Article
Food Science & Technology
Lu Zhai, Yuting Gao, Zheming Cui, Lin Chen, Lingxue Yu, Pu Guo, Delong Zhu, Huanwen Tang, Xin Liu, Hao Luo
Summary: This study found that overexpression of miR-7-5p can inhibit the malignant phenotype of TK6 cells induced by HQ by slowing down cell cycle progression through targeting the Rb/E2F1 signaling pathway.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Katherine E. Chapman, Eleanor C. Wilde, Fiona M. Chapman, Jatin R. Verma, Ume-Kulsoom Shah, Leanne M. Stannard, Anna L. Seager, James A. Tonkin, M. Rowan Brown, Ann T. Doherty, George E. Johnson, Shareen H. Doak, Gareth J. S. Jenkins
Summary: The study employed a holistic, multiple-endpoint approach using low doses of selected carcinogens and non-carcinogens to assess perturbations in molecular and cellular endpoints, successfully distinguishing carcinogens from non-carcinogens. Avoidance of misleading in vitro outcomes could lead to the reduction and replacement of animals in carcinogenicity testing.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Toxicology
Yuan Le, Xilin Li, Si Chen, Kylie G. Ning, Xiaoqing Guo, Charles G. Wu, Mugimane G. Manjanatha, Nan Mei
Summary: Black cohosh extract (BCE) has been widely used to relieve menopausal symptoms, but recent studies have shown that it is not effective and may even cause genotoxicity. This study focused on one of the constituents of BCE called actein, which was found to have high cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Actein caused DNA damage, activated DNA damage response pathway, and induced cell cycle changes and apoptosis. Both BCE and actein also increased reactive oxygen species production and activated the MAPK signaling pathway. The genotoxicity induced by BCE and actein was partially mediated through oxidative stress.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuting Chen, Hui Yang, Shaoyun Chen, Zhaohong Lu, Boxin Li, Tikeng Jiang, Mei Xuan, Ruifang Ye, Hairong Liang, Xiaoshan Liu, Qizhan Liu, Huanwen Tang
Summary: Reprogramming of cellular metabolism is a critical event in tumorigenesis. This study found that hydroquinone (HQ) enhances the malignant progression of TK6 cells by promoting glycolysis, with SIRT1 playing a significant role.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Xilin Li, Yuxi Li, Kylie G. Ning, Si Chen, Lei Guo, Jessica A. Bonzo, Nan Mei
Summary: In vitro genotoxicity testing is crucial for chemical risk assessment, and TK6 cells serve as a standard cell line for regulatory safety evaluations. This study surveyed the baseline expression of major Phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes in TK6 cells, providing a reference enzymatic profile for this commonly used cell line.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH PART C-TOXICOLOGY AND CARCINOGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Toxicology
Xilin Li, Xiaobo He, Si Chen, Yuan Le, Matthew S. Bryant, Lei Guo, Kristine L. Witt, Nan Mei
Summary: This study systematically evaluated the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of luteolin in human lymphoblastoid cells, and found that the presence of specific cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP1A1 and 1A2, enhanced the toxicity of luteolin by partially reversing its metabolic conversion process.
TOXICOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katrin Kreuzer, Heike Sprenger, Albert Braeuning
Summary: Transcript signatures are a promising approach to identify and classify genotoxic and non-genotoxic compounds. This study analyzed transcriptomic responses in the human TK6 cell line and compared them with the HepaRG model, revealing considerable differences in the transcriptional responses between different cell models.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mei Xuan, Yao Wu, Huanhuan Wang, Zhongming Ye, Haipeng Wu, Yuting Chen, Hui Yang, Huanwen Tang
Summary: In long-term exposure to hydroquinone, the expression of miR-92a-3p is significantly upregulated while the expression of the anti-proliferative factor TOB1 is significantly downregulated. Inhibiting miR-92a-3p can decrease cell viability, reduce MMP-9 protein levels, induce G2/M phase block in cell cycle, and upregulate the expression of G2/M phase-related proteins cyclinB1 and CDK1. miR-92a-3p reduces cell proliferation rate and causes cell cycle arrest by targeting TOB1, contributing to the altered malignant phenotype of the cells.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edyta Janik-Karpinska, Michal Ceremuga, Marcin Niemcewicz, Ewelina Synowiec, Tomasz Sliwinski, Maksymilian Stela, Michal Bijak
Summary: This study demonstrates that T-2 toxin has genotoxic effects on human skin fibroblast cells, potentially causing damage to nuclear DNA and leading to changes in gene expression related to inflammation and repair processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ying He, Haotian Ding, Xingya Xia, Wenyi Qi, Huaisong Wang, Wenyuan Liu, Feng Zheng
Summary: This study used a collection of GFP-fused yeast cells to evaluate the genotoxicity of nitrosamine compounds, showing that they can cause extensive DNA damage and activate multiple repair pathways. The evaluation criteria based on total protein expression levels correlate well with the mammalian carcinogenicity data TD50, suggesting that the yeast cell collection could serve as a potential reliable criterion for evaluating the carcinogenicity of compounds. The assay based on DNA damage pathway integration is highly sensitive and can be used as a supplementary method for evaluating trace potentially genotoxic impurities in actual production.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Boxin Li, Hui Yang, Haipeng Wu, Huanhuan Wang, Zhongming Ye, Yao Wu, Yuting Chen, Huanwen Tang
Summary: This study shows that hydroquinone induces autophagy and apoptosis in human lymphoblastoid cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and the involvement of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6) is identified. It is also found that ROS-mediated ERS may promote autophagy and apoptosis by inhibiting the ATF6-mTOR pathway.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Toshiaki Nakano, Takahito Moriwaki, Masataka Tsuda, Misa Miyakawa, Yuto Hanaichi, Hiroyuki Sasanuma, Kouji Hirota, Masanobu Kawanishi, Hiroshi Ide, Keizo Tano, Tadayoshi Bessho
Summary: In this study, it was found that SPRTN and TDP1/TDP2 play important roles in the repair of 5-azadC-induced DNMT1-DPCs and in suppressing genome instability.
CHEMICAL RESEARCH IN TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anfal Fedala, Ounassa Adjroud, Salwa Abid-Essefi, Rim Timoumi
Summary: Hexavalent chromium is an environmental pollutant and endocrine-disrupting metal. Selenium and zinc are essential trace elements that can mitigate potassium dichromate-induced thyrotoxicity in pregnant rats. However, the combined co-treatment of selenium and zinc showed less thyroprotective effects compared to individual treatment. Further investigations are needed to explore the synergetic interaction of selenium and zinc against hexavalent chromium toxicity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emil Mladenov, Katja Paul-Konietzko, Veronika Mladenova, Martin Stuschke, George Iliakis
Summary: Sophisticated mechanisms have evolved in higher eukaryotes to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) through different repair pathways. These repair pathways not only contribute to DSB repair, but also influence the integration of foreign DNA or rearrangement of genetic information in cells. However, the efficiency of gene targeting is generally low in somatic cells due to random integration of DNA fragments. In contrast, embryonic stem cells and certain lymphoblastic cell lines show increased gene-targeting efficiency.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hao Luo, Lu Zhai, Weifeng Qiu, Hairong Liang, Lei Yu, Yuan Li, Mengyun Xiong, Jiaying Guo, Huanwen Tang
Summary: The study revealed that the p16/Rb signal pathway is suppressed in hydroquinone-induced malignant transformation of TK6 cells, resulting in enhanced cell proliferation and accelerated cell cycle progression. It was further confirmed that p16 regulates cell cycle progression via Rb and p53, indicating its involvement in hydroquinone-induced malignant transformation.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Giannina Alarcon-Aravena, Erico R. Carmona, Gonzalo Recio-Sanchez, Aixa Gonzalez Ruiz, Josefa Domenech, Ricard Marcos, Karla Garrido
Summary: In this study, Fe(3)O(4)NPs were successfully synthesized using leaf extracts of the Peumo tree. The nanoparticles showed good stability in aqueous suspension and demonstrated the potential to reduce COD levels and lower concentrations of phosphates and nitrates in wastewater.
