Pollutants consist of several components, known as direct or indirect mutagens, that can be associated with the risk of tumorigenesis. The increased incidence of brain tumors, observed more frequently in industrialized countries, has generated a deeper interest in examining different pollutants that could be found in food, air, or water supply. These compounds, due to their chemical nature, alter the activity of biological molecules naturally found in the body. The bioaccumulation leads to harmful effects for humans, increasing the risk of the onset of several pathologies, including cancer. Environmental components often combine with other risk factors, such as the individual genetic component, which increases the chance of developing cancer. The objective of this review is to discuss the impact of environmental carcinogens on modulating the risk of brain tumorigenesis, focusing our attention on certain categories of pollutants and their sources.
The application of rare earth elements (REEs) in several areas, including high-tech technology, agriculture, medicine, and fuels, has made them an essential component of our everyday life. This extensive use of REEs in several technologies is expected to potentially impact human health. Even if several studies investigated the levels of REEs in human matrices, until now no standard method has been established for analyzing these elements in human matrices. The sample analysis should be of high quality, and the methods should be validated properly to ensure the quality of the procedure and traceability of the analytical data. In this research, we compared the validation and effectiveness of two different methods of sample preparation for human urine samples: a simple dilution of the sample (DIL) was compared with microwave assisted-acid decomposition (MIN) for tracing REE levels in human urine samples. The analysis was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The working conditions have been set in high-sensitivity mode. Accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by spiking the sample matrix with known concentrations of analyte standards. Both methods showed adequate precision of repeatability and intra-laboratory reproducibility, with the DIL method showing better precision of both repeatability and reproducibility than the MIN method. The CVr% values of repeatability range from 1.5 to 12% for the DIL and from 8.4 to 16% for the MIN method. The CVr% values of reproducibility range from 6.2–23% for the DIL and from 8.6 to 24% for the MIN method. REE recoveries for both methods were very close to 100%. Both methods proved to be effective for the determination of REE levels in human urine matrices.
This study describes new platinum(II) cationic five-coordinate complexes (1-R,R’) of the formula [PtR(NHC)(dmphen)(ethene)]CF3SO3 (dmphen = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline), containing in their axial positions an alkyl group R (methyl or octyl) and an imidazole-based NHC-carbene ligand with a substituent R’ of variable length (methyl or octyl) on one nitrogen atom. The Pt–carbene bond is stable both in DMSO and in aqueous solvents. In DMSO, a gradual substitution of dmphen and ethene is observed, with the formation of a square planar solvated species. Octanol/water partitioning studies have revealed the order of hydrophobicity of the complexes (1-Oct,Me > 1-Oct,Oct > 1-Me,Oct > 1-Me,Me). Their biological activity was investigated against two pairs of cancer and non-cancer cell lines. The tested drugs were internalized in cancer cells and able to activate the apoptotic pathway. The reactivity of 1-Me,Me with DNA and protein model systems was also studied using UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence, and X-ray crystallography. The compound binds DNA and interacts in various ways with the model protein lysozyme. Remarkably, structural data revealed that the complex can bind lysozyme via non-covalent interactions, retaining its five-coordinate geometry.
Rare earth elements (REEs) such as cerium and lanthanum are utilized in oil refining and as catalytic additives in the production of diesel fuel aimed at optimizing fuel combustion. Background reports from animal studies demonstrated several REE-associated adverse effects, some of which following REE inhalation of diesel exhaust particulate. This study was aimed at evaluating the occupational exposure to REEs in diesel exhaust among two groups of mechanic workers; the first group involving 20 workers from artisanal workshops lacking exhaust abatement devices in Avellino province (Italy) and the second treatment group encompassing 82 workers (controls) from two industrial industrial-shaped workshops in Como (Italy) equipped with exhaust abatement devices. The evaluated endpoints in the two donor groups were: a) urine concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), as an indicator of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); b) urine REE concentrations, and c) REE concentrations in scalp hair. The results showed significantly higher urine 1-OHP concentrations in the first treatment group vs. controls (0.28 ± 0.07 mg/L vs. 0.12 ± 0.35 mg/L) (p<0.05), along with significantly higher frequency of smokers in these workers cases vs. controls (47.6% vs. 11.1%;) (p<0.05), and significantly higher urine REE concentrations in the same cases vs. controls (0.14 ± 0.04 mg/L vs. 0.07 ± 0.04 mg/L; ) (p<0.001). REE concentrations in scalp hair were not significantly different between the two donor groups suggesting that REEs might not be sequestered to hair during detoxification pathways.
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