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Nerve growth factor (NGF) is one of the several structurally related proteins, named neurotrophins (NTs), that regulate neuronal survival, development, function, and plasticity. Moreover, NGF is an important activator of antioxidant mechanisms. These NGF functions are mediated by tropomyosin-related kinase receptor A (TrkA). Although NTs and their receptors have been shown to be expressed in visceral tissues, the extent to which NTs are involved in the physiology of visceral tissues is less clear. NGF is the most expressed NT in adult mouse livers. Although NGF is an important modulator of antioxidant mechanisms in neural tissues, few studies describe the relationship between oxidative stress and NGF expression in the liver. In this study, we demonstrate that ngfb mRNA is positively modulated in mouse livers after oxidative injury via intraperitoneal injection of 14 mg/kg sodium arsenite, 6 mmol/kg L-buthionine-S-R-sulfoximine (BSO), or 300 mg/kg acetaminophen (APAP). In addition to the upregulation of ngfb, we observed the phosphorylation of the NGF high-affinity receptor TrkA in the liver as well as the downstream phosphorylation of Akt, NF-kB nuclear migration and iκbα and tx-1 mRNA upregulation. These effects were abolished when a neutralizing anti-NGF antibody was used. Furthermore, this anti-NGF antibody alone induced oxidative stress in the liver by decreasing the reduced glutathione, increasing the oxidized glutathione, and downregulating tx-1 mRNA. Thus, NGF plays a critical role in liver protection against oxidative stress and xenobiotic injury as well as maintains a reduced thiol state.

Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant intracellular antioxidant. GSH depletion leads to oxidative stress and neuronal damage in the central nervous system (CNS). In mice, the acute systemic inhibition of GSH synthesis by L-buthionine-S-R-sulfoximine (BSO) triggers a protective response and a subsequent increase in the CNS GSH content. This response might be modulated by a peripheral increment of circulating nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF is an important activator of antioxidant pathways mediated by tropomyosin-related kinase receptor A (TrkA). Here, we report that peripheral administration of BSO increased plasma NGF levels. Additionally, BSO increased NGF levels and activated the NGF/TrkA/Akt pathway in striatal neurons. Moreover, the response in the striatum included an increased transcription of nrf2 , gclm , lat1 , eaac1 , and xct , all of which are involved in antioxidant responses, and L-cys/L-cys 2 and glutamate transporters. Using antibody against NGF confirmed that peripheral NGF activated the NGF/TrkA/Akt/Nrf2 pathway in the striatum and subsequently increased the transcription of gclm , nrf2 , lat1 , eaac1 , and xct . These results provide evidence that the reduction of peripheral GSH pools increases peripheral NGF circulation that orchestrates a neuroprotective response in the CNS, at least in the striatum, through the NGF/TrkA/Akt/Nrf2 pathway.

In the search of alternatives for controlling Aethina tumida Murray, we recently proposed the BAA trap which uses boric acid and an attractant which mimics the process of fermentation caused by Kodamaea ohmeri in the hive. This yeast is excreted in the feces of A. tumida causing the fermentation of pollen and honey of infested hives and releasing compounds that function as aggregation pheromones to A. tumida. Since the boron is the toxic element in boric acid, the aim of this article is to assess the amount of boron residues in honey and beeswax from hives treated with the BAA trap. For this aim, the amount of bioaccumulated boron in products of untreated hives was first determined and then compared with the amount of boron of products from hives treated with the BAA trap in two distinct climatic and soil conditions. The study was conducted in the cities of Padilla, Tamaulipas, and Valladolid, Yucatan (Mexico) from August 2014 to March 2015. The quantity of boron in honey was significantly less in Yucatan than in Tamaulipas; this agrees with the boron deficiency among Luvisol and Leptosol soils found in Yucatan compared to the Vertisol soil found in Tamaulipas. In fact, the honey from Yucatan has lower boron levels than those reported in the literature. The BAA treatment was applied for four months, results show that the BAA trap does not have any residual effect in either honey or wax; i.e., there is no significant difference in boron content before and after treatment. On the other hand, the organophosphate pesticide coumaphos was found in 100% of wax samples and in 64% of honey samples collected from Yucatan. The concentration of coumaphos in honey ranges from 0.005 to 0.040 mg/kg, which are below Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) allowed in the European Union (0.1 mg/kg) but 7.14% of samples exceeded the MRL allowed in Canada (0.02 mg/kg).