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Made available in DSpace on 2019-09-12T16:53:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017 Ministério do Meio Ambiente (MMA) Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI) Secretaria da Comissão Interministerial para os Recursos do Mar (SECIRM) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) The gastropod Nacella concinna is the most conspicuous macroinvertebrate of the intertidal zone of the Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent islands. Naturally high levels of copper and cadmium in coastal marine ecosystems are accumulated in N. concinna tissues. We aimed to study the effects of metal cations on N. concinna arginase in the context of possible adaptive microevolution. Gills and muscle had the highest argininolytic activity, which was concentrated in the cytosol in both tissues. Gills had the highest levels of arginase and may be involved in the systemic control of L-arginine levels. The relatively high argininolytic activity of the N. concinna muscular foot, with K-M = 25.3 +/- 3.4 mmol L-1, may be involved in the control of L-arginine levels during phosphagen breakdown. N. concinna arginases showed the following preferences for metal cations: Ni2+ > Mn2+ > Co2+ > Cu2+ in muscle and Mn2+ > Cu2+ in gills. Cu2+ activation is a unique characteristic of N. concinna arginases, as copper is a potent arginase inhibitor. Cu2+ partly neutralized N. concinna arginase inhibition by Cd2+, worked synergistically in muscle arginase activation by Co2+ and neutralized muscle arginase activation by Ni2+. Mn2+ was able to activate muscle arginase in the presence of Fe3+ and Pb2+. The selection of arginases that are activated by Cu2+ and resistant to inhibition by Cd2+ in the presence of Cu2+ over evolutionary timescales may have favored N. concinna occupation of copper- and cadmium-rich niches. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. [de Oliveira, Mariana Feijo; Rodrigues Junior, Edson; Kawagoe Suda, Cecilia Nahomi; Vani, Gannabathula Sree; Rodrigues, Edson] Universidade de Taubaté (Unitau), Basic Biosci Inst [Donatti, Lucelia] Univ Fed Parana, Dept Cell Biol, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil [Lavrado, Helena Passeri] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Dept Marine Biol, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Made available in DSpace on 2019-09-12T16:26:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015 Os peixes vivem todo o ciclo de vida na água e recebem a influência dos seus componentes físico-químicos e biológicos ao longo do tempo. As atividades de lactato desidrogenase (LDH) e malato desidrogenase (MDH) de organismos aquáticos podem ser alteradas devido à presença de poluentes na água. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar se as atividades de LDH e MDH nas brânquias e no fígado de Astyanax bimaculatus (lambari do rabo amarelo) podem ser utilizadas como biomarcadoras do impacto ambiental na bacia hidrográfica do rio Una (SP). Para isso, esses lambaris foram coletados em três corpos d'água dessa bacia, denominados p1 (rio Itaim), p2 (córrego à beira da Estrada Municipal de Remédios) e p3 (lago na Estrada Municipal Dr. José Luiz Cembranelli). As brânquias e o fígado foram homogeneizados e, a seguir, esse material foi centrifugado e o sobrenadante foi utilizado para determinação das atividades de LDH e MDH, através do método espectrofotométrico que determina a taxa de oxidação de NADH. As atividades de LDH e MDH no fígado e de MDH branquial não foram estatisticamente diferentes nos lambaris coletados nos três locais. No tecido branquial a atividade de LDH foi inferior nos peixes de p3 em relação aos de p1. Essa inibição da atividade de LDH, bem como a qualidade inferior da água nesse ponto, sugerem a ocorrência de poluentes nessa água. Conclui-se que LDH branquial de lambari possui potencial para utilização como marcador bioquímico de impacto ambiental no rio Una. Fish spend their whole life cycle in water and receive the influence of its physico-chemical and biological components over time. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) of aquatic organisms can be altered by pollutants in the water. The aim of this study was to determine whether the activities of LDH and MDH in the gills and liver of Astyanax bimaculatus (lambari do rabo amarelo or Two Spots Astyanax in English), can be used as biomarkers of environmental impact in the Una River (SP) Basin. The lambaris for these studies were collected from three water bodies of this basin designated as p1 (Itaim River), p2 (stream by the road to the Municipality of Remédios) and p3 (lake on the road to the Municipality of Dr. José Luiz Cembranelli). The gills and liver were homogenized and this material was then centrifuged and the supernatant was used for LDH and MDH