Emilio Carpene

University of Bologna | UNIBO · Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences DIMEVET

Wild animals have been used as food since ancient times and, currently, the consumption of unconventional animals is increasing worldwide. The process of cooking meat using traditional recipes includes a variety of ingredients, which can influence the total metal intake from the diet. In this study, the concentrations of eight essential (Fe, Zn, Cu...

Bats are particularly suited as bioindicators of trace element pollution due to their longevity and their position in the trophic chain. In this study, the concentrations of ten non-essential trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb, Sr, Th, Tl) were determined in the tissues (whole body, skin-fur, skinned body, liver, kidney and bone) of lactant...

The role of trace elements in animal health has attracted increasing interest in recent years. The essentiality and toxicity of these elements have been extensively investigated in humans, laboratory animal models and partially in domestic animals, whereas little is known about trace element metabolism in most living organisms. Forty years ago our...

The European eel Anguilla anguilla has declined significantly over recent decades, exceeding its safe biological limits and probably reaching a historical minimum (1% of the 1960 recruitment level). Twenty-three migrating females at the IV stage of silvering were collected from the Comacchio lagoon (Northern Italy); they showed high levels of chole...

Abnormalities in total Mg (tMg) concentration in plasma and/or serum are common in critically ill humans, and the association with increased mortality has been documented in several clinical studies in adults and newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Abnormalities in tMg were studied in hospitalized dogs, cats, and adult horses. Newborn fo...

Background Hermann's tortoise, Testudo hermanni, is currently on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of endangered species. Reptile medicine relies also on laboratory analyses to evaluate health status, but reference ranges for hematology and biochemistry variables and protein electrophoresis in plasma of healthy tort...

Metallothioneins (MTs) are ubiquitous low molecular weight cysteine-rich proteins characterized by high affinity for d10 electron configuration metals, including essential (Zn and Cu) and non-essential (Cd and Hg) trace elements. The biological role of these ancient and well-conserved multifunctional proteins has been debated since MTs were first d...

This study compared the toxicity and accumulation of two different Cu compounds, CuO nanoparticles (NPs) and soluble CuSO4, in erythrocytes and different tissues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The crystal structure of CuO NP analysed by XRD indicates that the NP are Tenorite, a monoclinic CuO. The in vitro toxicity results indicate that bo...

Lead concentrations in blood of 45 specimens of mute swan from the molting area of the Isonzo River Mouth Nature Reserve (Italy) were determined in two consecutive years (2006-2007), some birds were neck ringed to identify their homing behavior. The second sampling included whole body X-ray radiography and Cu and Zn plasma analyses to investigate t...

Cu is a transition metal essential for every organism, but an excess can lead to toxicity caused by oxidative stress, which can disturb the natural antioxidant defence systems. Since catalase (CAT) is a major enzyme involved in the decomposition of oxygen peroxide, the main goal of this study was to evaluate changes in the concentration and activit...

Aquatic organisms may suffer from exposure to high Cu concentrations, since this metal is widely used in feed supplementation, in pesticide formulation and as antifouling. Chronic exposure to Cu, even at sub-lethal doses, may strongly affect fish physiology. To date, several biomarkers have been used to detect Cu exposure in fish producing contrast...

Cadmium (Cd), a nonessential trace element, is rapidly accumulated by most living organisms and subsequently exerts its toxicity at different molecular levels. This study exposed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) to waterborne 0.1 mg/l Cd for 11 days and investigated the Cd accumulation pattern, lipid oxidation, and response of antioxidant defence...

The aims of this work were: (1) identification of the metallothionein (MT) gene coding sequence in order to prepare an MT probe in Scapharca inaequivalvis and (2) quantification of Cd, Zn, Cu, MT and MTmRNA expression in tissues of molluscs from three areas along the Northern Adriatic coast of Italy. By RT-PCR we cloned the MTcDNA of S. inaequivalv...

Trace metals such as Zn, Cu, and Fe are essential for life; differently, no biochemical function is known for Cd. Changes in dietary metal concentrations can cause deficiency or toxicity. Studies on trace elements in cat are lacking. This paper aimed to analyze Zn, Cu, Fe and Cd concentrations in liver and kidney of pathological domestic cat and to...

Cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal with limited biological function, is widely distributed in the aquatic environment as a result of natural and anthropogenic activities. The effect of 4 and 11 days exposure of gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata to sub-lethal concentrations of Cd was evaluated as levels of Cd content and Cd-metallothionein (MT) presence in...

