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Alternative Therapies in Health and... Jun 2024Cadmium poisoning is mainly caused by inhalation of cadmium dust or cadmium compound dust, which greatly harms people's lives. Tea polyphenols extracted from green tea...
Effect of Tea Polyphenols on Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-related Factor 2 (NRF2) and Kelch-like ECH-associated Protein 1 (KEAP1) Gene Expression in Mice with Acute Cadmium Poisoning.
BACKGROUND
Cadmium poisoning is mainly caused by inhalation of cadmium dust or cadmium compound dust, which greatly harms people's lives. Tea polyphenols extracted from green tea have wide biological properties, including anti-cardiovascular disease, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulation. The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) are involved in the regulation of cadmium-induced oxidative damage. However, whether tea polyphenols relieve acute cadmium poisoning via regulating NRF2 and KEAP1 gene expression remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the influences of tea polyphenols on NRF2 and KEAP1 gene expression in mice with acute cadmium poisoning.
DESIGN
This is an animal experiment that adopts hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining.
SETTING
This study was carried out in Zunyi Medical and Pharmaceutical College.
PARTICIPANTS
Fifty specific pathogen-free (SPF) male Kunming mice aged 9 weeks, weighing 18-22 g were divided into five groups: normal group, model group, low-dose tea polyphenols group, middle-dose tea polyphenols group, and high-dose tea polyphenols group.
INTERVENTIONS
Tea polyphenols were administered intraastrically into mice with doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg for 10 consecutive days, respectively.
OBSERVATION INDICATORS
(1) liver coefficient, (2) pathological liver injury, (3) liver function, (4) oxidative damage, and (5) NRF2 and KEAP1 gene expression.
RESULTS
The liver coefficient, pathological liver injury, serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels of the model group were higher relative to the normal group (P < .05). Relative to the model group, different doses of tea polyphenols treatment significantly relieved liver coefficient, pathological liver injury, serum aspartate transaminase, and alanine transaminase levels (P < .05). Malondialdehyde content in liver tissues of the model group was significantly higher compared to the normal group, while glutathione together with glutathione peroxidase contents of the model group was lower (P < .05). Compared to the model group, malondialdehyde content in liver tissues declined while glutathione together with glutathione peroxidase contents were elevated after different doses of tea polyphenols treatment (P < .05). Relative to the normal group, NRF2 expression in the liver tissues of the model group was significantly lower, while KEAP1 expression was higher (P < .05). Relative to the model group, NRF2 expression in the liver tissues was elevated after treatment of different doses of tea polyphenols, while KEAP1 expression was declined (P < .05).
CONCLUSION
Tea polyphenols can relieve liver injury in mice with acute cadmium poisoning by regulating NRF2 and KEAP1 expression. Our study might provide a promising treatment strategy for acute cadmium poisoning.
PubMed: 38940783
DOI: No ID Found -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... Jun 2024
Review
Topics: Humans; Cocaine-Related Disorders; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Cocaine; Animals; Yin-Yang
PubMed: 38940056
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2906215 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition) May 2024Fungi are a large group of eukaryotic microorganisms that can readily adapt to diverse environments and occur in almost all climatic zones and continents. Although some... (Review)
Review
Fungi are a large group of eukaryotic microorganisms that can readily adapt to diverse environments and occur in almost all climatic zones and continents. Although some fungi are inevitable in the environment for the decay and recycling of organic material, many species are known to produce secondary metabolites, and these mycotoxins, when ingested with food or feed materials, can adversely affect animal and human health. Among the toxigenic fungi, species are recognized as so-called field fungi, invading crops and producing mycotoxins predominantly before harvest. produces a wide array of mycotoxins, causing different plant diseases. Fusariosis causes significant economic losses in a wide range of crops. secondary metabolites, particularly trichothecenes, are potent toxins in mammalian species and cause diverse adverse effects in humans and animals. Other prominent toxins with entirely different chemical structures are zearalenone and its derivatives and fumonisins. With an entirely different life cycle, toxins of endophytes belonging to the genus Epichloë and and comprise an animal health risk, particularly for grazing animals. This review aimed to summarize the adverse effects of selected and toxins, with a special emphasis on their occurrence in roughages and their mechanisms of action, and describe their effect on animal health and welfare and the potentially related public health risks.
