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Biomedical subjects

E Andreu

Publications and source records attributed to E Andreu.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Oscillation of gap junction electrical coupling in the mouse pancreatic islets of Langerhans.

1. Pancreatic beta-cells oscillate synchronously when grouped in islets. Coupling seems essential to maintain this oscillatory behaviour, as isolated cells are unable to oscillate. This allows the islet to be used as a model system for studying the role of coupling in the generation of oscillatory patterns. 2. Pairs of beta-cells were intracellularly recorded in islets. beta-Cells oscillated synchronously. Propagated voltage deflections were observed as a function of glucose concentration and of the distance between the recording electrodes. Space constants were smaller in the silent than in the active phases, suggesting a higher intercellular connection in the active phases. 3. Coupling coefficients and estimated coupling conductances were larger in the active than in the silent phases. 4. Coupling coefficients and coupling conductances changed dynamically and in phase with the membrane potential oscillations, pointing to an active modulation of the gap junctions. 5. We hypothesize a role for coupling in the generation of the oscillatory events, providing different levels of permeability dependent on the state of conductance during the oscillatory phases.

Animals↗

Sublethal effects of an organophosphate insecticide on the European eel, Anguilla anguilla.

The present communication deals with the effects of fenitrothion (0.02 mg/liter) on the energy metabolism of the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, and its recovery from intoxication. Various parameters such as glycogen, lactate, proteins, and glucose levels were measured in different eel tissues after 2, 8, 12, 24, 32, 48, 56, 72, and 96 hr of fenitrothion exposure. Subsequently, the fish were allowed recovery periods of 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144, and 192 hr in clean water, and the same parameters were evaluated. Liver glycogen content showed no significant changes during the exposure time, while blood glucose levels increased markedly. Gill, liver, and blood lactate values increased during pesticide exposure, while proteins decreased in comparison to unexposed controls. Most of the metabolic disorders did not persist after eels were allowed to recover in clean water for less than a week. The observed effects of fenitrothion on fish metabolism are discussed in relation to a stress syndrome, as are probable reasons for alterations.

Analysis of Variance↗

Inhibition of gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity in the eel, Anguilla anguilla, by fenitrothion.

European eels (Anguilla anguilla) were exposed to sublethal fenitrothion concentrations (0.02 and 0.04 mg/liter) in a continuous flow-through system for 4 days. Gill Mg2+- and Na+,K+-ATPase activities were evaluated after 2, 8, 12, 24, 32, 48, 56, 72, and 96 h of pesticide exposure. Results indicated that ATPase activity in gill tissue decreased as concentration of fenitrothion increased. Pesticide induced significant inhibitory effects on the Na+, K+-ATPase activity of A. anguilla, ranging from >56% inhibition at a sublethal concentration of 0.02 ppm to >73% inhibition at a sublethal concentration of 0.04 ppm. Eels were exposed to both fenitrothion concentrations for 96 h and then allowed a period of recovery in pesticide-free water. Samples were removed at 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144, and 192 h and eel gill ATPase activity was evaluated. Following 1 week of recovery, the Na+,K+-ATPase activity for those animals previously exposed to 0.04 ppm fenitrothion was still different from that of the controls.

Anguilla↗

Response and recovery of brain acetylcholinesterase activity in the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, exposed to fenitrothion.

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) were exposed to sublethal fenitrothion concentrations in a continuous flow-through system for 4 days. Brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was evaluated after 2, 8, 12, 24, 32, 48, 56, 72, and 96 h pesticide exposure. Results indicated that AChE activity in eel brains decreased as the concentration of fenitrothion increased. The pesticide induced significant inhibitory effects on the AchE activity of A. anguilla, ranging from > 40% inhibition at a sublethal concentration of 0.02 ppm to > 60% inhibition at a sublethal concentration of 0.04 ppm. Eel were exposed to both fenitrothion concentrations for 96 h and then allowed a period of recovery in pesticide-free water. Samples were removed at 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144, and 192 h and eel brain AChE activity was evaluated. Following 1 week of recovery, the AChE activity of those animals previously exposed to 0.02 and 0.04 ppm fenitrothion was still different from that of the controls. So, the AChE activity of eel brains at the end of the recovery phase remained significantly depressed.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Response and recovery of acethylcholinesterase activity in the European eel Anguilla anguilla exposed to fenitrothion.

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) were exposed to sublethal fenitrothion concentrations in a continuous flow-through system for 4 days. Muscle acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was evaluated after 2, 8, 12, 24, 32, 48, 56, 72 and 96 hours pesticide exposure. Results showed that AChE activity in eel muscle tissue decreased as concentration of fenitrothion increased. Pesticide induced significant inhibitory effects on the AChE activity of A. anguilla ranging from > 35% inhibition at sublethal concentration of 0.02 ppm to > 44% inhibition at sublethal concentration of 0.04 ppm. Eel were exposed to both fenitrothion concentrations for 96 hours and then allowed a period of recovery in pesticide-free water. Samples were taken out at 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144 and 192 hours and eel muscle AChE activity was evaluated. Following 1 week of recovery, the AChE activity for those animals previously exposed to 0.02 and 0.04 ppm fenitrothion was still different from the controls. So, the AChE activity of eel muscle at the end of the recovery phases remained significantly depressed.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Physiological stress responses of Anguilla anguilla to fenitrothion.