activity assays using the spectrophotometric method, which determined oxidation rate of NADH. The activities of hepatic LDH and MDH and gill MDH were not statistically different in the lambaris collected at the three sites. In the gill tissue, LDH activity of lambaris from p3 was lower than that from p1.This inhibition of LDH in lambaris from p3, as well as the inferior quality of water there, suggest the occurrence of pollutants in this water. It is concluded that the LDH of lambari gills has potential for use as a biochemical marker of environmental impact in the Una River. [Rodrigues Junior, Edson; Oliveira, Mariana Feijó de] Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil Ribeiro, Anne Caroline; Batista, Maria Tereza Oliveira; Vani, Gannabathula Sree; Rodrigues, Edson; Suda, Cecilia Nahomi Kawagoe] Universidade de Taubaté, Brazil

Made available in DSpace on 2019-09-12T16:53:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015 Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Antártico de Pesquisas Ambientais (INCT-APA) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) Physiological studies suggest that Antarctic marine organisms are adversely affected by rising global temperatures and ocean acidification and have poor prospects for survival. However, according to ecological studies, their vulnerability might be less severe than initially thought. Thus, a realistic forecast of species survival and Antarctic biodiversity should be based on studies from a variety of species under consideration of ecological factors. The limpet Nacella concinna is often found in the rocky intertidal and sublittoral zones of the Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent subantarctic islands. This review summarizes most of the available information on the biology of this limpet, one of the most conspicuous invertebrates of the intertidal zone. There is some evidence that adult N. concinna are physiologically flexible and can acclimate to 3 A degrees C. However, the requirements of the larval stage are poorly known, thus precluding realistic predictions of how elevated temperatures will affect N. concinna populations. Data on physiological performance (righting ability, tenacity and radula rasping rate) under different temperatures could provide a useful baseline for further field investigations on the effects of warming. The species could be used as model organism for investigating the biological effects of ongoing global warming on slow-growing Antarctic ectotherms. Nacella concinna might also be a better biomonitor for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons than other Antarctic mollusks. [Suda, Cecilia N. K.; Vani, Gannabathula S.; de Oliveira, Mariana Feijo; Rodrigues, Edson, Jr.; Rodrigues, Edson; Lavrado, Helena P.] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Natl Inst Sci & Technol Antarctic Environm Res IN, Headquarters, BR-21941902 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil [Suda, Cecilia N. K.; Vani, Gannabathula S.; de Oliveira, Mariana Feijo; Rodrigues, Edson] Universidade de Taubaté (Unitau), Basic Biosci Inst, BR-12030180 Taubate, SP, Brazil [de Oliveira, Mariana Feijo; Rodrigues, Edson, Jr.] Univ Fed Parana, Dept Cell Biol, BR-81990970 Curitiba, Parana, Brazil [Lavrado, Helena P.] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Dept Marine Biol, BR-21941902 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Made available in DSpace on 2019-09-12T16:53:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015 Ministério do Meio Ambiente (MMA) Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Secretariat of the Inter-ministerial Commission for the Resources of the Sea (SeCIRM) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Antártico de Pesquisas Ambientais (INCT-APA) The intertidal and subtidal environments in the Antarctic Peninsula are vulnerable to pollutants, such as diesel oil, a commonly used fuel. Nacelle concinna is capable of accumulating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and is a potential biomonitor of diesel oil contamination. This work investigates the interaction of diesel oil, temperature and salinity on the activity of antioxidants enzymes defense of the gills, foot muscle and digestive glands. Upregulation of superoxide dismutase occurred in the three tissues by warming. The foot muscle catalase and the gill glutathione reductase were upregulated only by diesel. The inability to upregulate catalase and glutathione S-transferase in the digestive gland, as well as the increase of lipoperoxidation, suggested that this gland is more susceptible to the deleterious effects from oxidative stress. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [de Oliveira, Mariana Feijo; Rodrigues Junior, Edson; Donatti, Lucelia] Univ Fed Parana, Dept Cell Biol, BR-81530130 Curitiba, Parana, Brazil [de Oliveira, Mariana Feijo; Rodrigues Junior, Edson; Suda, Cecilia N. K.; Vani, Gannabathula S.; Rodrigues, Edson] Universidade de Taubaté (Unitau), Basic Biosci Inst, BR-12030180 Taubate, SP, Brazil [Lavrado, Helena P.] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Dept Marine Biol, BR-21941902 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Herein we report the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) based on type-A gelatin and gum arabic. The polysaccharides were extracted from gum exudates of Acacia mearnsii De Wild, grown in Brazil, where they are considered an agro industrial residue. Two polysaccharide fractions were obtained from crude A. mearnsii gum exudates, after successive aqueous and alkaline extractions, denoted as GNF and GNA, respectively. Molecular and functional properties differ between samples. Surface behavior of GNF and GNA are mainly associated with their composition and molecular mass distribution profile. The results were compared to a commercial gum (GAC). Targeting optimal complexation conditions, a straightforward and elegant approach was employed, that consists in determining the pKa of the macromolecules, which is intrinsically related to their molecular characteristics. Hence, the optimal condition is achieved when the concentration of positively and negatively charged species of gelatin and gum, respectively, are concomitantly maximized. This method proved to be simple and effective in predicting the best pH for obtaining PECs, corroborated by a thorough complexation study at different pHs. Our work demonstrates that the optimal complexation pH is the key parameter to obtain reproducible microcapsules with targeted features, regardless of the origin of the gum. Also, GNF and GNA showed to be promising substituents for GAC, thus extending the range of applications of acacia gum obtained in Brazil, strengthening the interest in this material.

The Una River and its basin constitute an important water source for public supply in the municipality of Taubaté (SP, Brazil). The present work aimed to investigate biochemical markers of environmental pollution in the Una river basin using enzymes extracted from the kidneys, gills and brains of Astyanax bimaculatus, a fish commonly found in this basin. Tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were determined in tissues of A. bimaculatus collected in water bodies localized at Fazenda Piloto of the University of Taubaté (P1), the Remédios municipal road (P2) and at a small lake near the neighborhood of Ipiranga (P3), all located in the municipality of Taubaté. The lowest activities of renal and gill SOD were found in fish collected from P2 and P3, respectively. Renal and branchial CAT, renal MDH and LDH, as well as the activity of cerebral LDH were not affected by collection site. The activities of brain MDH and AChE were higher in fish from P3 in comparison with P1. These results along with earlier published findings, indicate that the hepatic SOD and CAT, gill SOD and LDH, muscle MDH and brain MDH and AChE are sensitive to contamination in the environment and hence can be considered as good candidate biomarkers of environmental change in the Una River basin.

The activity of certain isozymes may serve as biomarkers of specific physiological conditions of living organisms. The present work aimed to evaluate malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isozymes from the hepatic, branchial and renal tissues of the fish Astyanax bimaculatus as biochemical markers of environmental changes in the Una River Basin (Taubaté, SP, Brazil). For this study, the specimens were collected in water bodies located in three sampling sites of the basin, called P1 (Itaim stream), P2 (a stream along the Remédios municipal road) and P3 (a small lake near the Dr. José Luiz Cembranelli municipal road). Physicochemical analysis of the water from these sites indicated that P1 was the less polluted site, P2 presented high levels of electrolytes in water, and P3 presented the worst water quality among the sampling sites. The isoenzymes were separated by native-PAGE and identified by their activity on the polyacrylamide gel. The results indicated that four isozymes of MDH occur in the liver of these fish, and the activities of MDH-1 and MDH-4 were detected only in fish from P2, suggesting that these isoforms have potential as biomarkers of the presence of high levels of electrolytes in water. In the kidney, MDH-1 was detected in fish from P2 and P3, but it was not detected in those from P1, suggesting that the presence of this isozyme may be a biomarker of low-quality water. The gill MDH and LDH isozyme profiles of all tissues examined showed some similarities between individuals from the three collection sites, indicating that they are not suitable as biomarkers of the environmental conditions of these sites.

