scholarly journals Exposure of Macrophages to Low-Dose Gadolinium-Based Contrast Medium: Impact on Oxidative Stress and Cytokines Production

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Te-I Weng ◽  
Huang Jen Chen ◽  
Chen-Wen Lu ◽  
Yu-Chin Ho ◽  
Jia-Lun Wu ◽  
...  

The toxicity of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) has drawn a lot of attention. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), a lethal disease related to the use of GBCAs, is still not understood. Recently, gadolinium retention is found in brain tissues after repeated use of GBCAs in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, most of the works investigating the toxicity of GBCAs are focusing on its high-concentration (0.5–10 mM) part, which is not reflective of the physiological conditions in human beings. Macrophages play a regulatory role in immune responses and are responsible for the fibrosis process. Their role in gadolinium retention and the pathogenesis of NSF, however, has seldom been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the immune response generated by macrophages (RAW 264.7) exposing to low levels of GBCAs. The incubation concentration of GBCAs, including Omniscan®, Primovist®, Magnevist®, and Gadovist®, is proportional to the level of gadolinium uptake when detected via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and imaged by MRI, whereas Primovist® treatment groups have highest gadolinium uptake among all of the tested concentrations. Low-concentration (2.5 μmol/L) Gd chloride or GBCAs exposure promoted the reactive production of oxygen species (ROS), nitrate/nitrite, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and suppressed the potential of mitochondrial membrane. There was higher ROS, nitrate/nitrite, and PGE2 production in the Primovist®, Omniscan®, and Magnevist® groups compared to the Gadovist® group. In face of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, Primovist®, Omniscan®, and Magnevist® groups exhibited elevated nitrite/nitrate and suppressed IL-1β secretion and IL-6 and IL-10 secretion. Moreover, upon LPS stimulation, there is decreased TNF-α secretion 4 hours after Primovist® or Omiscan® exposure but the TNF-α secretion increased at 24 hours. Our data suggest that there is upregulated inflammation even in the presence of low levels of GBCAs, even similar to the physiological condition in murine macrophage. Further investigation of GBCAs on the human macrophage or in vivo animal study may clarify the role of macrophage on the pathogenesis of NSF and other GBCAs-related disease.

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 964
Author(s):  
Jana Möckel ◽  
Julia Brangsch ◽  
Carolin Reimann ◽  
Jan O. Kaufmann ◽  
Ingolf Sack ◽  
...  

Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory vascular disease characterized by endothelial dysfunction and plaque burden. Extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated plasma proteins play an important role in disease development. Our magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study investigates the feasibility of using two different molecular MRI probes for the simultaneous assessment of ECM-associated intraplaque albumin deposits caused by endothelial damage and progressive inflammation in atherosclerosis. Male apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-)-mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 2 or 4 months. Another ApoE-/--group was treated with pravastatin and received a HFD for 4 months. T1- and T2*-weighted MRI was performed before and after albumin-specific MRI probe (gadofosveset) administration and a macrophage-specific contrast agent (ferumoxytol). Thereafter, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and histology were performed. With advancing atherosclerosis, albumin-based MRI signal enhancement and ferumoxytol-induced signal loss areas in T2*-weighted MRI increased. Significant correlations between contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) post-gadofosveset and albumin stain (R2 = 0.78, p < 0.05), and signal loss areas in T2*-weighted MRI with Perls’ Prussian blue stain (R2 = 0.83, p < 0.05) were observed. No interference of ferumoxytol with gadofosveset enhancement was detectable. Pravastatin led to decreased inflammation and intraplaque albumin. Multi-target MRI combining ferumoxytol and gadofosveset is a promising method to improve diagnosis and treatment monitoring in atherosclerosis.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elba Graciela Aguilar ◽  
Miguel Angel Cantarelli ◽  
Eduardo Jorge Marchevsky ◽  
Nora Lilian Escudero ◽  
José Manuel Camiña

The concentration of As, Cr, and Pb toxic elements was determined in three species of amaranth seeds:A. hypochondriacus,A. cruentus, andA. dubius. The determinations were carried out by inductively coupled plasma optical atomic spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The result shows that Cr and As were found in minor concentrations than allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO; 120 and 4 mg kg−1resp.); As (mg kg−1):A. dubius(0.76)A. cruentus(<0.50) andA. hypochondriacus(<0.50); Cr (mg kg−1):A. dubius(8.19)A. cruentus(1.15) andA. hypochondriacus(1.20). However, the concentration of Pb was high:A. dubius(19.04)A. cruentus(30.20) andA. hypochondriacus(35.56) more than the maximum of WHO (10 mg kg−1). To avoid systematic error, recovery and validation studies were performed: recovery test: 102.3%; validation (by standard addition): 96.0–103.1%. Due to the fact that amaranth had been proposed as new food due to its nutraceutical properties, the high concentration of Pb found in this study indicates that Pb should be evaluated in these amaranth species to avoid the intake of toxic element by human beings.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danila Barskiy ◽  
Lucia Ke ◽  
Xingyang Li ◽  
Vincent Stevenson ◽  
Nevin Widarman ◽  
...  

