Developmental Toxicity

Many studies have shown that multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) is a new secondary transporter family that plays a key role in secondary metabolite transport, the transport of plant hormones and disease resistance in plants. However, detailed information on this family in Gleditsia sinensis has not yet been reported. In the present study, a total of 45 GsMATE protein members were identified and analysed in detail, including with gene classification, phylogenetic evaluation and conserved motif determination...

Gene therapy is a powerful technology to deliver new genes to a patient for the treatment of disease, be it to introduce a functional gene, inactivate a toxic gene, or provide a gene whose product can modulate the biology of the disease. The delivery method for the therapeutic vector can take many forms, ranging from intravenous infusion for systemic delivery to direct injection into the target tissue. For neurodegenerative disorders, it is often desirable to skew transduction towards the brain and/or spinal cord...

The global accumulation and adverse effects of nanoplastics (NPs) are a growing concern for the environment and human health. In recent years, more and more studies have begun to focus on the toxicity of plastic particles for early animal development. Different particle sizes of plastic particles have different toxicities to biological development. Nevertheless, the potential toxicological effects of 20 nm NPs, especially on neurodevelopment, have not been well investigated. In this paper, we used fluorescence microscopy to determine neurotoxicity in zebrafish at different concentrations of NPs...

Neurotoxicological research faces the challenge of linking biological changes resulting from exposures to neuronal function. An additional challenge is understanding cell-type specific differences and selective vulnerabilities of distinct neuronal populations to toxic insults. Single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows for measurement of the transcriptome of individual cells. This makes it a valuable tool for validating and characterizing cell types present in multicell type samples in complex tissue or cell culture models, but also for understanding how different cell types respond to toxic insults...

The organochlorine pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is an endocrine-disrupting compound (EDC) that has been banned by most countries for decades. However, it continues to be detected in nearly all humans and wildlife due to its biological and environmental persistence. The ovarian dysgenesis syndrome hypothesis speculates that exposure to EDCs during sensitive developmental windows such as early gonadal differentiation lead to reproductive disorders later in life. Yet, mechanisms by which DDT affects developing gonads remain unclear due to the inherent challenge of getting developmental exposure data from adults presenting with reproductive disease...

Graphdiyne (GDY) is a new member of family of carbon-based 2D nanomaterials (NMs), but the environmental toxicity is less investigated compared with other 2D NMs, such as graphene oxide (GO). In this study, we compared with developmental toxicity of GO and GDY to zebrafish larvae. It was shown that exposure of zebrafish embryos from 5 h post fertilization to GO and GDY for up to 5 days decreased hatching rate and induced morphological deformity. Behavioral tests indicated that GO and GDY treatment led to hyperactivity of larvae...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Medulloblastoma (MB) is a common primary brain cancer in children. Proton therapy in pediatric MB is intensively studied and widely adopted. Compared to photon, proton radiations offer potential for reduced toxicity due to the characteristic Bragg Peak at the end of their path in tissue. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of irradiation with the same dose of protons or photons in Patched1 heterozygous knockout mice, a murine model predisposed to cancer and non-cancer radiogenic pathologies, including MB and lens opacity...

Alcohol, a widely consumed drug, exerts significant toxic effects on the human organism. This review focuses on its impact during fetal development, when it leads to a spectrum of disorders collectively termed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Children afflicted by FASD exhibit distinct clinical manifestations, including facial dysmorphism, delayed growth, and neurological and behavioral disorders. These behavioral issues encompass diminished intellectual capacity, memory impairment, and heightened impulsiveness...

Pediatric neoplasms represent a complex group of malignancies that pose unique challenges in terms of diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of the underlying molecular pathogenetic mechanisms. Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptors (EPHs), the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases and their membrane-tethered ligands, ephrins, orchestrate short-distance cell-cell signaling and are intricately involved in cell-pattern morphogenesis and various developmental processes. Unraveling the role of the EPH/ephrin signaling pathway in the pathophysiology of pediatric neoplasms and its clinical implications can contribute to deciphering the intricate landscape of these malignancies...

The cytotoxic mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) reportedly has adverse effects on oocyte maturation and embryonic development in pigs. Recently, the interplay between cell apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has garnered increasing attention in embryogenesis. However, the involvement of the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1)/c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) pathways of unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling in DON-induced apoptosis in porcine embryos remains unknown...

