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Smokers consider that electronic cigarettes are safer than tobacco and are marketed as safe products. Nevertheless, reports show the exposure to high levels of electronic cigarette aerosols (ECA) activates lung cells and triggers inflammation and structural alterations after chronic exposure. In order to assess the potential harmful long term effect of exposure to ECA, we investigated in mice, its effect on lung and systemic inflammation as well as on lung function. To reproduce closely the situation frequently encountered in human, we exposed mice during 1 h/day during 3 or 6 months with two levels of electronic cigarette power in comparison with mice exposed to cigarette smoke (CS). Lung and systemic inflammation was evaluated by measuring cell recruitment and activation or cytokine concentrations. Respiratory function and lung transcriptome and structure were also measured. Our data revealed that chronic exposure to moderate levels of ECA increased specifically lung inflammation, these effects being characterized by the mobilization of conventional dendritic cells in the BAL and the recruitment of T cells in the lungs and by the early secretion of IL-22. Surprisingly, there is no strong overlap between the impact of both ECA and CS exposure on lung transcriptome. Modulation of pro-inflammatory pathways are limited to mice exposed to low power e-cigarette. In contrast, alteration of respiratory function is observed in high-power ECA-exposed mice with a different profile than with CS. Subchronic exposure to ECA might alter the respiratory function independently of the inflammatory response and in a different manner than CS.

Atmospheric pollution is mainly composed of volatile pollutants and particulate matter that strongly interact. However, their specific roles in the induction of cellular toxicity, in particular the impact of the vectorization of atmospheric pollutants by ultrafine particles, remains to be fully elucidated. For this purpose, non-toxic poly-lactic co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles were synthesized and three pollutants (benzo(a)pyrene, naphthalene and di-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate) were adsorbed on the surface of the nanoparticles in order to evaluate the toxicity (cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and ROS induction) of these complexes to a human airway epithelial cell line. The adsorption of the pollutants onto the nanoparticles was confirmed by HPLC analysis. Interestingly, the cytotoxicity assays (MTT, LDH and CellTox Green) clearly demonstrated that the vectorization by nanoparticles decreases the toxicity of the adsorbed pollutants. Genotoxicity was assessed by the micronucleus test and the comet assay and showed no increase in primary DNA damage or in chromosomal aberrations of nanoparticle vectorized pollutants. Neither cytotoxicity nor genotoxicity was correlated with ROS induction. To conclude, our results indicate that the vectorization of pollutants by nanoparticles does not potentiate the toxicity of the pollutants studied and that, on the contrary, adsorption onto nanoparticles could protect cells against pollutants' toxicity.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cig) and heated tobacco products (HTP) are often used as smoking cessation aids, while the harm reduction effects of these alternatives to cigarettes are still the subject of controversial debate, in particular regarding their carcinogenic potential. The objective of this study is to compare the effects of e-cig, HTP and conventional cigarette emissions on the generation of oxidative stress and genetic and epigenetic lesions in human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Our results show that HTP were less cytotoxic than conventional cigarettes while e-cig were not substantially cytotoxic in BEAS-2B cells. E-cig had no significant effect on the Nrf2 pathway, whereas HTP and cigarettes increased the binding activity of Nrf2 to antioxidant response elements and the expression of its downstream targets HMOX1 and NQO1. Concordantly, only HTP and cigarettes induced oxidative DNA damage and significantly increased DNA strand breaks and chromosomal aberrations. Neither histone modulations nor global DNA methylation changes were found after acute exposure, regardless of the type of emissions. In conclusion, this study reveals that HTP, unlike e-cig, elicit a biological response very similar to that of cigarettes, but only after a more intensive exposure: both tobacco products induce cytotoxicity, Nrf2-dependent oxidative stress and genetic lesions in human epithelial pulmonary cells. Therefore, the health risk of HTP should not be underestimated and animal studies are required in order to determine the tumorigenic potential of these emerging products.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic element for living organisms and is widespread in metal-contaminated soils. As organisms which can grow up on these polluted areas, plants have some protection mechanisms against Cd issues. Among the plant kingdom, the Brassicaceae family includes species which are known to be able to tolerate and accumulate Cd in their tissues. In this study, Brassica oleracea var. viridis cv “Prover” was exposed to a range of artificially Cd-contaminated soils (from 2.5 up to 20 mg kg −1 ) during 3, 10, and 56 days and the effects on life traits, photosynthesis activity, antioxidant enzymatic activities were studied. Metal accumulation was quantified, as well as DNA damage, by means of the comet assay and immunodetection of 8-OHdG levels. Globally, B. oleracea was relatively tolerant to those Cd exposures. However, comet assay and detection of 8-OHdG revealed some DNA damage but which are not significant. According to metal accumulation analysis, B. oleracea var. viridis cv Prover could be a good candidate for alternative growing in contaminated areas.

