The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as an important animal model in various fields including neurobiology, developmental biology, and genetics. Characteristics of this animal model that have contributed to its success include its genetic manipulability, invariant and fully described developmental program, well-characterized genome, ease of maintenance, short and prolific life cycle, and small body size. These same features have led to an increasing use of C. elegans in toxicology, both for mechanistic studies and high-throughput screening approaches. We describe some of the research that has been carried out in the areas of neurotoxicology, genetic toxicology, and environmental toxicology, as well as high-throughput experiments with C. elegans including genome-wide screening for molecular targets of toxicity and rapid toxicity assessment for new chemicals. We argue for an increased role for C. elegans in complementing other model systems in toxicological research.
A promising aquatic toxicity test has been developed using a species of free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. The testing was performed with soluble forms of Ag, Hg, Cu, Be, Al, Pb, Cr, As, TI, Zn, Cd, Ni, Sr and Sb. The LC50 values for 1 to 4 d of exposure were determined and compared to the published invertebrate data. With Caenorhabditis elegans Pb, Cr and Cd were found to have the lowest 96-h LC50 (0.06 mg/L) and Sr had the highest LC50 (465 mg/L). All the metals except As have a significantly lower 96-h LC50 (from 20 to 15,000 times lower) than 24-h LC50. Comparison with published data for other invertebrates indicated that Caenorhabditis eleguns was more sensitive to Pb, Cr and Be and less sensitive to As than any of the other organisms that have been tested. Given the ease in culturing and the extensive knowledge of the basic biology of Cuenorhabditis elegans, coupled with the ecological abundance of nematodes, the method is worthy of further study to determine its usefulness as an aquatic test species.
Objective. To assess the occupational health hazards faced by healthcare workers and the mitigation measures. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing quantitative data collection methods among 200 respondents who worked in 8 major health facilities in Kampala. Results. Overall, 50.0% of respondents reported experiencing an occupational health hazard. Among these, 39.5% experienced biological hazards while 31.5% experienced nonbiological hazards. Predictors for experiencing hazards included not wearing the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), working overtime, job related pressures, and working in multiple health facilities. Control measures to mitigate hazards were availing separate areas and containers to store medical waste and provision of safety tools and equipment. Conclusion. Healthcare workers in this setting experience several hazards in their workplaces. Associated factors include not wearing all necessary protective equipment, working overtime, experiencing work related pressures, and working in multiple facilities. Interventions should be instituted to mitigate the hazards. Specifically PPE supply gaps, job related pressures, and complacence in adhering to mitigation measures should be addressed.
The acute lethality of the salts of eight metals--HgCl2, BeSO4.4H2O, Al(NO3)3.9H2O, CuCl2.2H2O, ZnCl2, Pb(NO3)2, CdCl2, and Sr(NO3)2--was determined using a type of free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. The LC50 values were compared to the published mammalian oral LD50 values for salts of the same metals. Within this set of chemicals, C. elegans was found to be a predictor of mammalian acute lethality, generating LC50 values parallel to the rat and mouse LD50 values. The total expenses for this testing are about 10% of the cost for mammalian acute lethality testing. The method is considered to have great promise, but further study is needed.
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