent increase in the number of certain organelles was observed in the L. arabinosus mice, compared with the other groups. These results suggest that L. arabinosus plays an important role in MAM acetate tumorigenesis and malignant transformation.

Hepatic microcirculation of liver cirrhosis studied by corrosion cast/scanning electron microscope examination.

Changes of hepatic microcirculations in 22 autopsy cases of liver cirrhosis were analyzed by corrosion cast/scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination. By this method, the site of arterioportal (A-P) communication in liver cirrhosis was clearly demonstrated between proliferated portal venules and arterial capillaries. The communications were observed at the same site as in the normal liver and were not at larger arterial and portal vein branches. The findings indicate that the increase of A-P communication in liver cirrhosis may be called "capillary shunting". On the basis of the findings, it was postulated that the A-P shunt could not assist in the development of portal hypertension by the transmission of high arterial pressure to the portal vein but could only compensate for decreased portal flow and/or elevate the oxygen concentration in the sinusoids to improve the hypoxic state of the liver parenchyma. It was also demonstrated that the arterial capillarization of the interstitial septa in micronodular wide septal cirrhosis was more prominent than that in macronodular thin septal cirrhosis. A grade of portal vein reduction and compensatory arterialization in a fibrous septum have been regarded as an index to estimate the advancement of liver cirrhosis. Therefore, if alcoholic micronodular cirrhosis could change into macronodular, the process should have occurred at least before the establishment of micronodular wide septal cirrhosis.

Promoting effects of bile acid to intestinal tumorigenesis in gnotobiotic ICR mice.

Gnotobiotes were produced by administrating Lactobacillus plantarum IAM 1041 in ICR strain male germfree mice which were fed by ordinary or high fat diet. Both groups were orally administered 0.3 mg/10 g of body weight (B.W.) of methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate. The oral administration of 0.3 mg/10 g/B.W. once a week for 11 consecutive weeks caused a total of 68 adenomatous polyps in the large intestine (an average of 11.4/mouse) of gnotobiotic high fat diet mice and a total of 32 adenomatous polyps (an average of 5.3/mouse) of the ordinary diet mice. There were no malignancies in either of the groups. Bile acids in the feces showed higher values in the high fat diet group than in the ordinary group. Bile acids are a factor which promotes the appearance of intestinal tumors. It was also assumed that the L. plantarum promoted the activation of beta-glucuronidase and alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver and intestine.

Niemann-Pick disease associated with liver disorders.

We report a case of Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) with accumulation of sphingomyelin in reticuloendothelial system (RES), hepatocellular giant cell transformation (GCT), cirrhosis, and multiple hepatocellular adenomata in a 19-month-old girl. GCT, but no NP-cells, were seen at age 3 months by biopsy. Cirrhosis and hepatocellular adenomata were demonstrated in the liver at 19 months of age. Cytoplasmic, probably locally synthesized, globules of alpha-1-antitrypsin (A-1-AT) were accumulated in the hepatocellular adenomata. A-1-AT and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were present in the serum.

Effects of minute amounts of cigarette smoke with or without nebulized N-nitroso-N-methylurethane on the respiratory tract of mice.

The effects of minute amounts of cigarette smoke with or without nebulized N-nitroso-N-methylurethane (NMUT) on the respiratory epithelia of mice were examined. The first group received the combination of NMUT nebulization and cigarette smoke inhalation, the second group NMUT nebulization only, the third group cigarette smoke inhalation only and the fourth group no treatment. The first group showed squamous cell carcinomas in the nasal cavity (4 out of 10 mice), trachea (4 out of 10 mice) and lung (2 out of 10 mice). In the second group squamous cell carcinomas with keratosis were found in the nasal cavity (2 out of 10 mice) and in the lung (1 out of 10 mice). Furthermore, basal cell hyperplasias, squamous metaplasias and dysplastic changes were found in these two groups. The third group showed basal cell hyperplasias and squamous metaplasias in the nasal cavity and hypertrophy of Clara cells. No marked changes of epithelia of the respiratory tract in the fourth group were seen. Adenomas and adenocarcinomas were not found in any group. Statistically, there is a significant difference in the incidence of dysplastic change of the trachea between group 1 and group 2 (P less than 0.05). These results suggest that minute amounts of cigarette smoke, in combination with carcinogens, may have cocarcinogenic action and that squamous cell carcinoma may pass through the course of basal cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia and dysplastic change of the epithelia.

Suppressive effect of cupric acetate on DNA alkylation, DNA synthesis and tumorigenesis in the liver of dimethylnitrosamine-treated rats.