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is leading to various respiratory health outcomes. Compared to coarse and fine particles, less is known about the effects of chronic exposure to ultrafine particles, despite their higher number and reactivity. In the present study, we performed a time-course experiment in mice to better analyze the lung impact of atmospheric ultrafine particles, with regard to the effects induced by fine particles collected on the same site. Trace element and PAH analysis demonstrated the almost similar chemical composition of both particle fractions. Mice were exposed intranasally to FF or UFP according to acute (10, 50 or 100 µg of PM) and repeated (10 µg of PM 3 times a week during 1 or 3 months) exposure protocols. More particle-laden macrophages and even greater chronic inflammation were observed in the UFP-exposed mice lungs. Histological analyses revealed that about 50% of lung tissues were damaged in mice exposed to UFP for three months versus only 35% in FF-exposed mice. These injuries were characterized by alveolar wall thickening, macrophage infiltrations, and cystic lesions. Taken together, these results strongly motivate the update of current regulations regarding ambient PM concentrations to include UFP and limit their emission.

Vaccination faces limitations, and delivery systems additionally appear to have potential as tools to trigger protective immune responses against diseases. The nanoparticles studied are cationic maltodextrin-based nanoparticles with an anionic phospholipid core (NPL); they are a promising antigen delivery system, and their efficacy as drug vectors against complex diseases such as toxoplasmosis has already been demonstrated. Cationic compounds are generally described as toxic; therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the behavior of these NPL in vitro and in vivo. Here, we studied the in vitro toxicity (cytotoxicity and ROS induction in intestinal and airway epithelial cell lines) and the in vivo tolerability and genotoxicity of these nanoparticles administered by the nasal route to a rodent model. In vitro, these NPL were not cytotoxic and did not induce any ROS production. In vivo, even at very large doses (1000 times the expected human dose), no adverse effect and no genotoxicity were observed in lungs, stomach, colon, or liver. This study shows that these NPL can be safely used.

In France, the presence of marine microalgae of the genus Ostreopsis has been identified repeatedly on the Mediterranean coast for several years, whereas on the French Basque coasts its presence is much more recent. In the summers of 2021 and 2022, major Ostreopsis flowering episodes were reported on the Basque coast, resulting in several hundred cases of intoxication among holidaymakers and residents. The main route of human exposure is inhalation of aerosols, although it is not yet known whether the agents responsible for poisoning are Ostreopsis cells, cell debris, known toxins produced by Ostreopsis, or other as yet unidentified compounds. Other routes of exposure (dermal contact, eye contact, ingestion of contaminated water or seafood) are also possible. Poisoning is manifested through various signs and symptoms, occurring within 48 hours of exposure (Neurosensory and neurological, respiratory, dermal and digestive). This document presents the opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), established from the work of its WATER and ERCA Expert Committees. ANSES received a request from the Directorate General for Health (DGS) and the Directorate General for Food (DGAL) to update knowledge about Ostreopsis that had been reported in the Agency's opinions from 2007 and 2008 (ANSES, 2007 and 2008), and draw up specific recommendations for managing Ostreopsis proliferation on the Basque coast. The literature review conducted as part of this expert appraisal revealed that knowledge about the genus Ostreopsis (diversity, biology, ecology, toxins produced) is still too fragmentary to characterise the hazard and risk to human health. Nevertheless to help local authorities affected by Ostreopsis blooms, Agency proposes a surveillance and quality monitoring strategy based on collaboration between site managers and the regional health agencies (ARSs), applicable to sites currently subject to bathing water quality monitoring and water sports sites that meet the conditions below.

This document presents the opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), established from the work of its Working Group on “Risks associated with the consumption of Nitrites and Nitrates\" (NiNa WG) and validated by its Expert Committees on “Assessment of the biological risks in foods” (CES BIORISK) and “Assessment of physico‐chemical risks in food” (CES ERCA). Following a request from the Directorate General for Health, the Directorate General for Food and the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, ANSES was asked to deliver an opinion on the risks linked to nitrites and nitrates. Specifically, ANSES provided a scientific assessment associated with the following work themes regarding questions of (i) the impact of reducing nitrite/nitrate levels in foodstuffs on the fate of pathogenic bacteria in certain foods, (ii) the assessment of overall exposure to nitrates and nitrites from all sources in France and the proposal of actions that could help reduce this exposure, (iii) evaluating if new scientific knowledge could justify revisiting EFSA's ADIs/Health‐Based Guidance Values (HBGVs) for nitrates and nitrites, and (iv) better characterizing their link to human cancer risk from meat product consumption. The opinion first presents the substances of interest, their origin and the regulatory framework. Then this opinion sets out the conclusions of the microbiological risk for three foodborne pathogens associated with reducing nitrate/nitrite levels as additives in three types of cured meats. This is followed by a presentation of the conclusions relating to the assessment of the available epidemiological and toxicological data in the light of recent scientific data. Finally, this enables the characterization of the risk associated with ingested nitrates and nitrites after exposure has been estimated. The opinion provides recommendations to continue epidemiological studies to confirm or refute suspected relationships for certain cancers and to conduct experimental studies for the establishment of ADIs considering the combined exposure to nitrates, nitrites and nitroso compounds. Furthermore, reducing the population's exposure to nitrites and nitrates involves collective and individual measures. As part of collective measures, in addition to controlling the quality of water intended for human consumption, a relevant measure would be to reduce the use of nitrites in processed meat products while implementing strict compensatory measures to address microbiological risk. This opinion finally emphasizes the importance of individual measures, by adhering to recommendations for processed meat consumption, limiting it to 150g/week, and diversifying the consumption of fruits and vegetables.