The present communication deals with the effect of fenitrothion (0.04 ppm) on the carbohydrate metabolism of the european eel Anguilla anguilla and its recovery from intoxication. Analysis of various parameters such as glycogen, lactate and glucose was made on different eel tissues after 2, 8, 12, 24, 32, 48, 56, 72 and 96 hr of fenitrothion exposure. Subsequently, the fish were allowed recovery periods of 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144 and 192 hr in clean water, and the same parameters were evaluated. Muscle glycogen content decreased significantly during the exposure time, while blood glucose levels increased markedly. Gill, muscle and blood lactate values increased during pesticide exposure. Most of the metabolic disorders did not persist after allowing recovery in clean water during less than a week. The observed effects of fenitrothion on fish metabolism are discussed in relation to a stress syndrome and probable reasons for alterations have been exposed.

Analysis of Variance↗

Diminished fraction of blockable ATP-sensitive K+ channels in islets transplanted into diabetic mice.

The reasons for the poor outcome of islet transplantation in diabetic patients are not well known; a better understanding of the pathophysiology of transplanted islets is needed. To study the mechanism coupling secretagogue stimuli with insulin release in transplanted islets, we determined the effects of glucose, tolbutamide, and carbamylcholine on the beta-cell membrane potential and cytosolic calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) of islets syngeneically transplanted into normal and streptozocin-induced diabetic mice. In both groups, normoglycemia was maintained after transplantation. Islets transplanted into normal recipients showed similar changes in beta-cell membrane potential and [Ca2+]i oscillations to those in control islets. In contrast, when islets were transplanted into diabetic mice, bursts of electrical activity were triggered at lower glucose concentrations (5.6 mmol/l) than in control islets (11 mmol/l), and maximal electrical activity was achieved at lower glucose concentrations (11 mmol/l) than in control islets (22 mmol/l). When membrane potential was plotted as a function of glucose concentration, the dose-response curve was shifted to the left. Compared with control islets, glucose-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations were broader in duration (22.3 +/- 0.6 s vs. 118.1 +/- 12.6 s; P < 0.01) and higher in amplitude (135 +/- 36 nmol/l vs. 352 +/- 36 nmol/l; P < 0.01). Glucose supersensitivity was attributed to a resting decrease in the fraction of blockable ATP-sensitive K+ (K+(ATP)) channels in transplanted islets that maintained normoglycemia with a limited beta-cell mass.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Pesticide effects on eel metabolism pesticide; levels did not decline at any time when animals were exposed to 4.1 mg/liter.

Previous works on endosulfan eel toxicology in this laboratory demonstrated that 0.041 mg/liter of endosulfan was the 50% lethal concentration of 96 hr exposure. Eels of species Anguilla anguilla were exposed to two sublethal endosulfan concentrations: 8.2 micrograms/liter (1/5 LC50) and 4.1 micrograms/liter (1/10 LC50), and the experiment was done at different exposure times: 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr. Muscle glycogen content decreased significantly (p < 0.05) at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr exposure to 8.2 micrograms/liter. Muscle lactate levels in fish did not change significantly while lactate levels in eel blood increased at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr exposure to 8.2 micrograms/liter. Mean blood glucose values were elevated after exposure to both endosulfan concentrations. The results are discussed in relation to the stress effect produced by the pesticide and the related responses of the fish.

Analysis of Variance↗

Ecotoxicological studies with the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. III. The effects of chemicals on the feeding behavior.

The effect of short-term exposure to xenobiotics on the feeding behavior of the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus was studied. The filtration and ingestion rates of this rotifer decreased after an exposure of 5 hr to sublethal concentrations of copper, pentachlorophenolate, 3,4-dichloroaniline, and lindane. The effective concentrations at which feeding rate was reduced to 50% of that in controls (EC50) for the respective chemicals are 0.032, 1.85, 41.2, and 8.5 mg/liter. The potential use of feeding behavior as test criterion for toxicity screening tests with aquatic invertebrates is discussed.

Aniline Compounds↗

Acute toxicity, uptake and clearance of diazinon by the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.).

The toxicity, accumulation, and elimination of diazinon were investigated for the european eel, Anguilla anguilla. The 24, 48, 72 and 96-h median lethal concentrations (LC50) were 0.16, 0.11, 0.09 and 0.08 mg/L, respectively. Fish exposed to sublethal concentration (0.042 mg/L) accumulated diazinon in liver and muscle tissues. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) of diazinon were 1850 in liver, and 775 in muscle over the 96-h exposure period. Upon removal from diazinon containing water the contaminated fish rapidly eliminated diazinon. The excretion rate constants of this insecticide were 0.108 h-1 for liver and 0.016 h-1 for muscle. Diazinon half-lives were 16.6 and 33.2 hours for liver and muscle, respectively.

Anguilla↗

Lethal toxicity of Lindane on a teleost fish, Anguilla anguilla from Albufera Lake (Spain): hardness and temperature effects.

This paper reports the results of toxicity tests conducted using Anguilla anguilla under three different water temperature (15, 22 and 29 degrees C) and two hardness regimes (250 and greater than 600 ppm CaCO3). The 96-h LC50 increased in the experimental medium (p less than 0.05) by an order of magnitude from 0.32 to 0.45 mg/L between 15 and 29 degrees C. However in the natural medium it is similar (p greater than 0.05) (0.54 to 0.55 mg/L) for these same temperatures. The toxicity of Lindane on eels increased when the water hardness decreased. The 24, 48, 72 and 96-h LC50 for this fish in both media is less at 15 degrees C (96-h LC50 = 0.32 and 0.55 mg/L) than at 29 degrees C (96-h LC50 = 0.45 and 0.55 mg/L). These results suggest that the toxicity of Lindane presents a negative temperature coefficient.

Anguilla↗