CURRENT NANOSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irene Barguilla, Josefa Domenech, Laura Rubio, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: The widespread presence of plastic waste and its derivatives, micro- and nanoplastics, raises concerns about potential health risks. This study examines the interaction between arsenic and polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPLs) and their joint effects. The results show that continuous co-exposure to both pollutants enhances DNA damage and aggressive features of cell transformation. This study highlights the importance of considering the long-term effects of emerging contaminants like MNPLs and the behavior of mixtures in risk assessment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alena Opattova, Sabine A. S. Langie, Mirta Milic, Andrew Collins, Asgeir Brevik, Erdem Coskun, Maria Dusinska, Isabel Gaivao, Ela Kadioglu, Blanca Laffon, Ricard Marcos, Susana Pastor, Jana Slyskova, Bozena Smolkova, Zsofia Szilagyi, Vanessa Valdiglesias, Pavel Vodicka, Katarina Volkovova, Stefano Bonassi, Roger W. L. Godschalk
Summary: Levels of DNA damage represent the dynamics between damage formation and removal. A study analyzed a pooled database of studies with data on base excision repair (BER) to characterize an individual's ability to recognize and properly remove DNA damage. The study found significant sex differences in BER, with higher levels in women, and a relationship between BER and BMI. Moreover, higher BER activity was associated with lower levels of DNA damage detected by the comet assay. These findings highlight the importance of considering BER as a parallel endpoint in future studies.
MUTATION RESEARCH-GENETIC TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MUTAGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Irene Barguilla, Josefa Domenech, Sandra Ballesteros, Laura Rubio, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: This study investigates the potential tumorigenic risk of long-term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPLs) on prone-to-transformed MEF cells. The findings show that long-term exposure to PSNPLs exacerbates various cancer hallmarks, including changes in stress-related genes, microRNA deregulation, anchorage-independent growth, migration capacity, invasion potential, changes in pluripotency markers, and ability to form tumorspheres. These data serve as a significant warning of the potential carcinogenic risk associated with long-term exposures to MNPLs.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Aliro Villacorta, Laura Rubio, Mohamed Alaraby, Montserrat Lopez-Mesas, Victor Fuentes-Cebrian, Oscar H. Moriones, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: This study proposes a simple method to obtain polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics (PET-NPLs) from plastic goods and successfully produces uniform samples of around 100 nm. Preliminary evaluation shows that these PET-NPLs do not induce significant toxicity, oxidative stress, or DNA damage. The representative samples produced in this study will provide important data for discussing the potential health risks associated with MNPLs exposure.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Balasubramanyam Annangi, Aliro Villacorta, Montserrat Lopez-Mesas, Victor Fuentes-Cebrian, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: This study found that nanoplastics can be absorbed by human nasal epithelial cells, leading to cellular effects such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential loss, and abnormal autophagy pathway. It is the first study to reveal the autophagy pathway as a possible target for adverse effects induced by nanoplastics in nasal epithelial cells. Therefore, this research has significant value for the respiratory risk assessment of nanoplastics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alireza Tavakolpournegari, Balasubramanyam Annangi, Aliro Villacorta, Gooya Banaei, Joan Martin, Susana Pastor, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: The presence of micro/nanoplastics (MNPLs) in the environment is a concern for both the environment and human health. The toxicological profile of MNPLs can be influenced by their size and the ability of cells to internalize them. In this study, different sizes of polystyrene MNPLs were tested on human hematopoietic cell lines, and it was found that cell type and size can modulate the toxicological profile of MNPLs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Balasubramanyam Annangi, Aliro Villacorta, Lourdes Vela, Alireza Tavakolpournegari, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: In order to investigate the impact of plastic micro/nanoparticles on the human body, lab-made PETNPLs were used in this study. The experiment evaluated cell uptake, reactive oxygen species induction, mitochondrial functionality, and modulation of the autophagy pathway. The results showed that PETNPLs significantly affected cell uptake, increased levels of reactive oxygen species, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, and altered the autophagy pathway in human nasal epithelial cells.