Review
Environmental Sciences
Xiaomeng Ding, Yuepu Pu, Meng Tang, Ting Zhang
Summary: Graphene-family nanomaterials (GFNs) are new revolutionary nanomaterials that have attracted significant attention in the field of nanomaterials. However, their potential threats to public health and the ecosystem are concerning. This study reviews the current status of GFN-induced lung diseases and focuses on the damage caused to different biological moieties and the mechanisms involved. The review aims to establish an AOP framework for GFN-induced pulmonary toxicity in order to contribute to public health risk assessment strategies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
L. G. Powell, S. Gillies, T. F. Fernandes, F. Murphy, E. Giubilato, V. Cazzagon, D. Hristozov, L. Pizzol, M. Blosi, A. L. Costa, A. Prina-Mello, H. Bouwmeester, H. Sarimveis, G. Janer, V. Stone
Summary: This article provides guidance for implementing tailored safety assessment strategies for nanomaterials in order to increase their translation from bench development to clinical use. Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATAs) are key tools in developing these strategies.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maud Weiss, Jiahui Fan, Mickael Claudel, Luc Lebeau, Francoise Pons, Carole Ronzani
Summary: This study proposed a putative AOP for lung toxicity induced by carbon dots (CDs) and investigated the mechanisms of acute lung inflammation in mice caused by CDs as well as the cellular responses induced by CDs in macrophages in vitro.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Candido Carvalho Rodrigues, Maxwell Batista Caixeta, Paula Sampaio Araujo, Bruno Bastos Goncalves, Olacir Alves Araujo, Luciana Damacena Silva, Thiago Lopes Rocha
Summary: The study found that exposure to gluconic-acid functionalized IONPs and FeCl3 resulted in various gonadal histopathological changes in snails, with GLA-IONPs inducing a more intense inflammatory response. Environmentally relevant concentration (2.5 mg L-1) of both GLA-IONPs and FeCl3 led to high gonadal histopathological indices, indicating their potential reproductive toxicity.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anny Leudjo Taka, Charlotte Mungho Tata, Michael John Klink, Xavier Yangkou Mbianda, Fanyana Moses Mtunzi, Eliazer Bobby Naidoo
Summary: Nanotechnology is the study of materials at the nanoscale, with carbon nanostructures and biopolymer-based nanocomposites showing promising properties for various applications. Human exposure to nanomaterials may have toxic effects on the environment, thus necessitating toxicological assessments for engineered nanomaterials.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rachel Verdon, Suzanne L. Gillies, David M. Brown, Theodore Henry, Lang Tran, Charles R. Tyler, Adriano G. Rossi, Vicki Stone, Helinor J. Johnston
Summary: The study compared responses to different nanomaterials between HL-60 cell line and primary neutrophils, finding a similar pattern of response. Some nanomaterials can stimulate neutrophil activation, but some functions may be compromised in HL-60 cells.
Article
Agronomy
Karla E. Zarco-Gonzalez, Jessica D. Valle-Garcia, Yendi E. Navarro-Noya, Fabian Fernandez-Luqueno, Luc Dendooven
Summary: This study investigates the effects of silver and hematite nanoparticles on common bean plants and soil bacterial communities. The application of nanoparticles did not significantly impact plant growth, but did alter the levels of certain heavy metals in plant tissues. The diversity, structure, and functional profile of the soil and rhizosphere bacterial communities were minimally affected by the nanoparticles.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xuemei Tang, Zhiting Chen, Yan Chen, Xunyuan Jiang, Fuwei Zhu, Shuai Liu, Kai Wan
Summary: In this study, a novel Bi2O3@GO semiconductor matrix was synthesized and applied for the analysis of small molecules by LDI-TOF MS operating in the negative ion mode. The results showed that Bi2O3@GO exhibited good signal intensity, repeatability, and could be applied to complex samples.
Review
Toxicology
Anna Itkonen, Jukka Hakkola, Jaana Rysa
Summary: Pharmaceuticals and environmental contaminants contribute to hypercholesterolemia by activating pregnane X receptor (PXR). PXR activation disrupts lipid metabolism and promotes hypercholesterolemia through multiple mechanisms. This novel toxicity pathway is of great concern and requires further attention.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Jermaine Ford, Cal Riutta, Patricia A. Kosian, Katherine O'Shaughessy, Mary Gilbert
Summary: Numerous xenobiotics can affect thyroid hormone signaling. Measuring thyroid hormone in the brain is more directly linked to neurodevelopmental toxicity induced by thyroid system-disrupting chemicals. However, extracting and measuring thyroid hormone in the brain tissue is challenging. This study reports optimized analytical procedures for thyroid hormone extraction in rat brain tissue and reveals age-dependent increases in brain thyroid hormone levels.
TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ana Valente, Luis Vieira, Maria Joao Silva, Celia Ventura
Summary: DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that involves the addition of a methyl group to a cytosine residue in CpG dinucleotides, which are particularly abundant in gene promoter regions. Studies have shown that modifications of DNA methylation may have an impact on the adverse health effects caused by exposure to environmental toxicants. This review aims to investigate the possible impact of nanomaterials on DNA methylation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Holly M. Mortensen, Jonathan Senn, Trevor Levey, Phillip Langley, Antony J. Williams
Summary: The latest version of the EPA Adverse Outcome Pathway Database (AOP-DB v.2) introduces significant updates, including automated data pulls from AOP-Wiki 2.0, integration of tissue-gene network data, and human AOP-gene data by population. These updates allow users to investigate molecular targets of AOPs, relationships between different AOPs, cross-species or disease-AOP associations, and frequencies of functional variants related to AOPs in specific populations.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Farhatun Najat Maluin, Haliza Katas
Summary: With the increasing number of nanomaterials-based products, researchers need to focus on the toxicological and safety profiles of novel nanomaterials and enhancing product quality. Chitosan functionalization is a promising option due to its non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties. This review aims to uncover the toxicological consequences of nanomaterials and explore the potential role of chitosan functionalization in mitigating them.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrudu Makena, Tatiana Kikalova, Gaddamanugu L. L. Prasad, Sarah A. A. Baxter
Summary: Lung fibrosis is a progressive fatal disease caused by deregulated wound healing of lung epithelial cells. Chronic cigarette smoking and oxidative stress are major risk factors for lung fibrosis. This study aims to develop an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) to investigate the mechanisms of lung fibrosis due to lung injury caused by inhaled toxicants, including cigarette smoke. Cellular and tissue-level events lead to the development of lung fibrosis through proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sabina Halappanavar, James D. Ede, Indrani Mahapatra, Harald F. Krug, Eileen D. Kuempel, Iseult Lynch, Rob J. Vandebriel, Jo Anne Shatkin
Summary: Significant progress has been made in the development of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) focusing on the toxicity mechanisms of chemicals, but there is a lack of consideration for the size-associated properties of manufactured nanomaterials (MNs) in current AOPs. By utilizing existing nanotoxicology literature, this study established a systematic methodology for identifying key events (KEs) relevant to MNs and addressed the limitations and opportunities in the field. Recommendations were provided for future reporting of nanotoxicology results to expedite the development of AOPs for MNs and aid in regulatory decision making.
Article
Ecology
Jade O'Leary, Katie L. Journeaux, Kas Houthuijs, Jasper Engel, Ulf Sommer, Mark R. Viant, Daniel C. Eastwood, Carsten Mueller, Lynne Boddy
Summary: The space in which organisms live determines their health and physicality, influencing their interactions with peers. Quantifying space-defined parameters is challenging but vital for studying ecological processes, as spatial dynamics drive community function.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Julia M. Malinowska, Taina Palosaari, Jukka Sund, Donatella Carpi, Mounir Bouhifd, Ralf J. M. Weber, Maurice Whelan, Mark R. Viant
Summary: This study established and evaluated a high-throughput metabolomics workflow compatible with a 96-well HTS platform using 50,000 HepaRG hepatocytes per well. The method showed sufficient sensitivity and repeatability, making it suitable for metabolomics-driven toxicity testing to complement HTS assays.
Article
Toxicology
Elena Sostare, Thomas N. Lawson, Lucy R. Saunders, John K. Colbourne, Ralf J. M. Weber, Tomasz Sobanski, Mark R. Viant
Summary: This study generated a publicly available panel of 722 metabolic biomarkers for toxicology, most of which are associated with molecular pathways and adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to support the generation of molecular mechanistic data for chemical hazard assessment.
TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew J. Smith, Ralf J. M. Weber, Mark R. Viant
Summary: In this study, untargeted lipidomics and mass spectrometry imaging were applied to study Daphnia magna. Unique lipid profiles from different tissue types were identified and visualized using ion imaging. The changes in the lipidome during normal egg development and the effects of BPA exposure on the egg lipidome were characterized.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia M. Malinowska, Taina Palosaari, Jukka Sund, Donatella Carpi, Gavin R. Lloyd, Ralf J. M. Weber, Maurice Whelan, Mark R. Viant
Summary: This study presents an automated sample preparation and analysis workflow for in vitro metabolomics of HepaRG cells using high-resolution mass spectrometry. The workflow demonstrates good repeatability and high sample throughput, which can advance the application of metabolomics in chemical safety.