Topics: Fusarium; Mycotoxins; Animals; Mycotoxicosis; Hypocreales
PubMed: 38939909
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbe1602012 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024Pesticides are widely used in agricultural activities. Although pesticide use is known to cause damage to the human body, its relationship with thyroid function remains...
BACKGROUND
Pesticides are widely used in agricultural activities. Although pesticide use is known to cause damage to the human body, its relationship with thyroid function remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between pesticide exposure and thyroid function.
METHODS
The Chinese database used included 60 patients with pyrethroid poisoning and 60 participants who underwent health checkups between June 2022 and June 2023. The NHANES database included 1,315 adults enrolled from 2007 to 2012. The assessed pesticide and their metabolites included 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4F3PB), para-nitrophenol (PN), 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3P), and trans-dichlorovinyl-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid (TDDC). The evaluated indicators of thyroid function were measured by the blood from the included population. The relationship between pesticide exposure and thyroid function indexes was investigated using linear regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), restricted cubic spline (RCS), and weighted quantile sum (WQS) models.
RESULTS
The Chinese data showed that pesticide exposure was negatively correlated with the thyroid function indicators FT4, TT4, TgAb, and TPOAb (all < 0.05). The BKMR model analysis of the NHANES data showed that the metabolic mixture of multiple pesticides was negatively associated with FT4, TSH, and Tg, similar to the Chinese database findings. Additionally, linear regression analysis demonstrated positive correlations between 2,4-D and FT3 ( = 0.041) and 4F3PB and FT4 ( = 0.003), whereas negative associations were observed between 4F3PB and Tg ( = 0.001), 4F3PB and TgAb ( = 0.006), 3P and TgAB ( = 0.006), 3P and TPOAb ( = 0.03), PN and TSH ( = 0.003), PN and TT4 ( = 0.031), and TDDC and TPOAb ( < 0.001). RCS curves highlighted that most pesticide metabolites were negatively correlated with thyroid function indicators. Finally, WQS model analysis revealed significant differences in the weights of different pesticide metabolites on the thyroid function indexes.
CONCLUSION
There is a significant negative correlation between pesticide metabolites and thyroid function indicators, and the influence weights of different pesticide metabolites on thyroid function indicators are significantly different. More research is needed to further validate the association between different pesticide metabolites and thyroid disease.
Topics: Humans; Pesticides; Male; Female; Middle Aged; China; Adult; Thyroid Gland; Nutrition Surveys; Thyroid Function Tests; Environmental Exposure; Databases, Factual; Aged; 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid; East Asian People
PubMed: 38939562
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1378027 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2024Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal highly toxic to living organisms. Cd pollution of soils has become a serious problem worldwide, posing a severe threat to crop production... (Review)
Review
Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal highly toxic to living organisms. Cd pollution of soils has become a serious problem worldwide, posing a severe threat to crop production and human health. When plants are poisoned by Cd, their growth and development are inhibited, chloroplasts are severely damaged, and respiration and photosynthesis are negatively affected. Therefore, elucidating the molecular mechanisms that underlie Cd tolerance in plants is important. Transcription factors can bind to specific plant cis-acting genes. Transcription factors are frequently reported to be involved in various signaling pathways involved in plant growth and development. Their role in the resistance to environmental stress factors, particularly Cd, should not be underestimated. The roles of several transcription factor families in the regulation of plant resistance to Cd stress have been widely demonstrated. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of five major transcription factor families-WRKY, ERF, MYB, bHLH, and bZIP-in plant resistance to Cd stress to provide useful information for using molecular techniques to solve Cd pollution problems in the future.