The effect of cupric acetate on dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats was investigated. The surviving rats in the group given DMN (25 ppm) in the drinking water alone were killed at 26 weeks and it was found that 12 of 16 rats had developed liver tumors. In the group given DMN and cupric acetate (sc injections of 2 mg of Cu/kg of body weight once a week for 26 weeks), 7 of 22 rats developed liver tumors. The incidence of liver tumors in rats given DMN and cupric acetate was thus only about 40% of that in rats given DMN alone. No tumor was observed in the group given saline or cupric acetate alone. The thymidine incorporation into the liver DNA of rats was measured at 2 and 4 weeks after the start of the carcinogenicity experiment. The thymidine incorporation into the liver DNA of rats given DMN was significantly suppressed by the administration of cupric acetate. The methylation of liver DNA in rats given a single dose of DMN was also significantly suppressed by sc injection of cupric acetate; the formation of both O6-methylguanine and 7-methylguanine was reduced. This result suggests that sc injection of cupric acetate may have a suppressive effect on the initiation of carcinogenesis in the liver.

Leiomyosarcoma of pulmonary truncus.

Insidious and progressive right heart failure of obscure origin warrants differential diagnosis of primary sarcoma of the pulmonary artery in patients of both sexes and 20 years of age and older. We report a case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the pulmonary truncus in a 67 years old woman. She had been well in general until when she started having fluctuating and progressive right heart failure three years ago. Clinical data included systolic murmurs in the pulmonary valve area, right ventricular hypertrophy, diminished x-ray density of the pulmonary vasculature, moderate elevation of serum LDH, alkaline phosphatase, and uric acid, and prolonged or unobtainable circulation time from the arm to lungs. The immediate cause of death was attributable to right heart failure due to pulmonary arterial stenosis caused by a locally invasive leiomyosarcoma apparently arising in the pulmonary truncus. Contributing to this right heart failure were 280 ml of serosanguinous pericardial effusion and fibrinous pericarditis.

Analysis of fluorescence quenching of ribosome-bound virginiamycin S.

The two virginiamycin components VM and VS interact synergistically with bacterial ribosomes in vitro and in vivo. Ribosome affinity for virginiamycin S increases about 10-fold upon incubation with virginiamycin M. This effect has been previously traced by spectrofluorimetric measurement based on the enhancement of virginiamycin S fluorescence upon its binding to the 50 S ribosomal subunit. In the present work the action of two virginiamycin S fluorescence quenchers, acrylamide and iodide, has been explored to gather information about the accessibility of ribosome-bound virginiamycin S and the variation of the accessibility level in the presence of virginiamycin M. Both acrylamide (non-ionized quencher) and iodide (ionized quencher) proved powerful quenchers of free virginiamycin S solutions. Since a comparable effect was obtained on 3- hydroxypicolinamide , the latter was indicated as the part of the molecule involved in the fluorescence effect. Fluorescence quenching by either agent was of the dynamic, i.e. collisional, type. Such an inference was based on the fact that these quenchers merely modified the emission spectrum (not the absorption spectrum), the bimolecular rate constant for the quenching process decreased linearly with the viscosity of the medium (static-type quenching is viscosity-independent), and that linear Stern-Volmer plots were obtained. The quenching ability of both agents underwent a sharp decrease in the presence of ribosomes; however, the Stern-Volmer equation was followed only in the case of acrylamide, whereas Lehrer 's relationship had to be applied in the case of iodide. When ribosomes were incubated with virginiamycin M, the fluorescence quenching ability of acrylamide and iodide was significantly reduced. Conclusions are as follows: a) the 3- hydroxypicolinyl residue of virginiamycin S is buried within an open well on the ribosome surface and is likely to be involved in the interaction with the binding site; b) the accessibility to the well is partly controlled by electrostatic forces; c) interaction of ribosomes with virginiamycin M entails a conformational change whereby the access to the well is reduced. These findings provide a molecular explanation for the previously observed increase of the association constant of virginiamycin S to ribosomes incubated with virginiamycin M which was found to be due to the decrease of the dissociation rate constant (the association rate constant remains practically the same).

Osteogenesis bioassay and immunohistochemical and radioisotopic studies of parotin, parotid gland extract, and subunit.

Bioassay data support the hypothesis that the salivary gland participates in endocrine regulation of the development and maintenance of connective tissues. Epiphyseal cartilages become dystrophic in young growing rats after the resection of all major salivary glands. A subunit obtained from parotin, an extract of bovine parotid glands, contains the active agent for the presumed endocrine function of the salivary gland. Daily injections of 3 mg/rat of parotin or the subunit allow normal epiphyseal endochondral osteogenesis in salivary gland-deprived rats. The active agent appears to be secreted by the salivary acinar cells and resorbed through the striated ducts. Pancreatic islets and striated ducts of salivary glands share immunohistochemical activities for insulin, glucagon, and the subunit of parotin. Hyperglycemia and hypocholesterolemia occur in intact rats given 5 mg/day of parotin for 30 days. Together these data suggest endocrine functions of the salivary gland and possible interactions between the pancreatic islet and salivary gland.

