Exposure Toxicology In Caenorhabditis Elegans

This book focuses on exposure toxicology in C. elegans. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is sensitive to various environmental toxicants and stresses, and has proven to be an important animal model in both molecular and target-organ toxicology. As a result, over the past 30 years, there has been extensive research on the exposure to environmental toxicants or stresses in nematodes. Based on the available data, the book offers an introduction to the exposure system established in nematodes, discussing various aspects of endpoints that can potentially be used to assess the toxicity of environmental toxicants or stresses. Also exploring various factors affecting toxicity induction, and exposure to environmental toxicants and stresses, it allows readers to gain a systematic understanding of exposure toxicology in C. elegans.

This book will focus on the molecular basis of oxidative stress induced by toxicants or stresses and various molecular signalling pathways in regulating the toxicity of toxicants or stresses in Caenorhabditis elegans. It will also cover the discussion on the aspects of response signals, G-protein coupled receptors and ion channels, specific molecular signals, and epigenetic signals involved in the regulation of toxicity from toxicants or stresses. The molecular basis for adaptive response for transgenerational toxicity of environmental toxicants or stresses will be further discussed. Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a classic model animal with well-described genetic and developmental backgrounds based on the study of life science, and has been further successfully and widely used in both toxicity assessment and toxicological study of various environmental toxicants or stresses. Based on related available data, this book aims at providing a systematic understanding of the knowledge system of molecular toxicology in C. elegans.

“This book uses Caenorhabditis elegans as model animal to introduce the toxicity induction of toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations under different conditions. It also discusses the systematic introduction of different molecular signaling pathways, as well as G protein coupled receptors and ion channels, in regulating the toxicity of toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations. The intestinal, neuronal, and germline molecular networks required for the regulation of toxicity of toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations is further introduced and discussed. This book aims at providing a systematic understanding of the knowledge system on toxicology at environmentally relevant concentrations in Caenorhabditis elegans. ”

This book introduces readers to intestinal and epidermal barriers, and to toxicity induction of environmental toxicants or stresses in the intestine, epidermis, neurons, muscle, and reproductive organs in Caenorhabditis elegans. In addition, it discusses the protective responses of various organs and nematodes’ avoidance behaviour with regard to environmental toxicants or stresses. The intestinal, epidermal, neuronal, and germline signalling pathways required for the regulation of toxicity of environmental toxicants or stresses are also introduced and discussed. As a classic model animal with well-described genetic and developmental backgrounds, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been successfully and widely used in both toxicity assessments and toxicological studies on various environmental toxicants and stresses. Once exposure to certain environmental toxicants has occurred, the toxicants can enter into the primary targeted organs (such as intestinal cells), and even be translocated into secondary targeted organs (such as reproductive organs and neurons). Based on related available data, this book provides a systematic understanding of target organ toxicology in C. elegans.

This book focuses on the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and their underlying physicochemical, cellular, physiological, and molecular mechanisms. Further, it covers ENMs’ translocation and their targeted organ toxicology, and discusses chemical and pharmacological strategies used to combat nanotoxicity. Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are defined as materials with one or more dimensions of less than 100 nm, and have shown considerable promise in several areas of development. At the same time, the potential toxicity of ENMs for human health and environmental organisms is increasingly attracting attention. In addition to the typical properties of model animals, Caenorhabditis elegans is extremely sensitive to environmental toxicants, which makes it the ideal in vivo assay system for toxicological studies. C. elegans has been widely used in toxicity assessment and toxicological studies of environmental toxicants and stresses. This book provides a comprehensive summary of nanotoxicology research on C. elegans.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment reviews advances made during the last 10-15 years in fields such as developmental biology, molecular biology, and genetics. It describes a novel approach for how these advances might be used in combination with existing methodologies to further the understanding of mechanisms of developmental toxicity, to improve the assessment of chemicals for their ability to cause developmental toxicity, and to improve risk assessment for developmental defects. For example, based on the recent advances, even the smallest, simplest laboratory animals such as the fruit fly, roundworm, and zebrafish might be able to serve as developmental toxicological models for human biological systems. Use of such organisms might allow for rapid and inexpensive testing of large numbers of chemicals for their potential to cause developmental toxicity; presently, there are little or no developmental toxicity data available for the majority of natural and manufactured chemicals in use. This new approach to developmental toxicology and risk assessment will require simultaneous research on several fronts by experts from multiple scientific disciplines, including developmental toxicologists, developmental biologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians.

Green toxicology is an integral part of green chemistry. One of the key goals of green chemistry is to design less toxic chemicals. Therefore, an understanding of toxicology and hazard assessment is important for any chemist working in green chemistry, but toxicology is rarely part of most chemists' education. As a consequence, chemists lack the toxicological lens necessary to view chemicals in order to design safer substitutions. This book seeks to fill that gap and demonstrate how a basic understanding of toxicology, as well as the tools of in silico and in vitro toxicology, can be an integral part of green chemistry. R&D chemists, product stewards, and toxicologists who work in the field of sustainability, can all benefit from integrating green toxicology principles into their work. Topics include in silico tools for hazard assessment, toxicity testing, and lifecycle considerations, this book aims to act as a bridge between green toxicologists and green chemists.