The high affinity copper transporter 1 (Ctr1), metallothionein (MT) and glutathione reductase (GR) are essential for copper uptake, sequestration and defense respectively. Following rearing on a normal commercial diet (12.6+/-0.2 mg kg(-1) Cu), sea bream were fed an experimental control diet lacking mineral mix (7.7+/-0.3 mg kg(-1) Cu), an experime...

The first aim of our study was to determine the concentrations of selected trace elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cd and Pb) in tissues of green turtles from Tortuguero National Park on the North Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and of loggerheads from the Mediterranean Sea. Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and Cd were present at detectable concentrations in all samples and s...

We have focused our study on the concentrations of non essential trace metals Pb, Cd and Cr and essential heavy metals Zn and Cu, in the liver and kidney of raptor species from different areas of the Calabria region in Italy, with the aim of obtaining information concerning the quality and the contamination level of their habitat. No significant di...

Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight proteins characterized by a high cysteine content and give rise to metal-thiolate clusters. Most MTs have two metal clusters containing three and four bivalent metal ions, respectively. The MT gene family in mammals consists of four subfamilies designated MT-1 through MT-4. MT-3 is expressed predomina...

The relationship between a supposed effect of molluscan extracts on bioluminescent bacteria and metal concentrations in the extracts was investigated. For this purpose a biotoxicological assay based on bioluminescent bacteria (BLB) and extracts from metal exposed molluscs, Scapharca inaequivalvis, was optimized to monitor Cd and Cu marine pollution...

The alkaline comet assay, employing a single-cell gel-electrophoresis, is a rapid, simple and sensitive technique for visualizing and measuring DNA damage leading to strand breakage in individual cells. In this study, we report data about the effect of different organotin compounds (MBTC, DBTC and TBTC) on DNA from erythrocytes of the Scapharca ina...

We have measured the concentrations of heavy metals in soils, earthworms and tissues of woodcocks in Quaderna Valley, northern Italy. The soil concentration of metals analysed in this research is consistent with data reported by other authors for uncontaminated or slightly contaminated soils. In earthworms, metals were mostly accumulated in the enc...

Although magnesium ions play a key role in many fundamental biological processes, information about its intracellular regulation is still scarce, due to the lack of appropriate detection methods. Here, we report the spectroscopic characterization of two diaza-18-crown-6 hydroxyquinoline derivatives (DCHQ) and we propose their application for the de...

The histochemical pattern of red, pink and white muscle of fish living in fresh, brackish, and salt water is reported. The muscle fibres were stained routinely during the year for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), menadione α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (Mα—GPDH), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), myosin adenosine triphosphatase (myosin ATPase), phosphor...

Zinc and copper were detected in several tissues of fresh and saltwater fish. Liver concentrations varied widely, with respect to the storage and detoxication functions of the organ. In muscular tissues the two metals are linked to aerobic metabolism being higher in the heart and lower in the white muscle. High levels of zinc were found in the fema...

Binding of transition metal ions to the reaction center (RC) protein of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been previously shown to slow light-induced electron and proton transfer to the secondary quinone acceptor molecule, Q(B). On the basis of x-ray diffraction at 2.5 angstroms resolution a site, formed by AspH124, HisH126,...

Gold is a nonessential element with a variety of applications in medicine. A few gold(I) compounds are used in the clinics for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and of discoid lupus. Some novel gold(III) compounds are under evaluation as anticancer agents. It is known that gold compounds generally produce toxic effects on the kidneys and characteri...

Binding of transition metal ions to the reaction center (RC) protein of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been previously shown to slow light-induced electron and proton transfer to the secondary quinone acceptor molecule, Q B. On the basis of x-ray diffraction at 2.5 A ˚ resolution a site, formed by AspH124, HisH126, and His...

Metal concentrations in different tissues of Sparus aurata are linked to the functional role of the investigated organ: in the liver, Zn and Cu are highly concentrated, due to the detoxification and storage processes typical of the hepatic tissue. Comparison between control specimens of farmed and wild gilthead seabream resulted in significant diff...

This report describes the clinical and pathological findings in a case of acute zinc poisoning in a young dog. The puppy suffered four days of progressively more severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Jaundice and pale mucous membranes, severe haematemesis and haemoglobinuria were other findings. Despite intensive therapy, the dog died a few hours after ho...

Thymic atrophy or thymus absence causes depressed thyroid-thymus axis (TTA) efficiency in old, young propyl-thiouracil (PTU) (experimental hypothyroidism) and in young-adult thymectomised (Tx) mice, respectively. Altered zinc turnover may be also involved in depressed TTA efficiency. Zinc turnover is under the control of zinc-bound metallothioneins...

