Recent studies identified a novel programmed and regulated cell death that was characterized by a necrotic cell death morphology, termed necroptosis. Lead (Pb) is known as a persistent inorganic environmental pollutant that affects the health of humans and animals worldwide. However, there are no detailed reports of Pb-induced necroptosis of immune tissue. Selenium (Se) is a trace element that antagonizes the toxicity of heavy metals. Here, chickens were randomly divided into four groups, treated with Pb ((CH3OO)2Pb, 150 mg/kg) and/or Se (Na2SeO3, 2 mg/kg), aim to study the effect and mechanism of necroptosis in Pb-induced spleen injury and the antagonistic effects of Se on Pb toxicity. Our results showed that Pb exposure evidently increased the accumulation of Pb in spleen and caused necroptosis by upregulating the expression of RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL, and decreasing Caspase8 expression. Meanwhile, Pb treatment inhibited the activities of SOD, GPX, and CAT, caused the accumulation of NO and MDA, and induced oxidative stress, which promoted the expression of MAPK/NF-κB pathway genes (ERK, JNK, P38, NF-κB and TNF-α) and activated HSPs (HSP27, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70 and HSP90). However, the increased content of Pb in spleen and Pb-caused necroptosis were inhibited by Se cotreatment. Overall, we conclude that Se can prevent Pb-induced necroptosis by restoring antioxidant functions and blocking the MAPK/NF-κB pathway and HSPs activation in chicken spleen.In this study, the whole transcriptome and sex-specific differential gene expression of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus annandalei exposed to cadmium (Cd) were investigated. P. annandalei were exposed to 40 μg/L Cd from the naupliar stage to male and female adults. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed with copepod samples using an Illumina Hiseq™ 2000 platform. TransDecoder analysis found 32,625 putative open reading frame contigs. At p-values of less then 0.001, a total of 4756 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (2216 up-regulated and 2540 down-regulated genes) were found in male copepods. Whereas a total of 2879 DEGs (2007 up-regulated and 872 down-regulated genes) were found in female copepods. A few selected cellular stress response genes, involved in xenobiotic metabolism, energy metabolism, growth, and development as a result of Cd exposure in the copepods were discussed. The study showed that most of these processes were changed in a sex-specific manner, accounting for the different sensitivities of male and female copepods. Results suggest and reinforce that sex is an important factor to be considered in ecotoxicogenomics.We studied the absorption, cytotoxicity and oxidative stress markers of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) from three extracts from Alexandrium catenella and A. ostenfeldii, in middle Oncorhynchus mykiss intestine in vitro and ex vivo preparations. We measured glutathione (GSH) content, glutathione-S transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase (CAT) enzymatic activity, and lipid peroxidation in isolated epithelium exposed to 0.13 and 1.3 μM PST. ROS production and lysosomal membrane stability (as neutral red retention time 50%, NRRT50) were analyzed in isolated enterocytes exposed to PST alone or plus 3 μM of the ABCC transport inhibitor MK571. In addition, the concentration-dependent effects of PST on NRRT50 were assayed in a concentration range from 0 to 1.3 μM PST. We studied the effects of three different PST extracts on the transport rate of the ABCC substrate DNP-SG by isolated epithelium. The extract with highest inhibition capacity was selected for studying polarized DNP-SG transport in everted and non-everted intestinal segments. We registered lower GSH content and GST activity, and higher GR activity, with no significant changes in CAT activity, lipid peroxidation or ROS level. PST exposure decreased NRRT50 in a concentration-depend manner (IC50 = 0.0045 μM), but PST effects were not augmented by addition of MK571. All the three PST extracts inhibited ABCC transport activity, but this inhibition was effective only when the toxins were applied to the apical side of the intestine and DNP-SG transport was measured at the basolateral side. Our results indicate that PST are absorbed by the enterocytes from the intestine lumen. Inside the enterocytes, these toxins decrease GSH content and inhibit the basolateral ABCC transporters affecting the normal functions of the cell. Furthermore, PST produce a strong cytotoxic effect to the enterocytes by damaging the lysosomal membrane, even at low, non-neurotoxic concentrations.Trehalose is the major blood sugar in insects; it not only serves as an energy source but also plays important roles in physiological responses to adverse conditions. However, only a few studies have explored the effects of heavy metal exposure stress on trehalose metabolism in insects. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of cadmium stress on changes in trehalose metabolism in Aedes albopictus. Three concentrations of cadmium (0.005, 0.01, and 0.1 mg/L) were selected for evaluation of long-term stress in Ae. albopictus (from eggs to adults); Ae. albopictus in double-distilled water was used as the control group. The trehalose and glucose contents, trehalase activity, and trehalose metabolism-related gene expression were determined. The effects of long-term cadmium exposure on growth, development, and reproduction were also assessed. Trehalose contents were increased, whereas glucose contents and trehalase activity were decreased in Ae.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/mi-3-menin-mll-inhibitor.html  albopictus following long-term exposure to low concentrations of cadmium compared with those in untreated individuals. Moreover, the expression of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase was upregulated, and that of trehalase was downregulated, indicating that Ae. albopictus may enhance trehalose synthesis to resist cadmium stress. Cadmium exposure also caused Ae. albopictus individuals to become smaller with a longer developmental duration, whereas both reproduction and hatching rates of the offspring were decreased compared with those in the control group. Our findings demonstrated that cadmium exposure affected the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of Ae. albopictus. These findings also confirmed the role of trehalose in the response of Ae. albopictus to cadmium stress, providing insights into the effects of heavy metal stress on trehalose metabolism in an insect model.