Occurrence and accumulation of pharmaceutical products in water and biota of urban lowland rivers.

We evaluated the distribution of eleven groups of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in surface waters and biota of different trophic levels, in five sites of two lowland urban rivers in Argentine. Twenty-nine out of 39 PhACs and two metabolites were detected in at least one water sample (2-9622 ng/L), eleven detected in biofilms (1-179 ng/g d.w.) and eight in the macrophyte Lemna gibba (4-112 ng/g d.w). The two more polluted sites had a similar distribution of the main groups of compounds. In surface waters, the largest concentrations were for the analgesic acetaminophen (9622 ng/L), the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (326 ng/L), the antihypertensive valsartan (963 ng/L), the ß-blocking agent atenolol (427 ng/L), the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (445 ng/L) and the psychiatric drug carbamazepine (99 ng/L). The antibiotic ciprofloxacin exhibited the highest concentration in the biofilm (179 ng/g d.w.) and in the macrophyte L. gibba (112 ng/g d.w.) Several compounds were detected in the water but not in the biota (e.g., codeine and bezafibrate), and others (e.g., azithromycin and citalopram) were found in the biota but not in the surface water. Significant bioaccumulation factors (>1000 L/kg d.w.) were obtained for venlafaxine and ciprofloxacin in biofilm. Our results show that PhACs may accumulate in several biological compartments. Within an environmental compartment, similar PhACs profile and concentrations were found in different sites receiving urban pollution. Among different compartments, biofilms may be the most suitable biota matrix to monitor the immediate reception of PhACs in the biota. Our results indicate that the presence of PhACs in urban rivers and their accumulation in the biota could be incorporated as symptoms of the urban stream syndrome.

Effect of Landscape Changes on Water Quality and Health Status of Heptapterus mustelinus (Siluriformes, Heptapteridae).

Substances derived from anthropogenic activities induce changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of the aquatic environment. Physicochemical and biological studies are necessary to understand how changes in landscape affect the health of the aquatic environment. The main goal of this study was to evaluate how the landscape at different spatial scales affects (1) water quality and (2) the health status of Heptapterus mustelinus, based on several biomarkers. During the dry season, individuals were caught in three sites with different degrees of anthropogenic activity. The quality of the terrestrial environment was assessed using the Riparian Quality and Land Use Indices. The water quality condition was evaluated using a water quality index, and pesticides and pharmaceuticals were measured in water. The following biomarkers were analyzed in the fish: general health status (Condition Factor, Hepatosomatic index and energetic costs), enzymatic activity (GST, CAT, AchE), carbonyl content in proteins and histopathological responses in liver and gills. The most impacted sites by the presence of pesticides showed more alterations in the surrounding landscape; specially, changes in the riparian area. In this area, biomarkers denoted more damage than in sites with protected riparian zone. Conservation status of riparian ecosystems is crucial in the determination of rivers ecological quality. Our results demonstrate the importance of monitoring the environmental quality through an integrated analysis, using native fish to understand the effects of human activities on the biota.

Bioaccumulation and bioconcentration of carbamazepine and other pharmaceuticals in fish under field and controlled laboratory experiments. Evidences of carbamazepine metabolization by fish.

There is a growing interest in evaluating the presence of pharmaceutical residues and their metabolites in aquatic biota. In this study, twenty pharmaceuticals, including carbamazepine (CBZ) and two metabolites, were analyzed in homogenates of two fish species (Gambusia affinis and Jenynsia multidentata) captured in polluted areas of the Suquía River (Córdoba, Argentina). The twenty target pharmaceuticals were found in G. affinis, while only fifteen were detected in J. multidentata. We observed a noticeable difference in the accumulation pattern of both fish species, suggesting different pathways for the bioaccumulation of polar pharmaceuticals in each fish. In order to investigate uptake and tissue distribution of pharmaceuticals, a detailed study was performed under controlled laboratory conditions in J. multidentata, exposed to CBZ. CBZ and two of its metabolites (carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide - CBZ-EP and 2-hydroxycarbamazepine - 2-OH-CBZ) were monitored in five organs of fish under laboratory exposure. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence of CBZ and its metabolite 2-OH-CBZ in gills, intestine, liver, brain and muscle of fish, while the metabolite carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide (CBZ-EP) was detected in gills and muscle. A ratio CBZ-EP/CBZ close to 0.1 suggests that gills and muscle of J. multidentata could metabolize CBZ through the CBZ-EP pathway. Our results reinforce the need of analyzing multiple species to account for the environmental impact of pollutants, negating the simplification of a single, "representative model" during ecotoxicological biomonitoring. To our knowledge, the biotransformation of CBZ to its metabolites (CBZ-EP, 2-OH-CBZ) in fish, under controlled laboratory in vivo exposures, is reported for the first time.