Human impacts on wild populations are numerous and extensive, degrading habitats and causing population declines across taxa. Though these impacts are often studied individually, wild populations typically face suites of stressors acting concomitantly, compromising the fitness of individuals and populations in ways poorly understood and not easily predicted by the effects of any single stressor. Developing understanding of the effects of multiple stressors and their potential interactions remains a critical challenge in environmental biology...

Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in disorders of the female reproductive system, accompanied by a rise in adverse pregnancy outcomes. This trend is increasingly being linked to environmental pollution, particularly through the lens of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). These external agents disrupt natural processes of hormones, including synthesis, metabolism, secretion, transport, binding, as well as elimination. These disruptions can significantly impair human reproductive functions. A wealth of animal studies and epidemiological research indicates that exposure to toxic environmental factors can interfere with the endocrine system's normal functioning, resulting in negative reproductive outcomes...

Introduction: Phenobarbital (PB) and levetiracetam (LEV) are the first-line therapies for neonates with diagnosed seizures, however, a growing body of evidence shows that these drugs given during critical developmental windows trigger lasting molecular changes in the brain. While the targets and mechanism of action of these drugs are well understood-what is not known is how these drugs alter the transcriptomic landscape, and therefore molecular profile/gene expression during these critical windows of neurodevelopment...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) presents a complex pathology involving amyloidogenic proteolysis, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cholinergic deficits. Oxidative stress exacerbates AD progression through pathways like macromolecular peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and metal ion redox potential alteration linked to amyloid-beta (Aβ). Despite limited approved medications, heterocyclic compounds have emerged as promising candidates in AD drug discovery. This review highlights recent advancements in synthetic heterocyclic compounds targeting oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation in AD...

Food additives are chemicals incorporated in food to enhance its flavor, color and prevent spoilage. Some of these are associated with substantial health hazards, including developmental disorders, increase cancer risk, and hormone disruption. Hence, this study aimed to comprehend the in-silico toxicology framework for evaluating mutagenic and xenoestrogenic potential of food additives and their association with breast cancer. A total of 2885 food additives were screened for toxicity based on Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC), mutagenicity endpoint prediction, and mutagenic structural alerts/toxicophores identification...

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a beta-herpes virus, is the most common viral infection in infants. Transmission may occur congenitally (cCMV) or postnatally (pCMV). Early detection and intervention are crucial in reducing morbidities, notable developmental delays, and sensorineural hearing loss. However, more than 90% of infants are asymptomatic at birth. Treatment involves intravenous ganciclovir or the oral prodrug, valganciclovir, drugs usually reserved for use with symptomatic infants because of the toxicity profile...

Plastics pose a hazard to the environment. Although plastics have toxicity, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are capable of interacting with the rest pollutants in the environment, so they serve as the carriers and interact with organic pollutants to modulate their toxicity, thus resulting in unpredictable ecological risks. PS-NPs and TDCIPP were used expose from 2h post-fertilization (hpf) to 150 days post-fertilization (dpf) to determine the bioaccumulation of tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and its potential effects on neurodevelopment in F1 zebrafish (Danio rerio) offspring under the action of polystyrene nano plastics (PS-NPs)...

Because experimental studies to determine the developmental toxicity of exposure to various substances in children are impossible, many studies use immature male rats. This study aimed to provide normative data for longitudinal bone growth with age during the puberty in male rats. In order to evaluate long bone growth and mineralization we examined bone size and bone density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, analyzed histomorphometry of the growth plate, and serum hormone levels relevant to bone growth from postnatal day (PD)20 to PD60...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the developmental toxicity of Cry1Ab protein by studying its effects on cell proliferation and differentiation ability using a developmental toxicity assessment model based on embryonic stem-cell. METHODS: Cry1Ab protein was tested in seven dose groups (31.25, 62.50, 125.00, 250.00, 320.00, 1 000.00, and 2 000.00 μg/L) on mouse embryonic stem cells D3 (ES-D3) and 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells, with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) used as the positive control and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) as the solvent control...

Nanotechnology has been used to apply nanoparticle essential elements to enhance the ability of animals to absorb these elements and consequently improve their reproductive performance. High concentrations of nanoparticles (NPs) can directly harm a range of aquatic life forms, ultimately contributing to a decline in biodiversity. Helisoma duryi snails are a good model for studying the toxicological effects of bulk zinc oxide (ZnO-BPs) and nano zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs) on freshwater gastropods. This study aimed to compare the toxic effects of ZnO-BPs and ZnO-NPs on H...