<p>Hyperpolarization techniques based on the use of parahydrogen provide orders of magnitude signal enhancement for magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging. The main drawback limiting widespread applicability of parahydrogen-based techniques in biomedicine is the presence of organometallic compounds (the polarization transfer catalysts) in solution with hyperpolarized contrast agents. These catalysts are typically complexes of platinum-group metals and their administration in vivo should be avoided.</p> <p><br></p><p>Herein, we show how extraction of a hyperpolarized compound from an organic phase to an aqueous phase combined with a rapid (less than 10 seconds) Ir-based catalyst capture by metal scavenging agents can produce pure parahydrogen-based hyperpolarized contrast agents as demonstrated by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The presented methodology enables fast and efficient means of producing pure hyperpolarized aqueous solutions for biomedical and other uses.</p>


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danila Barskiy ◽  
Lucia Ke ◽  
Xingyang Li ◽  
Vincent Stevenson ◽  
Nevin Widarman ◽  
...  

<p>Hyperpolarization techniques based on the use of parahydrogen provide orders of magnitude signal enhancement for magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging. The main drawback limiting widespread applicability of parahydrogen-based techniques in biomedicine is the presence of organometallic compounds (the polarization transfer catalysts) in solution with hyperpolarized contrast agents. These catalysts are typically complexes of platinum-group metals and their administration in vivo should be avoided.</p> <p><br></p><p>Herein, we show how extraction of a hyperpolarized compound from an organic phase to an aqueous phase combined with a rapid (less than 10 seconds) Ir-based catalyst capture by metal scavenging agents can produce pure parahydrogen-based hyperpolarized contrast agents as demonstrated by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The presented methodology enables fast and efficient means of producing pure hyperpolarized aqueous solutions for biomedical and other uses.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shene Yi-Shiuan Chiou ◽  
Kai Kysenius ◽  
Yifan Huang ◽  
Mark David Habgood ◽  
Liam M. Koehn ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Little is known about the extent of drug entry into developing brain, when administered to pregnant and lactating women. Lithium is commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder. Here we studied transfer of lithium given to dams, into blood, brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in embryonic and postnatal animals as well as adults. Methods Lithium chloride in a clinically relevant dose (3.2 mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally into pregnant (E15–18) and lactating dams (birth-P16/17) or directly into postnatal pups (P0–P16/17). Acute treatment involved a single injection; long-term treatment involved twice daily injections for the duration of the experiment. Following terminal anaesthesia blood plasma, CSF and brains were collected. Lithium levels and brain distribution were measured using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry and total lithium levels were confirmed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Results Lithium was detected in blood, CSF and brain of all fetal and postnatal pups following lithium treatment of dams. Its concentration in pups’ blood was consistently below that in maternal blood (30–35%) indicating significant protection by the placenta and breast tissue. However, much of the lithium that reached the fetus entered its brain. Levels of lithium in plasma fluctuated in different treatment groups but its concentration in CSF was stable at all ages, in agreement with known stable levels of endogenous ions in CSF. There was no significant increase of lithium transfer into CSF following application of Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitor (digoxin) in vivo, indicating that lithium transfer across choroid plexus epithelium is not likely to be via the Na+/K+ ATPase mechanism, at least early in development. Comparison with passive permeability markers suggested that in acute experiments lithium permeability was less than expected for diffusion but similar in long-term experiments at P2. Conclusions Information obtained on the distribution of lithium in developing brain provides a basis for studying possible deleterious effects on brain development and behaviour in offspring of mothers undergoing lithium therapy.


Crystals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 647
Author(s):  
Mengqi Qian ◽  
Yuwei Zuo ◽  
Zhihao Chen ◽  
Xiaoshuang Yin ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
...  

The effect of NaCl at extremely high concentrations from 3.5 to 14 wt. % on the crystallization of CaCO3 was investigated in depth. The static test experiment verified that the Ca2+ retention efficiency (η) of NaCl on CaCO3 scale increased from 31.06% (3.5 wt. %) to 41.56% (14 wt. %). Based on the calculation of supersaturation rations, the high concentration of NaCl could reduce the activity coefficients of [Ca2+] and [CO32−], thus reducing the actual concentration of CaCO3. The CaCO3 deposition rate constants (k) showed that NaCl slowed down the rate of CaCO3 crystallization. The X–ray diffraction (XRD) testing disclosed that the growth of (1 0 4) and (1 1 0) faces from calcite was impeded, while the formation of (1 1 1) face from aragonite was induced by the increasing concentration of NaCl. The inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES) results indicated that Na+ could be doped into CaCO3, leading to the one–dimensional crystal growth. It was further proved that NaCl heightens the efficiency of the typical phosphate inhibitors (2–phosphonobutane–1,2,4–tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) and 1–hydroxyethane–1,1–diphosphonic acid (HEDP)) on prohibiting the scale of CaCO3.


