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Multi-element determination in human samples is very challenging. Especially in human intervention studies sample volumes are often limited to a few microliters and due to the high number of samples a high-throughput is indispensable. Here, we present a state-of-the-art ICP-MS/MS-based method for the analysis of essential (trace) elements, namely Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mo, Se and I, as well as food-relevant toxic elements such as As and Cd. The developed method was validated regarding linearity of the calibration curves, method LODs and LOQs, selectivity and trueness as well as precision. The established reliable method was applied to quantify the element serum concentrations of participants of a human intervention study (LeguAN). The participants received isocaloric diets, either rich in plant protein or in animal protein. While the serum concentrations of Mg and Mo increased in participants receiving the plant protein-based diet (above all legumes), the Se concentration in serum decreased. In contrast, the animal protein-based diet, rich in meat and dairy products, resulted in an increased Se concentration in serum.
Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons are one group of fat-soluble organic arsenic compounds (arsenolipids) found in marine fish and other seafood. A risk assessment of arsenolipids is urgently needed, but has not been possible because of the total lack of toxicological data. In this study the cellular toxicity of three arsenic-containing hydrocarbons was investigated in cultured human bladder (UROtsa) and liver (HepG2) cells. Cytotoxicity of the arsenic-containing hydrocarbons was comparable to that of arsenite, which was applied as the toxic reference arsenical. A large cellular accumulation of arsenic, as measured by ICP-MS/MS, was observed after incubation of both cell lines with the arsenolipids. Moreover, the toxic mode of action shown by the three arsenic-containing hydrocarbons seemed to differ from that observed for arsenite. Evidence suggests that the high cytotoxic potential of the lipophilic arsenicals results from a decrease in the cellular energy level. This first in vitro based risk assessment cannot exclude a risk to human health related to the presence of arsenolipids in seafood, and indicates the urgent need for further toxicity studies in experimental animals to fully assess this possible risk.
Inorganic arsenicals are environmental toxins that have been connected with neuropathies and impaired cognitive functions. To investigate whether such substances accumulate in brain astrocytes and affect their viability and glutathione metabolism, we have exposed cultured primary astrocytes to arsenite or arsenate. Both arsenicals compromised the cell viability of astrocytes in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. However, the early onset of cell toxicity in arsenite-treated astrocytes revealed the higher toxic potential of arsenite compared with arsenate. The concentrations of arsenite and arsenate that caused within 24 h half-maximal release of the cytosolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase were around 0.3 mM and 10 mM, respectively. The cellular arsenic contents of astrocytes increased rapidly upon exposure to arsenite or arsenate and reached after 4 h of incubation almost constant steady state levels. These levels were about 3-times higher in astrocytes that had been exposed to a given concentration of arsenite compared with the respective arsenate condition. Analysis of the intracellular arsenic species revealed that almost exclusively arsenite was present in viable astrocytes that had been exposed to either arsenate or arsenite. The emerging toxicity of arsenite 4 h after exposure was accompanied by a loss in cellular total glutathione and by an increase in the cellular glutathione disulfide content. These data suggest that the high arsenite content of astrocytes that had been exposed to inorganic arsenicals causes an increase in the ratio of glutathione disulfide to glutathione which contributes to the toxic potential of these substances.
Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHC) constitute one group of arsenolipids that have been identified in seafood. In this first in vivo toxicity study for AsHCs, we show that AsHCs exert toxic effects in Drosophila melanogaster in a concentration range similar to that of arsenite. In contrast to arsenite, however, AsHCs cause developmental toxicity in the late developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster. This work illustrates the need for a full characterisation of the toxicity of AsHCs in experimental animals to finally assess the risk to human health related to the presence of arsenolipids in seafood.
Quantitative Bioimaging to Investigate the Uptake of Mercury Species in Drosophila melanogaster
(2015)
The uptake of mercury species in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster was investigated by elemental bioimaging using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). The mercury distribution in Drosophila melanogaster was analyzed for the three species mercury(II) chloride, methylmercury chloride, and thimerosal after intoxication. A respective analytical method was developed and applied to the analysis of the entire Drosophila melanogaster first, before a particular focus was directed to the cerebral areas of larvae and adult flies. For quantification of mercury, matrix-matched standards based on gelatin were prepared. Challenges of spatially dissolved mercury determination, namely, strong evaporation issues of the analytes and an inhomogeneous distribution of mercury in the standards due to interactions with cysteine containing proteins of the gelatin were successfully addressed by complexation with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). No mercury was detected in the cerebral region for mercury(II) chloride, whereas both organic species showed the ability to cross the blood brain barrier. Quantitatively, the mercury level in the brain exceeded the fed concentration indicating mercury enrichment, which was approximately 3 times higher for methylmercury chloride than for thimerosal.
