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International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2023A substance capable of inducing a consistent pattern of neural dysfunction in the chemistry or structure of the nervous system may be defined as neurotoxic [...].
A substance capable of inducing a consistent pattern of neural dysfunction in the chemistry or structure of the nervous system may be defined as neurotoxic [...].
Topics: Humans; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Aging
PubMed: 37894793
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015112 -
The Journal of Pharmacology and... Jan 2024Sulfur mustard (SM) is an ominous chemical warfare agent. Eyes are extremely susceptible to SM toxicity; injuries include inflammation, fibrosis, neovascularization...
Sulfur mustard (SM) is an ominous chemical warfare agent. Eyes are extremely susceptible to SM toxicity; injuries include inflammation, fibrosis, neovascularization (NV), and vision impairment/blindness, depending on the exposure dosage. Effective countermeasures against ocular SM toxicity remain elusive and are warranted during conflicts/terrorist activities and accidental exposures. We previously determined that dexamethasone (DEX) effectively counters corneal nitrogen mustard toxicity and that the 2-hour postexposure therapeutic window is most beneficial. Here, the efficacy of two DEX dosing frequencies [i.e., every 8 or 12 hours (initiated, as previously established, 2 hours after exposure)] until 28 days after SM exposure was assessed. Furthermore, sustained effects of DEX treatments were observed up to day 56 after SM exposure. Corneal clinical assessments (thickness, opacity, ulceration, and NV) were performed at the day 14, 28, 42, and 56 post-SM exposure time points. Histopathological assessments of corneal injuries (corneal thickness, epithelial degradation, epithelial-stromal separation, inflammatory cell, and blood vessel counts) using H&E staining and molecular assessments (COX-2, MMP-9, VEGF, and SPARC expressions) were performed at days 28, 42, and 56 after SM exposure. Statistical significance was assessed using two-way ANOVA, with Holm-Sidak post hoc pairwise multiple comparisons; significance was established if < 0.05 (data represented as the mean ± S.E.M.). DEX administration every 8 hours was more potent than every 12 hours in reversing ocular SM injury, with the most pronounced effects observed at days 28 and 42 after SM exposure. These comprehensive results are novel and provide a comprehensive DEX treatment regimen (therapeutic-window and dosing-frequency) for counteracting SM-induced corneal injuries. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The study aims to establish a dexamethasone (DEX) treatment regimen by comparing the efficacy of DEX administration at 12 versus 8 hours initiated 2 hours after exposure. DEX administration every 8 hours was more effective in reversing sulfur mustard (SM)-induced corneal injuries. SM injury reversal during DEX administration (initial 28 days after exposure) and sustained [further 28 days after cessation of DEX administration (i.e., up to 56 days after exposure)] effects were assessed using clinical, pathophysiological, and molecular biomarkers.
Topics: Animals; Rabbits; Mustard Gas; Cornea; Chemical Warfare Agents; Corneal Injuries; Dexamethasone
PubMed: 37316330
DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001680 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2023Propolis has numerous biological properties and technological potential, but its low solubility in water makes its use quite difficult. With the advent of... (Review)
Review
Propolis has numerous biological properties and technological potential, but its low solubility in water makes its use quite difficult. With the advent of nanotechnology, better formulations with propolis, such as nanopropolis, can be achieved to improve its properties. Nanopropolis is a natural nanomaterial with several applications, including in the maintenance of food quality. Food safety is a global public health concern since food matrices are highly susceptible to contamination of various natures, leading to food loss and transmission of harmful foodborne illness. Due to their smaller size, propolis nanoparticles are more readily absorbed by the body and have higher antibacterial and antifungal activities than common propolis. This review aims to understand whether using propolis with nanotechnology can help preserve food and prevent foodborne illness. Nanotechnology applied to propolis formulations proved to be effective against pathogenic microorganisms of industrial interest, making it possible to solve problems of outbreaks that can occur through food.
Topics: Humans; Propolis; Foodborne Diseases; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antifungal Agents; Food Microbiology
PubMed: 37836629
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28196785 -
BMC Pediatrics Feb 2024Poisoning among children and adolescents is a public health problem worldwide. To take preventive measures, the pattern of this problem should be determined. This study...
BACKGROUND
Poisoning among children and adolescents is a public health problem worldwide. To take preventive measures, the pattern of this problem should be determined. This study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics of poisoning in children and to investigate the relationship between the types of poisoning and demographic factors in children in Kermanshah province.
