UNASSIGNED: The widespread use of radiofrequency (RF) sources, ranging from household appliances to telecommunications devices and military equipment, raises concerns among people and regulatory agencies about the potential health risks of RF exposure. Consequently, several in vitro and in vivo studies have been done to investigate the biological effects, in particular non-thermal, of this non-ionizing radiation. To date, this issue is still being debated due to the controversial results that have been reported. Furthermore, the impact of different RF signal modulations on biological systems remains poorly investigated. The present in vitro study aims to evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of continuous or pulsed 1.6 GHz RF in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF).
UNASSIGNED: HDF cultures were exposed to continuous and pulsed 1.6 GHz RF, for 2 h, with Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 0.4 W/kg. The potential biological effects of 1.6 GHz RF on HDF were assessed with a multi-methodological approach, analyzing the effects on cell cycle, ultrastructure, protein expression, mitotic spindle, CREST stained micronuclei, chromosome segregation and γ-H2AX/53BP1 foci.
UNASSIGNED: 1.6 GHz RF exposure modified proteins expression and morphology of HDF. Specifically, the expression of different heat-shock proteins (HSP) (i.e., HSP-90, HSP-60, and HSP-25) and phospho-AKT were affected. In addition, both continuous and pulsed RF modified the cytoskeletal organization in HDF and increased the number of lysosomes, while the formation of autophagosomes was observed only after pulsed RF exposure. Mitotic spindle anomalies were also found after exposure. However, no significant effect was observed on cell cycle, chromosome segregation, CREST-stained micronuclei and γ-H2AX/53BP1 foci.
UNASSIGNED: The results of the present study show the absence of genotoxic damage in 1.6 GHz RF exposed HDF and, although mitotic spindle alterations were observed, they did not have an aneugenic effect. On the other hand, changes in some proteins expression and cell ultrastructure in exposed HDF suggest that RF can potentially induce cell alterations at the morphological and molecular levels.

BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are often advertised as a safer alternative to traditional smoking. However, recent data suggest they may not be as safe as previously believed. This study aims to evaluate the genotoxicity and mutagenicity of e-cigarette liquids.
METHODS: We randomly selected eight varieties of e-cigarette liquids from the local market in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We evaluated their genotoxicity using the Genotoxicity SOS-Chromo Test™ Kit. In this investigation, a rat liver S9 fraction was utilized to emulate liver metabolic function to measure any chemical substance\'s mutagenic potential. The SOS-Chromo Test was performed by recording the β-galactosidase and alkaline phosphatase activity with and without the metabolic activation enzyme (S-9).
RESULTS: All samples, except for the first two dilutions of sample 2, were nongenotoxic in the absence of the S9 activation enzyme, according to the genotoxicity analysis. However, when tested in the presence of the S9 enzyme, samples 2, 4, and 7 exhibited mutagenic activity at varying concentrations.
CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to common belief, e-cigarettes are not safe. The present investigation confirms the presence of both toxicants and carcinogens in some e-cigarette liquids. This exposure could increase users\' risk of various health complications.

UNASSIGNED: Bisphenols are widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and resin coatings. Bisphenol A (BPA) is suggested to cause a wide range of unwanted effects and \"low dose toxicity\". With the search for alternative substances to BPA, the use of other bisphenol derivatives namely bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS) has increased.
UNASSIGNED: In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the in silico predicted inhibitory concentration 50s (pIC50s) of bisphenol derivatives on immune and apoptotic markers and DNA damage on HepG2 cells. Moreover, apoptotic, genotoxic and immunotoxic effects of BPA, BPF and BPS were determined comparatively. Effects of bisphenols on apoptosis were evaluated by detecting different caspase activities. The genotoxic effects of bisphenols were evaluated by measuring the levels of 8-hydroxy-2\'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1). To determine the immunotoxic effect of bisphenol derivatives, the levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which are known to be expressed by HepG2 cells, were measured. Results: In silico data indicate that all of the bisphenols may cause alterations in immune and apoptotic markers as well as DNA damage at low doses. İn vitro data revealed that all bisphenol derivatives could affect immune markers at inhibitory concentration 30s (IC30s). In addition, BPF and BPS may also have apoptotic immunotoxic effects.
UNASSIGNED: Both in silico and in vivo research are needed further to examine the toxic effects of alternative bisphenol derivatives.