Article
Microbiology
Kieran A. Bates, Ulf Sommer, Kevin P. Hopkins, Jennifer M. G. Shelton, Claudia Wierzbicki, Christopher Sergeant, Benjamin Tapley, Christopher J. Michaels, Dirk S. Schmeller, Adeline Loyau, Jaime Bosch, Mark R. Viant, Xavier A. Harrison, Trenton W. J. Garner, Matthew C. Fisher
Summary: The skin microbial community structure of amphibians is linked to the clinical outcome of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (8d) infections. This study used multi-omics analyses in laboratory and field settings to demonstrate that 8d infection alters microbiome taxonomic and functional profiles.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erica K. Brockmeier, Danilo Basili, John Herbert, Cecilie Rendal, Leigh Boakes, Arturas Grauslys, Nadine S. Taylor, Emma Butler Danby, Steve Gutsell, Rakesh Kanda, Mark Cronin, Jeff Barclay, Philipp Antczak, Mark R. Viant, Geoff Hodges, Francesco Falciani
Summary: With the increasing number of man-made chemicals released in the environment, it is crucial to assess their potential effects on environmental safety and human health. Current regulatory frameworks rely on a combination of hazard and risk-based approaches, but the large number of chemicals and the need to assess them without animal testing poses challenges. This study investigates the use of functional genomics to identify molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of narcotics and other toxicants, using C. elegans and a fish cell line. The findings suggest that this approach can be valuable in developing mechanistically relevant biomarkers and reducing the need for animal testing or cross-species comparisons.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Toxicology
M. R. Viant
TOXICOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Toxicology
Julia M. Malinowska, Taina Palosaari, Jukka Sund, Donatella Carpi, Ralf J. M. Weber, Gavin R. Lloyd, Maurice Whelan, Mark R. Viant
Summary: Metabolomics is a valuable tool in regulatory toxicology as it closely measures the molecular phenotype, providing insights into biological perturbations. However, the application of untargeted metabolomics for POD derivation via benchmark concentration modeling is still unexplored.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hanna S. S. Schuster, Nadine S. S. Taylor, Robin Sur, Arnd Weyers
Summary: This study monitored the mixture of herbicides in an intensively managed agricultural catchment and found that the herbicide concentrations exceeded the regulatory accepted concentration for algae and macrophytes. Implementing a stewardship program significantly reduced the frequency of these exceedance events.
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Timothy W. Gant, Scott S. Auerbach, Martin Von Bergen, Mounir Bouhifd, Philip A. Botham, Florian Caiment, Richard A. Currie, Joshua Harrill, Kamin Johnson, Dongying Li, David Rouquie, Ben van Ravenzwaay, Frank Sistare, Tewes Tralau, Mark R. Viant, Jan Willem van de Laan, Carole Yauk
Summary: The workshop focused on exploring the interpretation of Omics data for risk assessment, leading to advancements in this field. It was found that within a rigorous scientific framework, Omics data can be utilized to derive important risk assessment indicators. The issue of noise in the data was highlighted as a crucial factor for identifying meaningful Omics changes and deriving assessment indicators. Utilizing the adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) framework in conjunction with Omics methods was deemed useful, and several case examples were presented. It was acknowledged that high dimensional data will always be subject to varying processing pipelines and interpretations, depending on the context in which they are used. However, collecting and processing data using robust methods, together with comprehensive descriptions of how the data were interpreted and conclusions reached, can provide valuable input for regulatory toxicology.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Sarir Sarmad, Mark R. Viant, Warwick B. Dunn, Royston Goodacre, Ian D. Wilson, Katie E. Chappell, Julian L. Griffin, Valerie B. O'Donnell, Brendon Naicker, Matthew R. Lewis, Toru Suzuki
Summary: In this Perspective, the authors propose a four-tiered framework to evaluate the reliability of targeted metabolomics analyses. They discuss the need for community-accepted, harmonized guidelines and summarize the regulatory guidance provided by various authorities. The framework includes levels for discovery, screening, qualification, and validation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tara J. J. Bowen, Andrew D. D. Southam, Andrew R. R. Hall, Ralf J. M. Weber, Gavin R. R. Lloyd, Ruth Macdonald, Amanda Wilson, Amy Pointon, Mark R. R. Viant
Summary: Untargeted metabolomics is a method in toxicology that aims to understand the endogenous metabolic responses to xenobiotic exposure. It detects the xenobiotic and its biotransformation products, providing insights into its fate and metabolism and directly associating the internal dose with endogenous metabolic responses. This study presents a workflow to discover and analyze pharmaceutical-related measurements in untargeted UHPLC-MS metabolomics datasets from in vivo and in vitro studies. The findings demonstrate the extensive biotransformation maps, temporal changes in systemic exposure, and direct associations between endogenous biochemical responses and internal dose.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hanna S. Schuster, Nadine S. Taylor, Robin Sur, Arnd Weyers
Summary: The study monitored the cumulative exposure of herbicide mixtures in an intensively managed agricultural catchment for 3.5 years. The results showed that a low number of individual herbicides were responsible for toxicity, and exceedance events correlated with seasonal influences and the implementation of a stewardship program by farmers.
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)