Background: Metals such as iron, zinc, and copper are critical and necessary for the survival of all living organisms, whereas xenobiotic metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic have no known biologic role. Any metals in high doses can have toxic effects. The aim of this work was to evaluate the hematological changes induced by lead as a toxic metal and characterize the potential eff...

We describe a rapid, low-toxicity and simple method for the detection of the bacterial fish pathogen Flavobacterium psychrophilum. The method, based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), combined the electrophoresis of PCR products in a vertical agarose gel and a modified methylene blue stain. DNA was amplified directly either from bacterial suspensions or from tissues experimentally infected...

The interest of environmental management is in the long-term health of populations and ecosystems. However, toxicity is usually assessed in short-term experiments with individuals. Modelling based on dynamic energy budget (DEB) theory aids the extraction of mechanistic information from the data, which in turn supports educated extrapolation to the population level. To illustrate the use of DEB ...

Mycotoxins severely threaten the health of humans and animals. For this reason, many countries have enforced regulations and recommendations to reduce the dietary exposure. However, even though regulatory actions must be based on solid scientific knowledge, many aspects of their toxicological activity are still poorly understood. In particular, deepening knowledge on the primal molecular events...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of low internal exposure to 137Cs on L. sativum meristem cells and Tradescantia stamen hair cells. It also compared the impact of 137Cs internal and external irradiation of similar level on the plant seed germination and root growth. Compared to control, the tested internal (0.0007 mGy to 0.7 mGy) and external (0.04 mGy to 5.5 mGy) 137Cs ionising...