PubMed: 38938636
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1397289 -
Journal of Medical Case Reports Jun 2024We present a unique case of rhinolalia as the first recognizable sign of spontaneous pneumomediastinum and surgical emphysema following drug use.
BACKGROUND
We present a unique case of rhinolalia as the first recognizable sign of spontaneous pneumomediastinum and surgical emphysema following drug use.
CASE PRESENTATION
This case presents a 17-year-old white male experiencing rhinolalia following ecstasy ingestion at a rave. Subsequent chest X-ray revealed extensive surgical emphysema, along with a continuous diaphragm sign indicative of pneumomediastinum. Computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was managed conservatively with strict monitoring and 6 hourly electrocardiograms. Follow-up computed tomography on day 3 showed resolution of pneumomediastinum and surgical emphysema, and the patient was safely discharged. Notably, the patient experienced a temporary rhinolalia during the acute phase, which resolved spontaneously as his condition improved.
CONCLUSIONS
This case underscores the importance of considering spontaneous pneumomediastinum and surgical emphysema in the differential diagnosis of young individuals presenting with acute symptoms after drug use.
Topics: Humans; Male; Mediastinal Emphysema; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Adolescent; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Subcutaneous Emphysema; Diagnosis, Differential
PubMed: 38937843
DOI: 10.1186/s13256-024-04618-9 -
BMC Genomics Jun 2024The CBM13 family comprises carbohydrate-binding modules that occur mainly in enzymes and in several ricin-B lectins. The ricin-B lectin domain resembles the CBM13 module...
BACKGROUND
The CBM13 family comprises carbohydrate-binding modules that occur mainly in enzymes and in several ricin-B lectins. The ricin-B lectin domain resembles the CBM13 module to a large extent. Historically, ricin-B lectins and CBM13 proteins were considered completely distinct, despite their structural and functional similarities.
RESULTS
In this data mining study, we investigate structural and functional similarities of these intertwined protein groups. Because of the high structural and functional similarities, and differences in nomenclature usage in several databases, confusion can arise. First, we demonstrate how public protein databases use different nomenclature systems to describe CBM13 modules and putative ricin-B lectin domains. We suggest the introduction of a novel CBM13 domain identifier, as well as the extension of CAZy cross-references in UniProt to guard the distinction between CAZy and non-CAZy entries in public databases. Since similar problems may occur with other lectin families and CBM families, we suggest the introduction of novel CBM InterPro domain identifiers to all existing CBM families. Second, we investigated phylogenetic, nomenclatural and structural similarities between putative ricin-B lectin domains and CBM13 modules, making use of sequence similarity networks. We concluded that the ricin-B/CBM13 superfamily may be larger than initially thought and that several putative ricin-B lectin domains may display CAZyme functionalities, although biochemical proof remains to be delivered.
CONCLUSIONS
Ricin-B lectin domains and CBM13 modules are associated groups of proteins whose database semantics are currently biased towards ricin-B lectins. Revision of the CAZy cross-reference in UniProt and introduction of a dedicated CBM13 domain identifier in InterPro may resolve this issue. In addition, our analyses show that several proteins with putative ricin-B lectin domains show very strong structural similarity to CBM13 modules. Therefore ricin-B lectin domains and CBM13 modules could be considered distant members of a larger ricin-B/CBM13 superfamily.