METHODS
This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 250 children and adolescents under 18 years of age who were referred to Mohammad Kermanshahi Pediatric Hospital in Kermanshah province due to poisoning during 2019-2022. The demographic and epidemiological data of patients were extracted from their medical files and analyzed.
RESULTS
Out of 250 cases of poisoning, 173 (69.2%) cases were unintentional, 96 (55.5%) of whom were boys. Further, 77 (30.8%) cases of poisoning were intentional, of whom 49 (63.6%) were girls. There was a significant difference between gender and intentional and unintentional poisonings (p-value = 0.005). The median age of unintentional poisoning was 3 (IQR = 2.5) and that of intentional poisoning was 14 (IQR = 2). Most cases of poisoning were in cities, 145 (83.8%) of them were unintentional and 66 (85.7%) were intentional. Most cases of intentional and unintentional poisonings occurred in spring 2017 (35.1%) and autumn 2016 (34.6%), respectively. The most common causes of poisoning were narcotics (n = 36, 34.3%) and drugs (n = 35, 33.3%) in the age group 0-3 years and drugs (n = 46, 66.9) in the age group 11-18 years.
CONCLUSIONS
The most common causes of poisoning were narcotics and drugs in children and drugs in adolescents. To prevent poisoning in children, parents are required to increase their knowledge of the safe storage of narcotics and drugs, such as not storing methadone in a water bottle. Targeted evaluation and preventive measures are also needed in adolescent poisoning.
Topics: Child; Male; Female; Humans; Adolescent; Infant, Newborn; Infant; Child, Preschool; Cities; Iran; Cross-Sectional Studies; Methadone; Narcotics; Poisoning
PubMed: 38383350
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04631-3 -
Bulletin of the World Health... Jul 2023To examine trends in the incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning before and after a ban on domestic use of raw coal in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
OBJECTIVE
To examine trends in the incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning before and after a ban on domestic use of raw coal in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
METHODS
Using injury surveillance data and population estimates, we calculated the incidence per 100 000 person-years of fatal and non-fatal domestic carbon monoxide poisoning before (May 2017 to April 2019) and after (May 2019 to April 2022) the ban in May 2019. We analysed data by age and sex, and compared areas not subjected to the ban with districts where domestic use of raw coal was banned and replaced with refined coal briquettes.
FINDINGS
We obtained complete data on 2247 people with carbon monoxide poisoning during the study period in a population of around 3 million people. In districts with the ban, there were 33 fatal and 151 non-fatal carbon monoxide poisonings before the ban, and 91 fatal and 1633 non-fatal carbon monoxide poisonings after the ban. The annual incidence of poisoning increased in districts with the ban, from 7.2 and 6.4 per 100 000 person-years in the two 12-month periods before the ban to 38.9, 42.0 and 40.1 per 100 000 in the three 12-month periods after the ban. The incidence of poisoning remained high after the ban, despite efforts to educate the public about the correct use of briquettes and the importance of ventilation. The incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning also increased slightly in areas without the ban.
CONCLUSION
Efforts are needed to investigate heating practices among households using briquettes, and to determine factors causing high carbon monoxide concentrations at home.
Topics: Humans; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; Mongolia; Incidence; Coal
PubMed: 37397170
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.22.289232 -
Archives of Toxicology Oct 2023"Novichok" refers to a new group of nerve agents called the A-series agents. Their existence came to light in 2018 after incidents in the UK and again in 2020 in Russia.... (Review)
Review
"Novichok" refers to a new group of nerve agents called the A-series agents. Their existence came to light in 2018 after incidents in the UK and again in 2020 in Russia. They are unique organophosphorus-based compounds developed during the Cold War in a program called Foliant in the USSR. This review is based on original chemical entities from Mirzayanov's memoirs published in 2008. Due to classified research, a considerable debate arose about their structures, and hence, various structural moieties were speculated. For this reason, the scientific literature is highly incomplete and, in some cases, contradictory. This review critically assesses the information published to date on this class of compounds. The scope of this work is to summarize all the available and relevant information, including the physicochemical properties, chemical synthesis, mechanism of action, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and medical countermeasures used to date. The environmental stability of A-series agents, the lack of environmentally safe decontamination, their high toxicity, and the scarcity of information on post-contamination treatment pose a challenge for managing possible incidents.
Topics: Drug Contamination; Nerve Agents; Organophosphorus Compounds
PubMed: 37612377
DOI: 10.1007/s00204-023-03571-8 -
Journal of Food Protection Aug 2023Raw materials associated with foodborne illness outbreaks are rarely available for evaluation. The levels and distribution of Salmonella were determined in naturally...