Metallothioneins belong to a family of shock proteins characterized by an unusual high content of cystein, absence of aromatic amino acids and high metal content (Zinc and Copper). Metallothioneins are ubiquitously present in a large variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic species as well as in all mammalian organs and tissues examined thus far. To t...

Immune defects, thyroid abnormalities, plasma zinc levels, and the presence of gastrointestinal disease were investigated in 43 children with Down's syndrome (DS). Peripheral T lymphocytes with the phenotype of helper cells or cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) were decreased. Circulating activated T cells (CD3/HLA-DR-positive cells) and large gran...

Gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata from consecutive year classes (0+ and 1+) and from the same parent stock were fed four diets, three of which were fortified with copper, iron and zinc. Concentrations of these elements were little affected by the diet. Hepatic, renal and splenic tissues sections were examined to detect the influence of the diet on t...

The comparative toxicity of a variety of oxidative stressors was studied in the epithelioma papulosum cyprini line from carp using the neutral red cytotoxicity assay. LC50's decreased in the order t-butylhydroperoxide > hydrogen peroxide > diquat > paraquat. The cytotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide was significantly reduced when the cells were grown i...

The inductive response of metallothionein (MT) synthesis to heavy-metal exposure in many Phyla is well documented; however, before this response can be used and interpreted as an environmental biomarker of exposure, the kinetics and dose responses must be known. We have carried out a series of experiments where we have studied these parameters of M...

The presence of MTs in marine molluscs was firstly hypothesized in oyster and in mussel during the seventies, however mussel's and oysters' MTs were completely purified and sequenced rather later. Already from the first studies it was evident that the purification of molluscan MTs was more difficult than in mammals. Mussel's MTs are characterized b...

At different periods of the year specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis were exposed to 0.5 μg Cd/ml seawater for 7 days. Concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Zn, Cu and Fe) and Cd-binding proteins in gills, viscera, muscle and mantle were determined after 1 weeks exposure. Cadmium accumulation was higher in May and June and was tissue dependent;...

Ion‐beam mixing of Fe–Mn bilayers induced by 100 keV krypton ions in the dose range (0.1-15)1015 ions/cm2has been studied by means of conversion electron Mssbauer spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The results indicate that a dose of about 1 1015 Kr+/cm2 is sufficient to induce an appreciable mixing between the two atomic species. The α-Fe(Mn)soli...

Red and white muscle from specimens of wild and farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) were analyzed for histochemical ATPase activity, total protein content, fatty acids, trace element concentrations and myosin isoforms. The fibre type composition of muscle samples was confirmed histochemically by the ATPase reaction, which did not show any dif...

Cadmium was rapidly concentrated by Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mollusca: Bivalvia) during one week's exposure to 0–5 ug Cd ml-1 sea-water. Cadmium accumulation was determined in the gills, adductor muscle and viscera. The amount of cadmium bound to metallothionein (MT) provided a specific index of exposure to this metal. Maximum values were reached...

Electrophoretic and enzymatic techniques were used to study the myosin present in skeletal muscle (pectoralis muscle) of chicken and eight wild avian species (moorhen, redwing, blackbird, fieldfare, starling, jay, green woodpecker, woodcock). All avian pectoralis muscles are composed of only fast-type myosin. Three light chains, LC1F, LC2F and LC3F...

Specimens of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were exposed to two different cadmium concentrations (0.5 and 5 μg Cd2+/ml seawater) for a period of 7 days. Cadmium accumulated in the tissues of D. labrax in the following order: kidney > liver > gills at both concentrations. Accumulation patterns in fish exposed to 0.5 μg Cd2+/ml seawater were differe...

Gilthead were fed three diets. Diet A was the control diet, whereas diets B and C were supplemented with 300 and 900 mg Zn/kg, respectively. Fish fed with diet C, at the end of the experiment, showed the lowest weight. Zinc concentrations presented the higher values in gills, liver, and kidney. Muscle and brain had the lower mean values and showed...

In the arcid clam, Scapharca inaequivalvis, cadmium was accumulated in the kidneys, gills, viscera, mantle, foot, muscle and red blood cells. Maximum levels were reached in the kidney (725.70 μ/g dry weight) after 4 weeks exposure to 0.5 μg Cd/ml sea-water. The accumulation was higher during the warm rather than in the cold season and in animals ex...