UNASSIGNED: Synthetic food dyes are being exponentially used in food products and scarce studies regarding their toxicities and safety raise concern. Erythrosine is one of the synthetic food dyes being used in jams, fig, pineapple marmalades, dairy products, soft drinks, pickles, relishes, smoked fish, cheese, ketchup, maraschino cherries and a variety of other foods.
UNASSIGNED: In this study the cyto-genotoxic effect of erythrosine was evaluated, using root meristematic cells of Allium cepa for the cellular and molecular alternations at concentrations 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/mL.
UNASSIGNED: The results revealed a significant decrease of 57.81% in the mitotic index after 96 h at the 0.1 mg/mL concentration. In biochemical analysis, the malondialdehyde content increased significantly (5.47-fold), while proline content, catalase activity and superoxide dismutase activity decreased gradually in a concentration-dependent manner showing a maximum decrease of 78.11%, 64.68% and 61.73% respectively at the highest concentration after 96 h duration. The comet assay revealed increased DNA damage with increasing concentration and attenuated total reflectance- Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis showed significant alterations in biomolecules as indicated by multivariate analysis, i.e. Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Furthermore, molecular docking demonstrated a strong binding energy (Gbest = -11.46 kcal/mol) and an inhibition constant (Ki) of 3.96 nM between erythrosine and the DNA minor groove.
UNASSIGNED: The present study\'s findings revealed the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of erythrosine on A. cepa root cells. Further, the study also proposed the usefulness of A. cepa as a model system for studying the toxicity of food additives.

The Vanilla genus is crucial for global production in food, perfume, and pharmaceutical industries. However, exploitation threatens some species, leading to extinction. Traditional communities use vanilla for medicinal purposes, and there are species like Vanilla chamissonis Klotzsch and Vanilla bahiana Hoehne with potential to occupy the market. For this, methanolic extraction of these two mentioned species was conducted alongside Vanilla planifolia. Analyzes of the cell viability, mutagenic and genotoxic potential were performed. In the Ames test, the assays were performed with concentrations from 0.5 and 5000 μg/ml and on five strains. Only Vanilla planifolia exhibited mutagenicity at the highest concentration in the TA98 strain. Viability tests were performed within a dose range of 0.05-5000 µg/ml and 24, 48, and 72-hour exposures. It was possible to observe a reduction in cell viability observed only at the highest concentration, for all three species and both cell types tested. Genotoxicity induction by the extracts was assessed at concentrations from 0.5 to 500 µg/ml through the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. No genotoxic damage or reduction in the Nucleus Division Index (NDI). The study found no mutagenicity, cytotoxicity, or genotoxicity in the species tested, indicating potential human use for food or pharmaceutical purposes.

The toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) depends on their physicochemical properties. The ongoing research aims to develop effective methods for modifying AgNPs using molecules that enable control over the processes induced by nanoparticles in both normal and cancerous cells. Application of amino acid-stabilized nanoparticles appears promising, exhibiting tunable electrokinetic properties. Therefore, this study focused on determining the influence of the surface charge of cysteine (CYS)-stabilized AgNPs on their toxicity towards human normal B (COLO-720L) and T (HUT-78) lymphocyte cell lines. CYS-AgNPs were synthesized via the chemical reduction. Transmission electron microcopy (TEM) imaging revealed that they exhibited a quasi-spherical shape with an average size of 18 ± 3 nm. CYS-AgNPs remained stable under mild acidic (pH 4.0) and alkaline (7.4 and 9.0) conditions, with an isoelectric point observed at pH 5.1. Following a 24 h treatment of lymphocytes with CYS-AgNPs, concentration-dependent alterations in cell morphology were observed. Positively charged CYS-AgNPs notably decreased lymphocyte viability. Furthermore, they exhibited grater genotoxicity and more pronounced disruption of biological membranes compared to negatively charged CYZ-AgNPs. Despite both types of AgNPs interacting similarly with fetal bovine serum (FBS) and showing comparable profiles of silver ion release, the biological assays consistently revealed that the positively charged CYS-AgNPs exerted stronger effects at all investigated cellular levels. Although both types of CYS-AgNPs have the same chemical structure in their stabilizing layers, the pH-induced alterations in their surface charge significantly affect their biological activity.

