The land snailEobania vermiculatais an important crop pest causing considerable damage in agriculture. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the possibilities of using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to control the land snail. The AgNPs have been synthesized biologically using white radish (Raphanus sativusvar.aegyptiacus). The biosynthesis was regularly monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction spectra revealed peaks of crystalline nature of AgNPs and the transmission electron micrographs further confirmed the size of the synthesized nanoparticles ranging from 6 to 38 nm. The exposure of the snails and soil matrix to AgNPs in a laboratory experiment reduced the activity and the viability of the land snail (20% of AgNPs treated snails died) as well as the frequency of fungal population in the surrounding soil. Moreover histology and ultrastructure alterations have been found in both kidney and the digestive gland of AgNPs treated land snails. The synergistic effect of synthesized AgNPs as antifungal was evaluated and clearly revealed that AgNPs can be effectively used against various plant pathogenic fungi. The present study results may open a new avenue to use the snail as bioindicator organism of environmental pollution.

Gentamicin (GNT) is a potent aminoglycoside antibiotic widely used to treat life-threatening bacterial infections. We aim to investigate the potential protective effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) against GNT-induced nephrotoxicity. In this study, 24 male Wistar rats were used and randomly divided into four groups of six animals each. Control group received 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose orally for 15 days, GNT group received GNT 100 mg/kg/day i.p. for 8 days, UDCA group received UDCA orally for 15 consecutive days at a dose of 60 mg/kg/day suspended in 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose and UDCA-pretreated group received UDCA orally for 7 days then co-administered with GNT i.p. for 8 days at the same fore-mentioned doses. Serum levels of kidney function parameters (urea, creatinine, uric acid and albumin) were measured. Renal tissues were used to evaluate oxidative stress markers; malonaldehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and the anti-oxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and nuclear factor kappa light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) mRNA levels. Immunohistochemical expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and caspase-3 and histological and ultrastructural examination were performed. Treatment with GNT increased the serum levels of renal function parameters and renal MDA, NF-κB and KIM-1 mRNA levels, while it decreased GSH and SOD activities. Marked immunohistochemical expression of caspase-3 was observed after GNT administration while it decreased eNOS expression. Histological and ultrastructural alterations were also evident in renal corpuscles and tubules. In contrast, pretreatment with UDCA reversed changes caused by GNT administration. These results suggest that UDCA ameliorates GNT-induced kidney injury via inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

Background Chemicals have deleterious effect on the environment. The wide use of nanomaterials as products for plant protection, fertilizers, and also in water purification leads to the release of these materials to the environment. Terrestrial gastropods including snails and slugs have the ability to accumulate heavy metals in their bodies. The present study evaluates the toxic effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the terrestrial slug Lehmannia nyctelia. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were prepared by thermal decomposition method. ZnO NPs are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV). Slugs were treated with three different concentrations of ZnO NPs. Results A total of three animals died by the end of the experiment. Many histological alterations were detected after exposure to different concentration of ZnO NPs. Conclusions The obtained histological alterations prove the toxic effect of ZnO NPs on the animal under study.

Tobacco smoking has been identified as an important factor in premature skin aging to detect the histological changes occurred in adult male guinea pig thin skin under the influence of low and high doses of nicotine; which constitutes approximately 0.6%–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco. Fifteen adult male pigmented guinea pigs were equally divided into three groups: group I, control; group IIA, low dose nicotine treated; 3 mg/kg subcutaneously for 4 weeks; and group IIB, high dose nicotine treated; 6 mg/kg subcutaneously for 4 weeks. Specimens from the back thin skin were processed for light and electron microscopy. Nicotine administration revealed flattened dermo-epidermal junction and reduced rete ridges formation. Collagen bundles were disorganized with increased spaces between them. A reduction in the amount of elastic fibers in the dermis were also observed compared to group I. Ultrastructurally, keratinocytes had hyperchromatic nuclei, intracytoplasmic vacuoles, disruption of desmosomal junctions, irregular tonofilaments distribution, and increased inter-cellular spaces. These changes were more pronounced with high dose nicotine administration. The epidermal thickness was reduced in low dose nicotine administration. But, high dose nicotine administration revealed increased epidermal thickness compared to the control group. Nicotine induced structural changes of adult male guinea pig thin skin. These changes were more pronounced with high dose nicotine administration.

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