Concentrations of heavy metals (zinc, copper, cadmium, and iron) were measured in several tissues (brain, gizzard, leg-muscle, heart, breast-muscle, intestine, liver and kidney) of moorhens (Gallinula chloropus), black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus), and coots (Fulica atra) collected between autumn 1985 and spring 1989 in northern Italy. Cadmium c...

Apparently healthy elderly donors were screened according to a simple protocol that included clinical examination and the determination of hematological and biochemical values. This screening was performed to detect subclinical alterations which might interfere with immune responses and trace element status. The elderly were divided into two groups...

Liver PK had hyperbolic saturation curves with both substrates and was not sensitive to alanine, but was inhibited by ATP (I50 = 6 mM). Both white and red muscle PK showed hyperbolic saturation curves with PEP and ADP, and were not activated by FDP but were inhibited by ATP (I50 values were 2.3 and 5.6 mM, respectively). Varying Mg2+ concentrations...

Significant differences in Zn and Cu content were found between different organs. Zinc reaches its maximum, mean value (929 μg/g dry wt), in the kidney of the common carp and consistently has a high value (276–552 μg/g dry wt) in the ovary of all the species examined; Cu is at its maximum (21 μg/g dry wt) in the liver of goldfish. Zinc concentratio...

Healthy elderly persons were selected according to an admission protocol which included clinical, hematological and biochemical parameters. Plasmic levels of zinc in these subjects were in the normal range, while plasmic copper was higher than that of young controls. The number of circulating lymphocytes and CD3+ cells was decreased; however, the a...

This paper describes synergistic effects of hypoxia and cadmium on physiological and biochemical processes in the bivalve Scapharca inaequivalvis, with emphasis on the red blood cells (RBC). Cadmium accumulation in organs occurred linearly with time. Uptake after 6 weeks exposure to 50 ppb in order of decreasing magnitude was: rest (mainly viscera...

The marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium sp. was isolated from the Adriatic Sea and laboratory cultures were grown in f/2-enriched seawater at initial ambient inorganic orthophosphate (SRP: soluble reactive phosphate) concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 200 μM. Under these conditions, total cellular P varied between 0.1 and 6 × 10-6 μmoles cell−1. Acti...

The effect of cadmium, zinc, copper and iron on growth of Nitzschia closterium and Prorocentrum micans was investigated. Copper was more toxic to Prorocentrum micans than to Nitzschia closterium. Heavy metal levels (Cd, Zn, Cu and Fe) increased in exposed algae with respect to the controls. After centrifugation of the crude homogenate most metal wa...

Thirteen healthy elderly were selected according to a simplified SENIEUR admission protocol including clinical, hematological and biochemical parameters. The goal of this protocol was to limit the influence of diseases and/or medications on the assessment of immune functions in the elderly. Plasma zinc levels of healthy elderly were comparable to t...

We investigated the effect of sex hormones on the sex-dependent response of rat kidney ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity to cadmium (Cd) administration and the involvement of the renin-angiotensin system in mediating stimulation of the liver enzyme by the metal. The response of renal ODC to Cd, which occurs in intact adult males but not in fem...

Treatment of goldfish with Cd, by intraperitoneal injection, resulted in Cd-metallothionein (Cd-MT) synthesis mainly in liver and kidney. The relative amount of Cd sequestered by liver metallothionein was always greater in fish maintained at 20 degrees C compared to those reared at 10 degrees C, indicating a temperature dependence of metallothionei...

Aliphatic hydrocarbons from n-C15 to n-C30 were determined in plankton of the Adriatic Sea open waters in order to evaluate distribution, concentration and origin of these compounds. The samples were collected in eight different stations during two cruises in spring and in summer.The results obtained enable us to divide the samples into two main gr...

1.1. Anaerobic metabolism was studied in erythrocytes of the bivalve Scapharca inaequivalvis and compared with other tissue cells. In all cells aspartate reserves are utilized and alanine and succinate accumulate.2.2. Erythrocytes are distinct from other tissues as regards the anerobic energy supply. Phosphoarginine is not stored in the erythrocyte...

We have determined the amino acid sequences of mullet white skeletal muscle myosin alkali light chains, LC1 and LC3. These are the first available fish myosin sequences. There are 29 differences between the mullet LC1 and LC3 sequences, spread throughout all regions of their polypeptide chains, leading us to conclude that fish myosin alkali light c...

1. Cobalt, copper, zinc and cadmium injected into Carassius auratus in April (water temperature 16°C) increased liver ornithine decarboxylase and adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and not tyrosine aminotransferase activities independently of their accumulation within the liver.2. As previously shown, cadmium stimulated ornithine decarboxylase in Nov...