2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 139-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Liu ◽  
X. Wang ◽  
Z. Chen ◽  
H. Xu ◽  
Y. Wang

Mercury (Hg) is one of the major pollutants in soils because of the annual import of toxic Hg into the agricultural lands. The aims of the present studies are to investigate the effect of Hg on chlorophyll content in winter wheat var. jinan No. 17. Moreover, calcium (Ca) levels and bioaccumulation of Hg in wheat leaves were studied with the technique of inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometer (ICP-SF-MS). The study conducted a range of Hg concentrations from 0~500 mg Hg/kg in the dry weight soil. The soil was artificially contaminated with Hg as follows: 0, 100, 200, and 500 mg Hg/kg as HgCl<SUB>2</SUB>. At early stages of the wheat growth, both low and high concentration of Hg stimulates chlorophyll content, but inhibits chlorophyll content at later stages of the wheat growth. Furthermore, the concentrations of Ca and Hg in wheat leaves increased with the increasing concentration of Hg<SUP> </SUP>on the thirty-fourth day with the technique of ICP-SF-MS. The results indicate that Hg can accelerate the absorption of Ca in winter wheat and Hg stress may affect Ca levels in wheat leaves.


2013 ◽  
Vol 740 ◽  
pp. 665-669
Author(s):  
Yong Cheng ◽  
Hui Xian Peng ◽  
Jin Hong Yuan

The potassium metavanadate samples were digested by hydrochloric acid and diluted with water to a constant volume, then the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to directly determine the content of 10 to 45% matrix vanadium. The matrix effects, spectral interference, background noise and other interference factors in the high concentration of potassium ions coexistence system were all examined in the paper. The results showed that although the coexisting alkali metal potassium significantly increased the ICP flame, the 1g/L potassium standard solution did not produce peaks in the scanning window of analysis line which substantially coincide with the reagent blank signal line, i.e., the 28% (or 0.28g/L) potassium contained in the potassium metavanadate did not interfere with the determination. Therefore, only the standard solution of vanadium was used to draw a calibration curve without the need of potassium matrix matching. In order to obtain a wide linear range and improve the detection precision and the accuracy of the matrix element vanadium, the sample dilution ratio and ICP spectrometer detection parameters were optimized, and the suitable sensitivity spectral lines and their detection integral and background correction regional were selected, the detection signal intensity of the high concentration vanadium is effectively regulated moderate, the detection range is covered from 10 to 45%, which fully meet the need for determination of vanadium in the potassium metavanadate (qualified products containing 37% vanadium). The results also showed that the background equivalent concentration is less than 5 μg/L, the relative standard deviation (RSD) is less than 1.0%, the detection results consistent with the redox titration method. The method is simple and fast, accurate and reliable, the precision is high. The inspection cycle is 10 to 15 minutes, which is greatly shorter than the chemical titration that takes 2 to 3 hours, so that the method meet the requirements of fast-paced production site of the potassium metavanadate product quality inspection and control.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Rodríguez ◽  
José R. Peralta-Videa ◽  
Blanca Sánchez-Salcido ◽  
Jason G. Parsons ◽  
Jaime Romero ◽  
...  

Environmental context. The conventional methods used for the extraction of gold from mine tailings and runoff are costly and often require harsh chemical treatment. Using plants to extract gold is more environmentally friendly and economically feasible. Plants are especially appealing because they can uptake low levels of gold and accumulate them in their tissues, whereas conventional methods are less effective at extracting gold at low levels. Thiourea has been proposed as an alternative gold chelator that could help in gold phytomining. It is less toxic than cyanide, which is the chemical commonly used to dissolve gold from mine ores. Abstract. Phytomining, the use of plants to recover noble metals, is developing as a feasible option to extract gold from mine tailings. In this study, thiourea (TU) was used to increase gold availability and to enhance gold accumulation by the desert plant Chilopsis linearis. Seedlings of C. linearis were grown in a hydroponic solution containing 25 μM Au and TU at 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μM. After two weeks of growth, the concentration of Au, micro- and macronutrients was determined using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy. In addition, X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the oxidation state and the coordination of the Au atom within the plant tissues. The effect of TU on plant growth was determined as well. The results of the present study demonstrated that TU at 25 μM was able to increase the Au uptake by C. linearis plants grown in hydroponics without any toxic effect. However, the translocation to stem and leaves was better at 100 and 200 μM of TU, respectively. The addition of TU to hydroponic solutions did not affect the uptake of Ca, Mg, P, and K. However, TU induced an increase in uptake of S, Fe, Cu, and Zn and a decrease in Mn uptake. When Au was chelated with TU, the plant transformed 64% of the Au–TU complex to Au(0) and the other 36% remained in the ionic form.


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