No abstract

Mineral arsenicals have long been used in traditional medicines for various diseases, yet arsenic can be highly toxic and carcinogenic. Arsenic in traditional medicines typically comes from deliberate addition for therapeutic purposes, mainly in the form of mineral arsenicals, including orpiment (As 2 S 3 ), realgar (As 4 S 4 ), and arsenolite (contains arsenic trioxide, As 2 O 3 ). Inorganic arsenic is now accepted in Western medicine as a first line chemotherapeutic agent against certain hematopoietic cancers. This perspective analyzes the pharmacology and toxicology of these arsenicals used in traditional medicines. Orpiment and realgar are less soluble and poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, whereas the bioavailability of arsenic trioxide is similar to inorganic arsenic salts such as sodium arsenite. Pharmacological studies show that arsenic trioxide and realgar are effective against certain malignancies. Orpiment and realgar are used externally for various skin diseases. Realgar is frequently included as an ingredient in oral traditional remedies for its antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, anticonvulsive, and anti-schistosomiasis actions, but the pharmacological basis for this inclusion still remains to be fully justified. Toxicological studies show that cardiovascular toxicity is the major concern for arsenic trioxide and that the gastrointestinal and dermal adverse effects may occur after prolonged use of mineral arsenicals. Little is known regarding the possible secondary cancers resulting from the long-term use of any of these arsenicals. Similar to the safety evaluation of seafood arsenicals, total arsenic content alone appears to be insufficient for mineral arsenical safety evaluation. Arsenic speciation, bioavailability, and toxicity/benefit should be considered in evaluation of mineral arsenical-containing traditional medicines.

BackgroundThis study was aimed to examine circadian variations of hepatic antioxidant components, including the Nrf2- pathway, the glutathione (GSH) system, antioxidant enzymes and metallothionein in mouse liver.Methods and ResultsAdult mice were housed in light- and temperature-controlled facilities for 2 weeks, and livers were collected every 4 h during the 24 h period. Total RNA was isolated, purified, and subjected to real-time RT-PCR analysis. Hepatic mRNA levels of Nrf2, Keap1, Nqo1 and Gclc were higher in the light-phase than the dark-phase, and were female-predominant. Hepatic GSH presented marked circadian fluctuations, along with glutathione S-transferases (GST-α1, GST-µ, GST-π) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx1). The expressions of GPx1, GST-µ and GST-π mRNA were also higher in females. Antioxidant enzymes Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Sod1), catalase (CAT), cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and heme oxygenase-1 (Ho-1) showed circadian rhythms, with higher expressions of Cox-2 and CAT in females. Metallothionein, a small non-enzymatic antioxidant protein, showed dramatic circadian variation in males, but higher expression in females. The circadian variations of the clock gene Brain and Muscle Arnt-like Protein-1(Bmal1), albumin site D-binding protein (Dbp), nuclear receptor Rev-Erbα (Nr1d1), period protein (Per1 and Per2) and cryptochrome 1(Cry1) were in agreement with the literature. Furthermore, acetaminophen hepatotoxicity is more severe when administered in the afternoon when hepatic GSH was lowest.ConclusionsCircadian variations and gender differences in transcript levels of antioxidant genes exist in mouse liver, which could affect body responses to oxidative stress at different times of the day.

There is increasing difficulty in identifying new plant leaf diseases as a result of environmental change. There is a need to identify the factors influencing the emergence and the increasing incidences of these diseases. Here, we present emerging fungal plant leaf diseases and describe their environmental speciation. We considered the factors controlling for local adaptation associated with environmental speciation. We determined that the advent of emergent fungal leaf diseases is closely connected to environmental speciation. Fungal pathogens targeting the leaves may adversely affect the entire plant body. To mitigate the injury caused by these pathogens, it is necessary to be able to detect and identify them early in the infection process. In this way, their distribution, virulence, incidence, and severity could be attenuated.

To investigate the role of Nrf2 as a master defense against the hepatotoxicity produced by various chemicals, Nrf2-null, wild-type, Keap1-knock down (Keap1-Kd) and Keap1-hepatocyte knockout (Keap1-HKO) mice were used as a “graded Nrf2 activation” model. Mice were treated with 14 hepatotoxicants at appropriate doses, and blood and liver samples were collected thereafter (6 h to 7 days depending on the hepatotoxicant). Graded activation of Nrf2 offered a Nrf2-dependent protection against the hepatotoxicity produced by carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen, microcystin, phalloidin, furosemide, cadmium, and lithocholic acid, as evidenced by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities and by histopathology. Nrf2 activation also offered moderate protection against liver injury produced by ethanol, arsenic, bromobenzene, and allyl alcohol but had no effects on the hepatotoxicity produced by D-galactosamine/endotoxin and the Fas ligand antibody Jo-2. Graded Nrf2 activation reduced the expression of inflammatory genes (MIP-2, mKC, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα), oxidative stress genes (Ho-1, Egr1), ER stress genes (Gadd45 and Gadd153), and genes encoding cell death (Noxa, Bax, Bad, and caspase3). Thus, this study demonstrates that Nrf2 prevents the liver from many, but not all, hepatotoxicants. The Nrf2-mediated protection is accompanied by induction of antioxidant genes, suppression of inflammatory responses, and attenuation of oxidative stress.