1.1. Goldfish (Carassius auratus) were injected with cadmium salt to induce cadmium-metallothionein (Cd-Mt).2.2. Cadmium distribution in kidney, liver, gall-bladder, spleen, intestine, gills, heart, gonads, brain and muscle was determined.3.3. Cd-Mt was isolated from the liver cytosol after gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography, which reve...

1. The activity of goldfish liver ornithine decarboxylase increased upon cadmium chloride injection in April and November (water temperature 16 ± 1°C) and did not change significantly in June and July (water temperature 20 ± 1°C and 22 ± 1°C, respectively).2. Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase exhibited similar patterns.3. Tyrosine aminotransferase i...

1.1. In the posterior adductor muscle of Scapharca inaequivalvis both aspartate and glycogen were substrates for anaerobic metabolism. ATP and arginine phosphate only contributed to a small extent. Alanine and succinate were major end products, whereas opines were minor end products. Lactate production was not observed.2.2. The ATP turnover rate wa...

A non-toxic strain of the marine dinoflagellate Protogonyaulax tamarensis (= Gonyaulax tamarensis has been isolated from a bloom in the Adriatic Sea, off the Emilia-Romagna coast. Cultures of the cells were grown in the laboratory in enriched seawater at various initial ambient orthophosphate (Pi concentrations, ranging from 0.3 to 40.5 μM. The gro...

Individuals ofMurex trunculus from the Adriatic Sea were exposed to cadmium in the laboratory under chronic conditions (0.05 mg/L, up to 30 days). Cadmium contents in the soft parts of the snails increased considerably, the highest concentrations occurring in combined hepatopancreas + kidney tissues. However, high amounts of cadmium were also found...

Marine snails (Murex trunculus) from the Adriatic Sea were exposed to cadmium in the laboratory under chronic (0.05 mg·L-1) and acute 5 mg·L-1) conditions. More than 5 mg·L-1 cadmium were required to lethally damageMurex trunculus during an exposure of 96 hr. Compared with untreated animals, chronic exposure ofMurex trunculus to 0.05 mg Cd·L-1 resu...

1. The subcellular distribution of mercury and possible presence of Hg binding proteins of low molecular weight were investigated by ultracentrifugation and gel filtration in liver and muscle of the flat fish Citharus linguatula and Lepidorhombus boscii from the northern Tyrrhenian sea, heavily contaminated by the metal.2. For both tissues, Hg cont...

Goldfish injected with cadmium chloride synthesized metallothionein. Ten days after the first injection, cadmium reached a maximum in the metallothionein peak (2 micrograms/ml) obtained after gel filtration of liver cytosol. Pyruvate kinase activity was inhibited from the beginning of the experiment; after the fourth day, the enzyme activity again...

1.1. Alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) from the dinoflagellate Peridinium cinctum, the Lake Kinneret bloom alga, has been partially purified by gel filtration.2.2. The enzyme could be easily extracted using a distilled water/chloroform mixture suggesting that the alkaline phosphatase of Peridinium is particularly labile.3.3. The molecular weight of...

1.1. In Scapharca inaequivalvis pyruvate kinase activity showed the following decreasing order: foot > muscle > viscera > gills > mantle.2.2. Pyruvate kinase from the posterior adductor muscle was purified through ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and affinity chromatography.3.3. The enzyme, in the presence of PEP, showed a hyperbolic sat...

1.1. Pyruvate kinase from the posterior adductor muscle of bivalve molluscs Venus gallina and Scapharca inaequivalvis can be converted into a more active form by treatment with a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.2.2. The enzyme from Scapharca is inhibited through incubation with a non-specific phosphatase.3.3. Purified pyruvate kinase from Venus...

Myosin isoforms and their distribution in the various fibre types of the lateral muscle of eight teleost fish (representing a wide range of taxonomic groups and lifestyles) were investigated electrophoretically, histochemically and immunohistochemically. Polyclonal antisera were raised against slow (red muscle) and fast (white muscle) myosins of th...

1.1. Pyruvate kinase from the posterior adductor muscle of the Adriatic bivalve mollusc Venus gallina has been partially purified through ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. In both cases one peak of activity was revealed.2.2. The molecular weight has been computed by gel filtration, the subunits' composition has been determined by SDS...

The histochemical and biochemical myofibrillar ATPase activities of red and white muscle of the catfish and mullet have been investigated. The histochemical reactions confirmed the typical pattern of red and white muscle and the absence of growing fibers in the white muscle of the mullet. Biochemical assay were used to determine the ATPase activity...