CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials

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Publications

Dried blood spots in clinical lipidomics: optimization and recent findings

Publication . Ferreira, Helena Beatriz; Guerra, Inês M.S.; Melo, Tânia; Rocha, Hugo; Moreira, Ana S.P.; Paiva, Artur; Domingues, M. Rosário

Dried blood spots (DBS) are being considered as an alternative sampling method of blood collection that can be used in combination with lipidomic and other omic analysis. DBS are successfully used in the clinical context to collect samples for newborn screening for the measurement of specific fatty acid derivatives, such as acylcarnitines, and lipids from whole blood for diagnostic purposes. However, DBS are scarcely used for lipidomic analysis and investigations. Lipidomic studies using DBS are starting to emerge as a powerful method for sampling and storage in clinical lipidomic analysis, but the major research work is being done in the pre- and analytical steps and procedures, and few in clinical applications. This review presents a description of the impact factors and variables that can affect DBS lipidomic analysis, such as the type of DBS card, haematocrit, homogeneity of the blood drop, matrix/chromatographic effects, and the chemical and physical properties of the analyte. Additionally, a brief overview of lipidomic studies using DBS to unveil their application in clinical scenarios is also presented, considering the studies of method development and validation and, to a less extent, for clinical diagnosis using clinical lipidomics. DBS combined with lipidomic approaches proved to be as effective as whole blood samples, achieving high levels of sensitivity and specificity during MS and MS/MS analysis, which could be a useful tool for biomarker identification. Lipidomic profiling using MS/MS platforms enables significant insights into physiological changes, which could be useful in precision medicine.

2022-10Journal article

Restricted access

In Vitro Hepatotoxic and Neurotoxic Effects of Titanium and Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticles, Arsenic and Mercury Co-Exposure

Publication . Rosário, Fernanda; Costa, Carla; Lopes, Cláudia B.; Estrada, Ana C.; Tavares, Daniela S.; Pereira, Eduarda; Teixeira, João Paulo; Reis, Ana Teresa

Considering the increasing emergence of new contaminants, such as nanomaterials, mixing with legacy contaminants, including metal(loid)s, it becomes imperative to understand the toxic profile resulting from these interactions. This work aimed at assessing and comparing the individual and combined hepatotoxic and neurotoxic potential of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs 0.75-75 mg/L), cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs 0.075-10 μg/L), arsenic (As 0.01-2.5 mg/L), and mercury (Hg 0.5-100 mg/L) on human hepatoma (HepG2) and neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. Viability was assessed through WST-1 (24 h) and clonogenic (7 days) assays and it was affected in a dose-, time- and cell-dependent manner. Higher concentrations caused greater toxicity, while prolonged exposure caused inhibition of cell proliferation, even at low concentrations, for both cell lines. Cell cycle progression, explored by flow cytometry 24 h post-exposure, revealed that TiO2NPs, As and Hg but not CeO2NPs, changed the profiles of SH-SY5Y and HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and that the cell cycle was, overall, more affected by exposure to mixtures. Exposure to binary mixtures revealed either potentiation or antagonistic effects depending on the composition, cell type and time of exposure. These findings prove that joint toxicity of contaminants cannot be disregarded and must be further explored.

2022-03-01Journal article

Open access

Integrated Use of Bioaccumulation, Genotoxic, and Haematological Endpoints to Assess the Effect of Water Remediation Strategies on Fish Health: A Complementary Study

Publication . Mieiro, Cláudia; Coelho, João; Reis, Ana Teresa; Castro, Diana; Figueira, Paula; Martinho, Filipe; Pardal, Miguel; Pereira, Eduarda; Pacheco, Mário; Lopes, Cláudia

Biosorption successfully remediates saline water contaminated with legacy contaminants, but its effects on the health of marine organisms remain unclear. Therefore, our aim was to address this knowledge gap with data on the accumulation ability, as well as the cytogenetic and biochemical effects in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). To this end, we exposed turbot for seven days to a mixture of remediated metals (Rem treatments: Cd, Hg, and Pb), with and without the presence of nanoparticles (NP), and compared them with the maximum allowable concentrations (MAC treatment) for effluent discharges. We determined the metal accumulation in the blood and kidney and evaluated haematological changes (red blood cell count, haemoglobin, and mean cell haemoglobin (MCH)) and genotoxicity (erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities assay) in the blood. The results showed that remediation with non-living macroalgae significantly reduced the metallic blood and kidney burdens in the Rem treatments. Furthermore, no genotoxic potential occurred in the Rem and MAC treatments in parallel with the reduction in MCH levels in the Rem treatments, which would reflect hematopoietic disturbances in the MAC. Our results validate biosorption remediation as we achieved a considerable reduction in metal loads while maintaining the health status of fish, highlighting the importance of testing water remediation methods in the biota.

2023-04-17Journal article

Open access