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irene Barguilla, Veronique Maguer-Satta, Boris Guyot, Susana Pastor, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: One important environmental/health challenge is to determine the potential carcinogenic risk associated with environmental agents/exposures. Long-term trials with rodents are inefficient when testing thousands of agents, so a battery of assays covering most of the hallmarks of the carcinogenesis process is proposed. This structured battery could be useful for in vitro studies using human cell lines to detect potential carcinogenic risks of environmental agents/exposures.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lourdes Vela, Aliro Villacorta, Tom Venus, Irina Estrela-Lopis, Susana Pastor, Alba Garcia-Rodriguez, Laura Rubio, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: The presence of plastic waste in the environment is a growing concern due to the degradation of plastic into micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs). Digestion was found to affect the characteristics of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPLs), leading to higher cell uptake but no difference in toxicity except at high exposures. Further analysis should be conducted on other MNPLs with varying sizes and chemical compositions.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Gooya Banaei, Alba Garcia-Rodriguez, Alireza Tavakolpournegari, Juan Martin-Perez, Aliro Villacorta, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez
Summary: This study investigated the release of MNPLs from commercially available teabags and their effects on cellular cultures and a model of the intestinal barrier. The MNPLs were found to be in the nano-range and composed of polylactic acid (PLA-NPLs). They were taken up by cells, particularly mucus-secretor cells, and persisted in the tissue after exposure. Although no significant cytotoxicity was observed, there was evidence of slight barrier disruption. This study provides new insights into the safety and behavior of polymer-based teabags in the human body.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mohamed Alaraby, Aliro Villacorta, Doaa Abass, Alba Hernandez, Ricard Marcos
Summary: Micro and nanoplastics (MNPLs), resulting from plastic waste degradation, are emerging environmental pollutants with potential risks to human health. This study used titanium-doped PET NPLs as a true-to-life model and found that they induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in a Drosophila model.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irene Barguilla, Vicente Candela-Noguera, Patrick Oliver, Balasubramanyam Annangi, Paula Diez, Elena Aznar, Ramon Martinez-Manez, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernandez, Maria Dolores Marcos
Summary: This study evaluated the genotoxicity and transforming ability of different functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles on human lung epithelial cells. The results showed that functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles induced some measurable adverse effects associated with tumorigenesis, but the toxicity was lower compared to other nanomaterials and certain drugs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Burcin Yalcin, Merve Gunes, Aysen Yagmur Kursun, Nuray Kaya, Ricard Marcos, Bulent Kaya
Summary: The use of metal oxide nanoparticles can lead to increased exposure and potential genotoxic risks. In this study, the genotoxic effects of cerium oxide (CeO(2)NPs) and magnesium oxide (MgONPs) nanoparticles were evaluated using Drosophila as an in vivo assay model. The results showed that CeO(2)NPs did not increase the frequency of mutations in the wing-spot assay, while MgONPs induced mutations at the highest dose. Moreover, CeO(2)NPs exposure increased the expression levels of Mlh1 and Brca2 genes involved in double-strand break repair, while decreasing the expression levels of MCPH1 and Rad51D genes. MgONPs exposure increased the expression levels of Ercc1, Brca2, Rad1, mu2, and stg genes, while decreasing Mlh1 and MCPH1 gene expression levels. This study demonstrates the usefulness of evaluating changes in gene expression levels to detect mild genotoxic effects.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mohamed Alaraby, Doaa Abass, Josefa Domenech, Alba Hernandez, Ricard Marcos
Summary: Both primary and secondary micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs) contribute to the emergence of pollutants in the environment. The potential biological effects of plastics on human health, as well as the association between these effects and MNPL size, need to be thoroughly understood. Using a Drosophila larvae model, this study investigated the journey and interactions of three nanopolystyrene plastics of different sizes (50, 200, and 500 nm) after ingestion, as well as their effects on gene expression, ROS production, and DNA damage. The results showed a size-dependent molecular response, with smaller MNPLs inducing higher responses.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Vitoria Takemura Mariano, Luana Paganotto Leandro, Karen Kich Gomes, Ana Beatriz dos Santos, Vitor Oliveira de Rosso, Alcir Luiz Dafre, Marcelo Farina, Thais Posser, Jeferson Luis Franco
Summary: This study evaluated the toxicity of copper at environmentally relevant concentrations on zebrafish larvae and found adverse effects on morphology, biochemistry, and behavior. Therefore, the permissible copper concentrations in Brazil need to be reevaluated.
JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH-PART A-CURRENT ISSUES
(2024)