Raw materials associated with foodborne illness outbreaks are rarely available for evaluation. The levels and distribution of Salmonella were determined in naturally contaminated raw cashews linked to a salmonellosis outbreak associated with a fermented cashew cheese analog. Two unopened 22.7-kg boxes from a single lot of cashew kernel pieces were each divided into seven approximately equal units, 14 in total. Three 10-g subsamples per unit (n = 21) were evaluated for aerobic plate count (APC), coliform counts, and Escherichia coli counts, and 10 50-g subsamples per unit (n = 70) were enriched for the presence of Salmonella. Presumptive Salmonella-positive colonies were confirmed using CHROMagar Salmonella and real-time PCR (invA) and then serotyped using antigenic methods and genome sequencing prediction tools. APC and coliform counts ranged from 1.81 to 5.47 (mean 2.44 ± 0.63) log CFU/g and 0.60 to 5.20 (mean 1.74 ± 0.80) log CFU/g, respectively. Salmonella was recovered from four units in Box 1 and all seven units in Box 2. One of the 10 subsamples was positive in all but four of the positive units; one (Box 1) and three (Box 2) units had two positive subsamples. The level of Salmonella in the two boxes combined was 0.0023 most probable number/g (95% confidence interval [0.0014, 0.0038]). Salmonella Urbana was isolated from three of five positive subsamples in Box 1 and eight of 10 positive subsamples in Box 2. Salmonella Fresno and Vinohrady were unique to single subsamples from Box 1, and Salmonella Nima was isolated from two subsamples from Box 2. Of the four serovars recovered, Salmonella Urbana and Salmonella Vinohrady were in common with outbreak-associated clinical or product isolates. Understanding the distribution and concentration of Salmonella in naturally contaminated cashews provides important information for hazard analysis and risk assessments for soaked and fermented cashew products.
Topics: Anacardium; Food Microbiology; Salmonella; Salmonella Food Poisoning; Escherichia coli; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Colony Count, Microbial
PubMed: 37257696
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2023.100109 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jul 2023Larvae of the genus (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Megalopygidae), known as asp or puss caterpillars, produce defensive venoms that cause severe pain. Here, we present the...
Larvae of the genus (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Megalopygidae), known as asp or puss caterpillars, produce defensive venoms that cause severe pain. Here, we present the anatomy, chemistry, and mode of action of the venom systems of caterpillars of two megalopygid species, the Southern flannel moth and the black-waved flannel moth . We show that megalopygid venom is produced in secretory cells that lie beneath the cuticle and are connected to the venom spines by canals. Megalopygid venoms consist of large aerolysin-like pore-forming toxins, which we have named megalysins, and a small number of peptides. The venom system differs markedly from those of previously studied venomous zygaenoids of the family Limacodidae, suggestive of an independent origin. Megalopygid venom potently activates mammalian sensory neurons via membrane permeabilization and induces sustained spontaneous pain behavior and paw swelling in mice. These bioactivities are ablated by treatment with heat, organic solvents, or proteases, indicating that they are mediated by larger proteins such as the megalysins. We show that the megalysins were recruited as venom toxins in the Megalopygidae following horizontal transfer of genes from bacteria to the ancestors of ditrysian Lepidoptera. Megalopygids have recruited aerolysin-like proteins as venom toxins convergently with centipedes, cnidarians, and fish. This study highlights the role of horizontal gene transfer in venom evolution.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Moths; Bites and Stings; Larva; Venoms; Toxins, Biological; Pain; Mammals
PubMed: 37428925
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305871120 -
The American Journal of Emergency... Dec 2023A 48-year-old male intentionally ingested "gopher killer" containing strychnine as a, suicide attempt. He rapidly developed generalized muscle spasms with opisthotonos...
A 48-year-old male intentionally ingested "gopher killer" containing strychnine as a, suicide attempt. He rapidly developed generalized muscle spasms with opisthotonos followed by cardiovascular collapse. He was resuscitated, treated with 24 h of, neuromuscular paralysis, and was discharged on hospital day 10 without sequelae. A blood strychnine concentration obtained five hours post ingestion was 2.2 mg/L. Strychnine poisoning is exceedingly rare in the modern United States and this report contains a video recording of the classic exam findings.
Topics: Male; Humans; United States; Middle Aged; Strychnine; Spasm; Suicide, Attempted; Disease Progression; Poisoning
PubMed: 37805370
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.09.055 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Aug 2023
Topics: Humans; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Medicine, Ayurvedic
PubMed: 37553150
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.230592