Microplastics (MPs) are present in ambient air in a respirable size fraction; however, their potential impact on human health via inhalation routes is not well documented. In the present study, methods for a lab-scale generation of MPs from regularly used and littered plastic articles were optimized. The toxicity of 11 different types of MPs, both commercially purchased and in-lab prepared MPs, was investigated in lung epithelial cells using cell viability, immune and inflammatory response, and genotoxicity endpoints. The underlying mechanisms were identified by microarray analysis. Although laborious, the laboratory-scale methods generated a sufficient quantity of well characterized MPs for toxicity testing. Of the 11 MPs tested, the small sized polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) MPs prepared from disposable water bottles induced the maximum toxicity. Specifically, the smaller size PETE MPs induced a robust activation of the interferon signaling pathway, implying that PETE MPs are perceived by cells by similar mechanisms as those employed to recognize pathogens. The PETE MPs of heterogenous size and shapes induced cell injury, triggering cell death, inflammatory cascade, and DNA damage, hallmark in vitro events indicative of potential in vivo tissue injury. The study establishes toxicity of specific types of plastic materials in micron and nano size.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the genetic effects of panoramic radiography on the epithelial cells of the buccal mucosa by examining the micronucleus formation in these cells.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, exfoliative cytology samples were prepared from the buccal mucosa of 36 patients immediately before and 10 days after panoramic radiography. The samples were prepared using liquid-based cytology with Papanicolaou staining. The slides were simultaneously evaluated by two expert pathologists and the ratio of the number of cells with micronuclei to the total number of cells on the slide was reported as a percentage. Data analysis was done using paired-samples T test, Pearson\'s correlation coefficient, and covariance analysis (α = 0.05).
RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 24 (66.67%) males and 12 females (33.33%) with a mean (SD) age of 27.36 (8.19) years. The frequency of cells with micronucleus before and after panoramic radiography was not statistically different (p = 0.468). Additionally, the frequency of micronucleated cells was not correlated with age (p = 0.737) and sex (p = 0.211).
CONCLUSIONS: Panoramic exposure slightly increased the frequency of cells with micronucleus in epithelial cells of the buccal mucosa. However, this increase was not statistically significant.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are currently used in four approved gene therapies for Leber congenital amaurosis (Luxturna), spinal muscular atrophy (Zolgensma), aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency (Upstaza) and Haemophilia A (Roctavian), with several more therapies being investigated in clinical trials. AAV gene therapy has long been considered extremely safe both in the context of immunotoxicity and genotoxicity, but recent tragic deaths in the clinical trials for X-linked myotubular myopathy and Duchenne\'s muscular dystrophy, together with increasing reports of potential hepatic oncogenicity in animal models have prompted re-evaluation of how much trust we can place on the safety of AAV gene therapy, especially at high doses. In this review we cover genome and capsid engineering strategies that can be used to improve safety of the next generation AAV vectors both in the context of immunogenicity and genotoxicity and discuss the gaps that need filling in our current knowledge about AAV vectors.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are toxic compounds that occur naturally in certain plants, however, there are many secondary pathways causing PA contamination of other plants, including medicinal herbs and plant-based food products, which pose a risk of human intoxication. It is proven that chronic exposure to PAs causes serious adverse health consequences resulting from their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. This review briefly presents PA occurrence, structures, chemistry, and toxicity, as well as a set of analytical methods. Recently developed sensitive electrochemical and chromatographic methods for the determination of PAs in honey, teas, herbs, and spices were summarized. The main strategies for improving the analytical efficiency of PA determination are related to the use of mass spectrometric (MS) detection; therefore, this review focuses on advances in MS-based methods. Raising awareness of the potential health risks associated with the presence of PAs in food and herbal medicines requires ongoing research in this area, including the development of sensitive methods for PA determination and rigorous legal regulations of PA intake from herbal products. The maximum levels of PAs in certain products are regulated by the European Commission; however, the precise knowledge about which products contain trace but significant amounts of these alkaloids is still insufficient.