Journal of Clinical Toxicology
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0495
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0495
+44 1478 350008
Daiana Avila, Suzi Wollenhaupt, Ana Thalita Soares, Willian Salgueiro, Daiandra Fagundez, Daniela Camara, Francieli Santos, Diego Alves and Diogo Ludtke
AcceptedAbstracts: J Clinic Toxicol
G iven the complexity of mammalian models, understanding the cellular and molecular effect of metals and organic compounds has been hampered. The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an alternative experimental model that affords easy genetic manipulations, green-fluorescent protein tagging and in vivo live-analysis of neuronal degeneration. Our research group has been validating this model for toxicological evaluations to further unravel toxic mechanisms of metals such as iron and organic compounds containing selenium and tellurium. Besides iron sulfate (Fe 2 SO 4 ), the chemicals used in the present study were: ebselen, diphenyl diselenide, diethyl-2-phenyl-2-tellurophenyl vinylphosphonate (DPTVP), and the xylofuranosides: (3aR,5S,6R,6aR)- 2,2- dimethyl-5- (p-tolylselanyl-methyl) tetrahydrofuro [2,3-d][1,3]dioxol-6-ol and its tellurium analogue. Our experimental design consisted of acute exposure (30 min) at a wide range of concentrations. Furthermore, we analyzed brood size, life span, behavior and oxidative stress, transcriptional factor translocation and neuronal degeneration in exposed worms. We observed that acute iron exposure (1 mM) caused significant effects decrease in survival, reduced brood size, reduced locomotor activity and increased oxidative stress. Also, we observed neuronal degeneration induced by this metal in vivo, which would not be possible in mammalian models. Organochalchogens, in general, demonstrated some toxicity at μM range, reducing worm?s survival, without affecting life span. More interestingly, these compounds can affect the nuclear translocation of the transcriptional factor DAF-16/Foxo, which regulates stress responsiveness and aging in worms. Our studies establish this model as a useful tool to observe, in vivo , neurons and proteins that are altered by toxicants
Daiana Avila has completed her Ph.D at the age of 24 years from Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil, and postdoctoral studies from Vanderbilt University, under the supervision of Dr. Michael Aschner. Currently, she belongs to the faculty of Universidade Federal do Pampa, teaching at the Pharmacy School and at the Biochemistry Graduation Program. She also coordinates a lab that focuses on toxicology and pharmacology in C.elegans . She has been publishing in the toxicological field since 2005 and has chosen to use C.elegans as a useful tool in toxicology since 2008.