Exposure And Risks From Persistent Organic Pollutants Through Consumption Of Traditional Seafood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$322,042.00
Summary
For many coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, local marine resources provide an important and integral aspect of the communities' diet, culture and traditions. The health benefits associated with seafood consumption have been well documented. On the other hand, many environmental contaminants accumulate in the marine environment. In particular persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have the potential to accumulate to elevated levels in the marine food chain, including humans. Cons ....For many coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, local marine resources provide an important and integral aspect of the communities' diet, culture and traditions. The health benefits associated with seafood consumption have been well documented. On the other hand, many environmental contaminants accumulate in the marine environment. In particular persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have the potential to accumulate to elevated levels in the marine food chain, including humans. Consumption of food contaminated with POPs can pose a risk of causing adverse health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, developmental and immunotoxic responses. Recent studies in Queensland have shown elevated concentrations of POPs, specifically dioxins, in the near shore marine environment. Concentrations present in dugong and turtle tissues were found to be among the highest reported compared to other marine biota worldwide. These species represent an integral part of the traditions and diet for many coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. However, to date no information on exposure to these compounds from locally sourced seafood exists in Australia. The proposed study will redress this lack of information and provide an understanding of the risks associated with the consumption of traditional seafood from local contaminated areas. In collaboration with the Quandamooka community, Moreton Bay in South East Queensland this will provide a case study with the objectives of: 1. Assessing the qualitative and quantitative risks associated with consumption of traditional and contemporary seafood sourced from local contaminated areas. 2. Providing communities with a thorough understanding of food contamination and building internationally competitive capacity in Australian Indigenous researchers. 3. Develop risk management options that allow informed decisions making on POP exposure and are acceptable to the community.Read moreRead less
Actions Of Vanilloids In The Nucleus Of The Solitary Tract
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,527.00
Summary
Capsaicin, the active ingredient of hot chillies, and other pungent plant extracts have been used for millennia to relieve minor pain. We now know that these agents produce pain relief (analgesia) by numbing the very nerve cells (neurons) which transmit pain signals to the brain. The unique analgesic properties of vanilloids may have a place in modern medicine, giving relief to sufferers of certain types of chronic pain (e.g., neuropathic pain) which are not responsive to morphine-like analgesic ....Capsaicin, the active ingredient of hot chillies, and other pungent plant extracts have been used for millennia to relieve minor pain. We now know that these agents produce pain relief (analgesia) by numbing the very nerve cells (neurons) which transmit pain signals to the brain. The unique analgesic properties of vanilloids may have a place in modern medicine, giving relief to sufferers of certain types of chronic pain (e.g., neuropathic pain) which are not responsive to morphine-like analgesics. Indeed, the promise of more potent and less pungent vanilloid analgesics has led to the discovery of numerous naturally-occurring and synthetic vanilloids. However, although the neurons which convey information regarding blood pressure and the oxygen content of arterial blood to control centres in the brain stem are also stimulated by vanilloids, the central (brain stem) actions of vanilloids on blood pressure and respiration have not been investigated in detail. Thus, the aim of this project is to describe the characteristics of vanilloid receptors in the brain stem, determine the acute and chronic effects of naturally-occurring and synthetic vanilloids on blood pressure and respiration, and elucidate the role played by other neurotransmitter chemicals in the actions of vanilloids. The results of these studies will have major implications in the future use of vanilloids as analgesics.Read moreRead less
Synthesis And Purification Of Flavivirus-specific Antiviral Factor Mrasal
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$140,000.00
Summary
In this proposal we suggest to develop an anti-flaviviral compound based on naturally occurring host factors associated with inborn flavivirus resistance observed in mice. We propose to synthesise and purify a mouse protein factor encoded by a gene (Mrasal), which we have previously mapped by mouse genetics and positional cloning to a narrow 300 kb chromosomal region on mouse chromosome 5 carrying flavivirus resistance locus (Flv). When this mouse gene was isolated, sub cloned into a mammalian e ....In this proposal we suggest to develop an anti-flaviviral compound based on naturally occurring host factors associated with inborn flavivirus resistance observed in mice. We propose to synthesise and purify a mouse protein factor encoded by a gene (Mrasal), which we have previously mapped by mouse genetics and positional cloning to a narrow 300 kb chromosomal region on mouse chromosome 5 carrying flavivirus resistance locus (Flv). When this mouse gene was isolated, sub cloned into a mammalian expression vector pcDNA3tag and transiently transfected and expressed in cos-7 and Vero cells, its product conferred antiviral effect to a flavivirus Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE), but not to a non-flavivirus encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). Mrasal protein operates as an antiviral host factor and confers a flavivirus specific resistance at the cellular level. It could be directly used for the treatment-cure of acute flavivirus infections in vivo. Our aims are to produce and purify the Mrasal protein for the in vivo delivery as a therapeutic compound into susceptible mice during the acute phase of flavivirus infection: 1. To synthesise and purify Mrasal protein using baculovirus system. 2. To encapsulate the protein into liposomes ready to be used in mice. 3. To perform initial testing in a limited number of susceptible mice.Read moreRead less
Role Of Transition Metal Ions And Redox Activity In The Development Of Atherosclerotic Plaques
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,018.00
Summary
Metal ions such as iron and copper have been reproted to be present in the lesions present in diseased human arteries and it has been suggested that these metal ions contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) via their ability to catalyse the formation of highly reactive molecualr fragments called free radicals. Though metal ions are known to catalyse such reactions in test-tube experiments, both the presence of metal ions in diseased arteries and their ability ....Metal ions such as iron and copper have been reproted to be present in the lesions present in diseased human arteries and it has been suggested that these metal ions contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) via their ability to catalyse the formation of highly reactive molecualr fragments called free radicals. Though metal ions are known to catalyse such reactions in test-tube experiments, both the presence of metal ions in diseased arteries and their ability to generate free radicals is controversial. This study will employ a novel, minimally-invasive, technique to assess the nature and quantity of metal ions present in well-defined human and animal lesions at different stages of lesion development. The ability of these metal ions to catalyse free radical formation from components present in the artery wall will also be assessed. The release of these metal ions from the artery wall to added organic molecules will be assessed as this might minimise their potential to cause damage, and provide a possible therapeutic strategy. These studies will therefore provide valuable information as to the significance and role of reactive metal ions in the development of human artery disease and the possible prevention, or minimisation, of such processes.Read moreRead less