The principal objective of this review is to discuss the energy metabolism, of L-arginine, antioxidant defense and the xenobiotics of Antarctic fishes as possible markers of environmental change. With the establishment of the circumpolar current and the physical isolation of the region, Antarctic fishes evolved under stable low temperatures. The elevated endemism, low diversity, and the probable stenthermability motivated a number of studies on Antarctic fishes. The presence of enzymes with physical and chemical properties adaptaded to low temperatures was evident in various studies and fortified the cold adaptation concept of these organisms. By ratifying the Antarctica Environmental Protection Treaty (Madrid protocol), the member countries committed themselves to monitoring the environment of the region. Though, it is one of the most pristine regions of the planet, increasing human activity in Antarctica has given rise to concerns about pollution from combustion oils, heavy metals and sewage. As the energy sustainability of the tissues requires that the velocity of the ATP generator systems should be in step with the energy demand, changes in the environment would lead to elevation in the energy demand of the organisms, which in turn demanded an adjustment of the ATP synthesis velocity. In these cases the enzymatic upregulation and downregulation have been used as biomarkers of the energy metabolism. Traditionally, the antioxidant defense enzymes and the xenobiotic metabolism of fishes have been used as biomarkers to access the natural or anthropic environmental change. However, these studies must be correlated the levels of enzymes with the principal risk factors in the environmental pollution. L-arginine metabolism enzymes have been used as biomarkers of the physiological response in mammals, but there are few studies on Antarctic fishes. The central role of the amino acid L-arginine in the synthesis of nitric oxide, polyamines and as a signal in various physiological processes has drawn the attention of scientists. The tissue distribution and the isoforms distribution, along with its control via upregulation and downregulation of the arginase enzymes, nitric oxide synthase and ornithina decarboxylase in Antarctic fishes are potential biomarkers for environmental change.

Arginases are metalloenzymes broadly distributed in nature. These enzymes catalyze the L-arginine hydrolyses to L-ornithine and urea. The aim of the present work is to determine the tissue levels of arginase, its kinetic properties and subcellular localization. In December 2009, specimens were collected in Admiralty Bay, King George Island near the Brazilian Research Station. The argininolytic specific activity of foot muscle, gills and pool of other tissues was 87.0 ± 15.1; 9.8 ± 1.8 and 3.8 ± 1.0 mU/mg protein, respectively. Mainly localized in the cytosol, gills and muscular arginase Km values for L-arginine were 57.0 ± 10.5 and 66.2 ± 14.6 mM, respectively. High arginase levels in gills could be related to the systemic control of L-arginine concentrations, which is vital for energetic metabolism of phospho-L-arginine and of polyamines in the control of cell proliferation though the probable physiologic metal cation is Mn 2+ , some arginases are activated by Co 2+ and Ni 2+ . The muscle Nacella concinna arginases were activated by Mn 2+ and Co 2+ and inhibited by Cd 2+ whereas; gills arginase was activated only by Mn 2+ and inhibited by Cd 2+ and Zn 2+ .

