Methylene blue can act as an antidote to pesticide poisoning of bumble bee mitochondria

The population of bumble bees and other pollinators has considerably declined worldwide, probably, due to the toxic effect of pesticides used in agriculture. Inexpensive and available antidotes can be one of the solutions for the problem of pesticide toxicity for pollinators. We studied the properties of the thiazine dye Methylene blue (MB) as an antidote against the toxic action of pesticides in the bumble bee mitochondria and found that MB stimulated mitochondrial respiration mediated by Complex I of the electron transport chain (ETC) and increased respiration of the mitochondria treated with mitochondria-targeted (chlorfenapyr, hydramethylnon, pyridaben, tolfenpyrad, and fenazaquin) and non-mitochondrial (deltamethrin, metribuzin, and penconazole) pesticides. MB also restored the mitochondrial membrane potential dissipated by the pesticides affecting the ETC. The mechanism of MB action is most probably related to its ability to shunt electron flow in the mitochondrial ETC.

The Application of Ozone to Reduce the Coloring Intensity of Aqueous Solutions of Dyes Used in the Textile Industry

The article discusses the mechanisms of interaction of ozone with aqueous solutions of organic dyes. Two different dyes with different types of chromophore systemwere investigated: azo dye and thiazine dye. A detailed methodology for performing experimental studies makes it possible to accurately dose ozone into the reaction mixture. The data of experimental studies are presented indicating the effectiveness of the use of ozone for the destruction of dyes in aqueous solutions. The specific doses of ozone were established to reduce the color intensity of the studied dye solutions to standard values.

Regional Anesthesia for Dentistry and Orofacial Surgery in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Regional anesthesia is a commonly used adjunct to orofacial dental and surgical procedures in companion animals and humans. However, appropriate techniques for anesthetizing branches of the mandibular and maxillary nerves have not been described for rhesus monkeys. Skulls of 3 adult rhesus monkeys were examined to identify relevant foramina, establish appropriate landmarks for injection, and estimate injection angles and depth. Cadaver heads of 7 adult rhesus monkeys (4 male, 3 female) were then injected with thiazine dye to demonstrate correct placement of solution to immerse specific branches of the mandibular and maxillary nerves. Different volumes of dye were injected on each side of each head to visualize area of diffusion, and to estimate the minimum volume needed to saturate the area of interest. After injection, the heads were dissected to expose the relevant nerves and skull foramina. We describe techniques for blocking the maxillary nerve as well as its branches: the greater palatine nerve, nasopalatine nerve, and infraorbital nerve. We also describe techniques for blocking branches of the mandibular nerve: inferior alveolar nerve, mental (or incisive) nerve, lingual nerve, and long buccal nerve. Local anesthesia for the mandibular and maxillary nerves can be accomplished in rhesus macaques and is a practical and efficient way to maximize animal welfare during potentially painful orofacial procedures.

Decolorization Kinetics of Acid Azo Dye and Basic Thiazine Dye in Aqueous Solution by UV/H2O2 and UV/Fenton: Effects of Operational Parameters

The photochemical decolorization of two dyes, namely Acid Yellow 54 and Basic Blue 9, was studied using the UV/H2O2and UV/Fenton processes. The effects of the amount of H2O2and FeSO4as well as the initial pH solution on decolorization kinetics of both the dyes were investigated. The pseudo-first order kinetic model was applied to predict the decolorization of the selected dyes at the different operational conditions and results showed that this model fitted very well with the experimental data. The obtained results also showed the efficiency of UV/Fenton process to quickly degrade aqueous effluents polluted by Acid Yellow 54 and Basic Blue 9 compared to the UV/H2O2process.

Reduction and uptake of methylene blue by human erythrocytes

A thiazine dye reductase has been described in endothelial cells that reduces methylene blue (MB), allowing its uptake into cells. Because a different mechanism of MB uptake in human erythrocytes has been proposed, we measured MB uptake and reduction in this cell type. Oxidized MB (MB+) stimulated reduction of extracellular ferricyanide in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, reflecting extracellular reduction of the dye. Reduced MB was then taken up by the cells and partially oxidized to MB+. Both forms were retained against a concentration gradient, and their redox cycling induced an oxidant stress in the cells. Whereas concentrations of MB+ <5 μM selectively oxidized NAD(P)H, higher concentrations also oxidized both glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate, especially in the absence of d-glucose. MB+-stimulated ferricyanide reduction was inhibited by thiol reagents with different mechanisms of action. Phenylarsine oxide, which is selective for vicinal dithiols in proteins, inhibited MB+-dependent ferricyanide reduction more strongly than it decreased cell GSH and pentose phosphate cycle activity, and it did not affect cellular NADPH. Open erythrocyte ghost membranes facilitated saturable NAD(P)H oxidation by MB+, which was abolished by pretreating ghosts with low concentrations of trypsin and phenylarsine oxide. These results show that erythrocytes sequentially reduce and take up MB+, that both reduced and oxidized forms of the dye are concentrated in cells, and that the thiazine dye reductase activity initially responsible for MB+ reduction may correspond to MB+-dependent NAD(P)H reductase activity in erythrocyte ghosts.