Author
Bruno Nunes
Other affiliations: Fernando Pessoa University, University of Porto
Bio: Bruno Nunes is an academic researcher from University of Aveiro. The author has contributed to research in topics: TBARS & Daphnia magna. The author has an hindex of 28, co-authored 133 publications receiving 2880 citations. Previous affiliations of Bruno Nunes include Fernando Pessoa University & University of Porto.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
More filters
TL;DR: Suggestions to overcome problems related to toxicity assessment with the use of Artemia as test organism in bioassays, under the scope of estuarine, marine and hypersaline environments are provided.
315 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the acute toxicity of three therapeutic agents (diazepam, clofibrate, and clofibric acid) and a detergent (sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS) in three aquatic species, namely the euryhaline fish Gambusia holbrooki, the hypersaline crustacean Artemia parthenogenetica, and the marine algae Tetraselmis chuii.
126 citations
TL;DR: Practical issues related to ChE inhibition, the situation and organisms in which ChEs have been employed as biomarkers in laboratory trials, and the need to fully characterize these enzymatic forms before they are used for environmental assessment purposes are addressed.
Abstract: The need for reproducible and accurate biomarkers in Environmental Toxicology has led researchers to implement methods to evaluate the physiological effects caused by contaminants. Such methods are of particular biological importance and ecological interest if they allow the measurement of direct impairment of key endpoints in the test organisms or nontarget species. Neurotransmission impairment via cholinesterase ChE inhibition is the target of two important classes of modern pesticides, the organophosphates (OPs), and the carbamates (CBs). Because of their extensive use in modern agriculture, these two classes of compounds are widely employed. Metcalfe et al. (2002) estimated for the California Department of Food and Agriculture that the ban from current agricultural use of such compounds would cause the loss of 209,000 jobs and would result in a national economic loss of $17 billion. Therefore, it is not difficult to conclude that these chemical agents will continue to be used, despite the fact that humans and many nontarget organisms are exposed to them (spray drift from crop application, run off from agricultural fields that contaminate adjacent water bodies, residues in food, etc.) (Vermeire et al. 2001).
124 citations
TL;DR: Exposure to all the tested compounds induced alterations on the cellular redox status in Artemia parthenogenetica, and diazepam was shown to have the capability of interfering with A. parthenogenicetica neurotransmission through the inhibition of ChE.
118 citations
TL;DR: Results showed a significant increase in all oxidative stress biomarkers, evidencing the bioactivation of acetaminophen into a deleterious prooxidant, triggering the onset of deleteriously effects.
Abstract: Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is one of the most used pharmaceutical drugs, due to its antipyretic and analgesic properties that turn it into a primary choice in varied pathologies and conditions. However, and despite its massive use, acetaminophen is not exempt of adverse effects, especially when administered in over dosage, which are related to the formation of toxic metabolites by oxidative pathways. It is thus possible to observe that toxicity caused by acetaminophen is usually mediated by reactive oxygen species and can result in multiple effects, ranging from protein denaturation to lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. The occurrence of acetaminophen has been reported in the aquatic environment, being important to address the potential exertion of toxic effects on nontarget environmentally exposed organisms. The present study intended to characterize the effects of acute acetaminophen exposure on physiological traits (antioxidant defense, oxidative damage) of two species of bivalves, namely, the edible clams Venerupis decussata and Venerupis philippinarum. Results showed a significant increase in all oxidative stress biomarkers, evidencing the bioactivation of acetaminophen into a deleterious prooxidant, triggering the onset of deleterious effects. Furthermore, strong interspecific differences were observed among responses of the two tested species, which was a major issue due to intrinsic ecological implications when one considers that both species share the same habitat.
114 citations
Cited by
More filters
Book•
01 Jan 1979
5,044 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that only very little is known about long-term effects of pharmaceuticals to aquatic organisms, in particular with respect to biological targets, and targeted ecotoxicological studies are needed focusing on subtle environmental effects.
2,844 citations
01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: The terms "antioxidant", "oxidative stress" and "oxoidative damage" are widely used but rarely defined as discussed by the authors, and a brief review attempts to define them and to examine the ways in which oxidative stress and oxidative damage can affect cell behaviour both in vivo and in cell culture, using cancer as an example.
Abstract: The terms 'antioxidant', 'oxidative stress' and 'oxidative damage' are widely used but rarely defined. This brief review attempts to define them and to examine the ways in which oxidative stress and oxidative damage can affect cell behaviour both in vivo and in cell culture, using cancer as an example.
1,309 citations
998 citations