Topics: Ricin; Phylogeny; Lectins; Protein Domains; Databases, Protein; Amino Acid Sequence; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
PubMed: 38937673
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10554-1 -
Indian Journal of Public Health Oct 2023A prospective observational study was conducted in a rural tertiary health-care hospital in the Maval region to analyze sociodemographic contributors, clinical profile,... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
A prospective observational study was conducted in a rural tertiary health-care hospital in the Maval region to analyze sociodemographic contributors, clinical profile, and outcomes in snake envenomation. Fifty-eight patients with confirmed snakebites admitted to the hospital from November 2019 to August 2021 were studied. Snakebite was found to be the most common in middle-aged adult male agricultural population while working outdoors in the daytime. Bleeding from the bite site and other areas such as the oral cavity, swelling, and bluish discoloration of the affected limb were the clinical features observed. Complications such as cellulitis and acute kidney injury were detected in 81% of patients. Despite this, there was no mortality or permanent disability in any of the patients. The knowledge of risk factors can help the vulnerable agrarian population to protect themselves from snakebites. Good medical facilities such as intensive care units, laboratory support, and availability of antisnake venom and blood products are important determinants in final patient outcome.
Topics: Snake Bites; Humans; Male; India; Adult; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Female; Tertiary Care Centers; Young Adult; Adolescent; Risk Factors; Antivenins; Aged
PubMed: 38934808
DOI: 10.4103/ijph.ijph_1337_22 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Jun 2024Acute intoxication is a common chief complaint in emergency medicine, but there is a lack of up-to-date studies from the emergency departments in Norway on the incidence...
BACKGROUND
Acute intoxication is a common chief complaint in emergency medicine, but there is a lack of up-to-date studies from the emergency departments in Norway on the incidence and prevalence of various toxic substances. The aim of this study was to survey acute intoxications at the emergency department of St Olav's Hospital, Trondheim.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
In this review of patient records, we used data from the emergency department at St Olav's Hospital in Trondheim in the period 1 January 2019-31 December 2020. All cases with 'acute intoxication' as the reason for the emergency department visit were included.
RESULTS
In a patient population of 836 unique patients, there were a total of 1423 intoxications, of which 168/836 patients (20.0 %) had more than one intoxication episode in the period. The median age was 31 years (interquartile range 22-47), and 395/836 (47.2 %) of the patients were women. Combined drug intoxication constituted 666/1423 (46.8 %) of the cases, and the most frequent intoxications were from ethanol: 802/1423 (56.4 %); benzodiazepines 314/1423 (24.0 %); and opioids 243/1423 (17.1 %). Altogether, 1146/1423 (80.5 %) incidents resulted in hospital admission. There were no deaths during their hospital stay.
INTERPRETATION
Emergency departments must be prepared to manage patients who have taken various poisoning agents. The antidotes must be available, and it must be possible to perform interventions.
Topics: Humans; Norway; Emergency Service, Hospital; Adult; Female; Male; Hospitals, University; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Poisoning; Benzodiazepines; Alcoholic Intoxication; Retrospective Studies; Incidence; Adolescent; Drug Overdose
PubMed: 38934322
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.23.0417 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Jun 2024Alpha-gal allergy or red meat allergy is a rare yet potentially severe allergy. Sensitisation usually occurs when alpha-gal present in the tick's saliva is transferred...
BACKGROUND
Alpha-gal allergy or red meat allergy is a rare yet potentially severe allergy. Sensitisation usually occurs when alpha-gal present in the tick's saliva is transferred to humans during a tick bite, prompting the production of IgE antibodies to alpha-gal. Subsequent exposure to mammalian meat or other products containing alpha-gal can lead to allergic reactions.
CASE PRESENTATION
A previously healthy man in his sixties was admitted with acute anaphylaxis. A history of multiple tick bites and recent consumption of mammalian meat raised suspicion of anaphylaxis caused by alpha-gal syndrome.
INTERPRETATION
A diagnosis of alpha-gal syndrome was given based on elevated alpha-gal IgE antibodies, and further supported by medical history and clinical assessment. He was discharged with dietary instructions to eliminate food and products containing alpha-gal, and to manage allergy symptoms and anaphylaxis according to local guidelines.
Topics: Humans; Anaphylaxis; Food Hypersensitivity; Male; Immunoglobulin E; Tick Bites; Middle Aged; Red Meat
PubMed: 38934309
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.24.0122