Osteogenesis bioassay and immunohistochemical and radioisotopic studies of a subunit of parotin, a parotid gland extract.

Bioassay data support the hypothesis that salivary glands participate in endocrine regulation of the development and maintenance of connective tissues. Resection of all three major salivary glands damages epiphyseal cartilages in young growing rats. A subunit obtained from parotin, an extract of bovine parotid glands, contains the active agent for the presumed endocrine function of salivary glands. Daily injections of 3 mg/rat of parotin or the subunit allow normal epiphyseal endochondral osteogenesis in salivary gland-deprived rats. The active agent appears to be secreted by the salivary acinar cells and resorbed through the striated ducts. Pancreatic islets and striated ducts of salivary glands share immunohistochemical activities for insulin, glucagon, and the subunit of parotin. Hyperglycemia and hypocholesterolemia occurred in intact rats given 1 to 5 mg/day of parotin for 30 days. These data together suggest endocrine function of the salivary glands and possible interactions between the pancreatic islets and salivary glands.

Potentiation of large intestinal tumorigenicity of cycasin derivative by high-fat diet and Lactobacillus in germfree mice.

Large intestinal tumorigenesis was investigated in germ free (GF) mice following the administration of methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate, lard, and Lactobacillus arabinosus. Twelve weekly doses of 0.3 mg/10 g MAM acetate given to groups of male weanling, germfree ICR mice, fed either low-fat (LF) chow alone, or chow with added lard (HF). Additional groups of mice, on the low-fat diet, were monocontaminated with Lactobacillus arabinosus (GA) and they and their GF controls were given 12 weekly doses of 0.2 mg/10 g of MAM acetate. The HF and LF groups were sacrificed after 123 days, and the GA and GF groups after 214 days. Serial sections of the entire large intestine of the MAM acetate-treated mice revealed many more sessile polyps in the mice maintained on the high-fat diet. In the mice monocontaminated with Lactobacillus, numerous tumors were found, of which 25 percent were invasive. In addition, the polyps found in these animals were generally considerably larger than the polyps found in the GF mice. Atypia occurred in the large intestinal mucosa in all groups. Lard enhanced the large intestinal polypogenesis induced by MAM acetate in germfree mice. Gnotobiosis potentiated the formation of sessile polyps, and carcinogenesis.

In vitro initiation and termination of ribosomal RNA transcription in isolated yeast nuclei.

Using the Hg-agarose affinity chromatography/gamma-sulfhydryl nucleotide technique of Reeve, et al. (Reeve, A., Smith, M., Pigiet, V., and Huang, R. (1977) Biochemistry 10, 4464-4469) and high resolution electrotransfer of DNA electrophoretograms to diazobenzyloxymethyl paper, we have analyzed the transcription from the 5 S and 35 S ribosomal RNA genes in isolated yeast nuclei. In vitro initiation from these complex gene loci exhibits the same fidelities as in vivo with respect to initiating nucleotide, polymerase activity, and initiating and terminating region of DNA template. The efficiency of the experimental approach is enhanced by the use of RNase-deficient yeast strains. Thus, this system can be used to study structural aspects affecting transcription at these loci.

Suppressive effect of aluminium chloride administration on mouse lung carcinogenesis by dimethylnitrosamine.

Dimethylnitrosamine was administered to mice by ip injection once a week for 3 weeks and a high incidence of lung tumor was found 6 approximately 8 months after the final injection. In experiment I, the incidence of mice with lung tumors was 74% and the average number of nodules per mouse was 15.6 within 6.0 months after the final injection of dimethylnitrosamine. In mice given aluminium pretreatment, these values decreased to 65% and 6.7 (P less than 0.05), respectively. In experiment II, the incidence of mice with lung tumors was 100% and the average number of nodules per mouse was 8.7 within 7.5 months after the final injection of dimethylnitrosamine. In mice given aluminium pretreatment, these values decreased to 79% and 4.6 (P less than 0.05), respectively.

Nucleoside 5'-[gamma-S]triphosphates will initiate transcription in isolated yeast nuclei.

Transcription was carried out in isolated nuclei by endogenous ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase in the presence of nucleoside 5'-[gamma-S]triphosphates. The resulting 5'-gamma-thiophosphate on the synthesized RNA allows separation of in vitro initiated RNA from bulk RNA. Analysis of this in vitro initiated RNA shows that 5S RNA and pre-tRNA are initiated in vitro by RNA polymerase III. Yeast RNA polymerase III also reinitiates discrete distribution of RNA species as large as 28 S. The RNA populations initiated with adenosine 5'-[gamma-S]triphosphate and guanosine 5'-[gamma-S]triphosphate are different.