Scope: Arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs) and arsenic-containing fatty acids (AsFAs) represent two classes of arsenolipids occurring naturally in marine food. Toxicological data are yet scarce and an assessment regarding the risk to human health has not been possible. Here, we investigated the transfer and presystemic metabolism of five arsenolipids in an intestinal barrier model.
Methods and results: Three AsHCs and two AsFAs were applied to the Caco-2 intestinal barrier model. Thereby, the short-chain AsHCs reached up to 50% permeability. Transport is likely to occur via passive diffusion. The AsFAs showed lower intestinal bioavailability, but respective permeabilities were still two to five times higher as compared to arsenobetaine or arsenosugars. Interestingly, AsFAs were effectively biotransformed while passing the in vitro intestinal barrier, whereas AsHCs were transported to the blood-facing compartment essentially unchanged.
Conclusion: AsFAs can be presystemically metabolised and the amount of transferred arsenic is lower than that for AsHCs. In contrast, AsHCs are likely to be highly intestinally bioavailable to humans. Since AsHCs exert strong toxicity in vitro and in vivo, toxicity studies with experimental animals as well as a human exposure assessment are needed to assess the risk to human health related to the presence of AsHCs in seafood.
The essential trace element zinc is indispensable for proper immune function as zinc deficiency accompanies immune defects and dysregulations like allergies, autoimmunity and an increased presence of transplant rejection. This point to the importance of the physiological and dietary control of zinc levels for a functioning immune system. This study investigates the capacity of zinc to induce immune tolerance. The beneficial impact of physiological zinc supplementation of 6 mu g/day (0.3 mg/kg body weight) or 30 mu g/day (1.5 mg/kg body weight) on murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis with a Th1/Th17 (Th, T helper) cell-dominated immunopathogenesis, was analyzed. Zinc administration diminished EAE scores in C57BL/6 mice in vivo (P<.05), reduced Th17 ROR gamma T+ cells (P<.05) and significantly increased inducible iTreg cells (P<.05). While Th17 cells decreased systemically, iTreg cells accumulated in the central nervous system. Cumulatively, zinc supplementation seems to be capable to induce tolerance in unwanted immune reactions by increasing iTreg cells. This makes zinc a promising future tool for treating autoimmune diseases without suppressing the immune system. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Arsenosugars are water-soluble arsenic species predominant in marine algae and other seafood including mussels and oysters. They typically occur at levels ranging from 2 to 50 mg arsenic/kg dry weight. Most of the arsenosugars contain arsenic as a dimethylarsinoyl group (Me2As(O)-), commonly referred to as the oxo forms, but thio analogues have also been identified in marine organisms and as metabolic products of oxo-arsenosugars. So far, no data regarding toxicity and toxicokinetics of thio-arsenosugars are available. This in vitro-based study indicates that thio-dimethylarsenosugar-glycerol exerts neither pronounced cytotoxicity nor genotoxicity even though this arsenical was bioavailable to human hepatic (HepG2) and urothelial (UROtsa) cells. Experiments with the Caco-2 intestinal barrier model mimicking human absorption indicate for the thio-arsenosugar-glycerol higher intestinal bioavailability as compared to the oxo-arsenosugars. Nevertheless, absorption estimates were much lower in comparison to other arsenicals including arsenite and arsenic-containing hydrocarbons. Arsenic speciation in cell lysates revealed that HepG2 cells are able to metabolise the thio-arsenosugar-glycerol to some extent to dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). These first in vitro data cannot fully exclude risks to human health related to the presence of thio-arsenosugars in food. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Thio-dimethylarsinic acid (thio-DMA(V)) is a human urinary metabolite of the class 1 human carcinogen inorganic arsenic as well as of arsenosugars. Thio-DMA(V) exerts strong cellular toxicity, whereas its toxic modes of action are not fully understood. For the first time, this study characterises the impact of a long-term (21 days) in vitro incubation of thio-DMA(V) on the expression of selected genes related to cell death, stress response, epigenetics and DNA repair. The observed upregulation of DNMT1 might be a cellular compensation to counterregulate the in a very recent study observed massive global DNA hypomethylation after chronic thio-DMAv incubation. Moreover, our data suggest that chronic exposure towards subcytotoxic, pico- to nanomolar concentrations of thio-DMA(V) causes a stress response in human urothelial cells. The upregulation of genes encoding for proteins of DNA repair (Apex1,Lig1, XRCC1,DDB2, XPG, ATR) as well as damage response (GADD45A, GADD45G, Trp53) indicate a potential genotoxic risk emanating from thio-DMA(V) after long-term incubation. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.