Effects of the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol on aromatase expression, reproductive behavior and sperm quality in the fish Jenynsia multidentata.

The synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) has been increasingly detected in sewage effluents in the last two decades. The aim of the present study was determined if EE2 exposure adversely affected reproduction in internally fertilizing fish species Jenynsia multidentata. Sexual behavior, brain and gonadal aromatase expression as well as sperm quality were evaluated. The brain aromatase expression, reproductive behavior, spermatozoa viability and gonadosomatic index were sensitive biomarkers of EE2 effects on this species. The condition factor, hepatosomatic index, gonadal aromatase expression, sperm count and sperm velocities were unaltered after EE2 exposure. The present work highlights the importance of using a combination of several biomarkers to study the effects of estrogenic compounds, especially when trying to link these results to potential population-level effects.

Autoimmune thyroid disease in the puerperium. Predictive value of thyroid enlargement and related hormonal changes occurring during pregnancy.

The incidence of goiter detected during pregnancy and its significance as an indicator of autoimmune thyroid disease after delivery was investigated in a sample of 707 pregnant women (81% in their 2nd trimester of gestation). Goiter was detected in 106 subjects (15%). Blood T4, T3, TSH, free T4 index (FT4I), antimicrosomal antibodies (AMA) and urinary iodine excretion were measured in these women and in a control group of gravidas without goiter. These measurements were repeated at 1 and 3 months after delivery. Compared with controls during pregnancy, subjects with goiter had lower FT4I values (11.0 +/- 2.8 vs 9.0 +/- 1.8; p less than 0.01) and higher TSH values (2.9 +/- 0.6 microU/ml vs 4.2 +/- 2.1 microU/ml; p less than 0.01). In contrast, T4, T3, AMA and urinary iodine excretion values were similar in both groups. In subjects with goiter FT4I values increased over pregnancy levels at 1 month (11.2 +/- 2.0; p less than 0.05) and 3 months (14.0 +/- 3.0; p less than 0.05) after delivery; in 29% a biochemical hyperthyroidism (FT4I greater than 13.5) was detected. During the same period TSH values decreased significantly (1 month: 1.9 +/- 0.7 microU/ml; p less than 0.05; 3 months: 2.7 +/- 3.0 microU/ml; p less than 0.05). Frequency of positive AMA increased from 8.6% during pregnancy up to 32.1% in the post-delivery period (p less than 0.01). In the control group no variation in the FT4I, TSH or AMA were observed after delivery. These results indicate that goiter during pregnancy is common in Chilean gravidas and that it has predictive value for the appearance of autoimmune thyroid disease after delivery.

Ectopic glial tissue in the forehead. A case report.

A mass containing glial tissue was excised from the forehead of a 17-year-old female. The possible etiology of this tumor is reviewed.

Schwannoma of the cervical sympathetic chain.

Two cases of schwannomas of the cervical sympathetic chain (CSC) are described. Eleven clearly documented cases have been described in the previous literature. These tumours are usually solitary, asymptomatic cervical masses that occur within the upper carotid sheath or parapharyngeal space. The lesions tend to be hypervascular, but not to the same extent as chemodectomas. Angiography may be employed for differential diagnosis. Schwannomas of the CSC are usually readily excised by a cervical approach. Horner's syndrome is a frequent post-operative sequel, despite anatomical preservation of the sympathetic chain. This neurological impairment is usually asymptomatic. Recurrences and malignant degeneration rarely occur.