The major objective of this study was to evaluate the human health risks of agricultural land use conversion to other purposes in Hong Kong, based on the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/Fs) and determined dioxin-like activity in soil using ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) bioassay. Hazard quotient showed soils of open burning site (OBS) and e...

Consequences of subchronic exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on liver monooxygenase and transferase enzymes were compared in control pigs and pigs given 385, 867 or 1,807 microg AFB1/kg of feed for 4 weeks. Animals exposed to the highest dose of toxin developed clinical signs of aflatoxicosis, like liver fibrosis, hepatic dysfunction and decreased weight gain. This group had significantly lower l...

Microcystins (MCs) are cyclic heptapeptide toxins and can accumulate in the liver. Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) play an important role in the biotransformation of endogenous substances and xenobiotics in animals. It is unclear if the CYPs are affected by MCs exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of microcystin-LR (MCLR) on cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP1A1, CYP2E1, and CYP...

Hepatic biomarker responses were measured in two demersal fish species (Lepidorhombus boscii and Callionymus lyra) from the northern Iberian shelf associated with the massive Prestige oil spill (POS), five months after the accident. The biomarkers selected were 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT), and DNA integrity. ...

Photooxidized tryptophan (TRP) in tissue culture medium elicits a transient cytochrome P450 (CYP1) induction response in cultured cells. We show here that exposure of TRP to window sunlight (aTRP) greatly increased the potency, efficacy, and duration of CYP1A induction by TRP in primary chick embryo hepatocytes and in vivo. Aqueous TRP exposed to sunlight for 7 days exhibited a 100-fold or grea...

The quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners have been determined by comparing the EC50 values for three in vitro test systems, namely, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) induction in rat hepatoma H-4-II-E cells and competitive binding avidities to the rat cytosolic receptor protein (using 2,3,7,8-...

Annatto or urucum is an orange-yellow dye obtained from Bixa orellana seeds. It has been used as a natural dye in a variety of food products, drugs and cosmetics, and also in Brazilian cuisine as a condiment ('colorau'). Bixin, a carotenoid devoid of provitamin A activity, is the main pigment found in annatto. Some carotenoids (canthaxanthin, astaxanthin and beta-Apo-8'-carotenal) are known to ...

The effects of point-source and diffuse discharges on resident populations of brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus (LeSueur, 1819)) in the Waikato River (New Zealand) were assessed at sites both upstream and downstream of point-source discharges. At each site, the population parameters, relative abundance, age structure, and individual indices, such as condition factor, organ (gonad, live...

Cytochromes P450 (CYP) belong to the most important biotransformation enzymes, therefore, their inhibition may lead to serious pharmacological and toxicological consequences. Albendazole (ABZ) is a benzimidazole anthelmintic widely used in human and veterinary medicine. The effects of ABZ on CYP were investigated on the rat (Rattus norvergicus) and mouflon (Ovis musimon) hepatic microsomes. Bes...

Extracts from semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) deployed on beaches in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, were used to evaluate if complex contaminant mixtures from different sources can be distinguished by the resulting cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) activity in exposed test animals. Deployment sites included canneries, salmon hatcheries, and beaches where lingering oil remains from dischar...