Marine environments near the scientific stations and local anchoring of ships are considered potential pollution sites in Antarctica. Human waste, the burning of fuel oil and its possible leakage from ships during transport to the stations are major sources of pollution. The metabolic responses and histopathology of fish and benthic invertebrates of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, are a part of environmental monitoring research proposed in Module 3 INCT-APA for the region. The Antarctic fish Notothenia rossii and Notothenia coriiceps and invertebrates Nacella concinna were selected as target organisms for studies of biomarker responses during the XXVIII Brazilian expedition to Antarctica. The aim of these studies is to establish a baseline for biochemical and histopathological biomarkers and to understand, through bioassays, the effect of pollutants on biological responses of Antarctic organisms. Bioassays with pollutants (fuel oil, sewage and heavy metals) aim to distinguish the biological responses caused by seasonal variations in natural environmental conditions from those imposed by the presence of pollutants in Admiralty Bay ASMA. In aquatic environments, the absorption of toxic substances, mainly by phytoplankton and zooplankton, results in the high concentration of these substances in organisms belonging to higher trophic levels in the food chain. These substances then eventually reach a large number of organisms, including fish and invertebrates. Through the use of different biomarkers it is possible to detect the presence of pollutants in water and sediment, in the organisms that inhabit these environments. Fish and invertebrates are good bioindicators of environmental quality in aquatic ecosystems, since they occupy different positions in the food chain and have varying spatial distribution. These features allow for a direct and indirect evaluation of the health of several components of the aquatic environment. Using histopathological, cellular, biochemical and molecular analysis, the health of fishes and invertebrates, collected directly from nature or through the bioassays, can be evaluated. The histology can be used as a tool for identifying biomarkers of fish fauna and invertebrates. The lesions detected in cells, tissues or organs exposed to pollutants represent an integration of the cumulative effects of these substances at the biochemical and physiological levels (Meyer et al., 2002). Biomarkers are not normally associated with severe adverse effects caused by toxic stress agents. The early biomarker response is much more important as a marker of future adverse biological effects than as an indicator of serious environmental problems. The effects caused by toxic stress agents are often compensated or repaired at the molecular level, without compromising the higher 3

The Antarctic marine environment has unique characteristics such as isolation, low and even temperatures, as well as high levels of fluoride in the trophic web. The objective of the present study is to verify the effect of temperature, salinity and dietary fluoride in the diet on the levels of plasma constituents of the fish Notothenia rossii. The sample collection and the bioassay were conducted at Antarctic scientific station Comandante Ferraz. The fish were acclimated in an aquarium at temperatures of 0 and 4 °C; salinity of 35 and 20 psu, using feed with and without fluoride. The combination of these variables resulted in 8 experimental groups. The calcium serum levels were reduced in hyposaline stress and temperature elevation reduced the plasmatic levels of magnesium and chloride. The trophic fluoride isolatedly was not capable of changing the non-protein electrolytes levels.

Cândido Godói (CG) is a small municipality in South Brazil with approximately 6,000 inhabitants. It is known as the "Twins' Town" due to its high rate of twin births. Recently it was claimed that such high frequency of twinning would be connected to experiments performed by the German Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele. It is known, however, that this town was founded by a small number of families and therefore a genetic founder effect may represent an alternatively explanation for the high twinning prevalence in CG. In this study, we tested specific predictions of the "Nazi's experiment" and of the "founder effect" hypotheses. We surveyed a total of 6,262 baptism records from 1959-2008 in CG catholic churches, and identified 91 twin pairs and one triplet. Contrary to the "Nazi's experiment hypothesis", there is no spurt in twinning between the years (1964-1968) when Mengele allegedly was in CG (P = 0.482). Moreover, there is no temporal trend for a declining rate of twinning since the 1960s (P = 0.351), and no difference in twinning among CG districts considering two different periods: 1927-1958 and 1959-2008 (P = 0.638). On the other hand, the "founder effect hypothesis" is supported by an isonymy analysis that shows that women who gave birth to twins have a higher inbreeding coefficient when compared to women who never had twins (0.0148, 0.0081, respectively, P = 0.019). In summary, our results show no evidence for the "Nazi's experiment hypothesis" and strongly suggest that the "founder effect hypothesis" is a much more likely alternative for explaining the high prevalence of twinning in CG. If this hypothesis is correct, then this community represents a valuable population where genetic factors linked to twinning may be identified.