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Sample records for no-observed-adverse-effect level noael

  1. Acute Oral Toxicity of Tetrodotoxin in Mice: Determination of Lethal Dose 50 (LD50 and No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Abal

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Tetrodotoxin (TTX is starting to appear in molluscs from the European waters and is a hazard to seafood consumers. This toxin blocks sodium channels resulting in neuromuscular paralysis and even death. As a part of the risk assessment process leading to a safe seafood level for TTX, oral toxicity data are required. In this study, a 4-level Up and Down Procedure was designed in order to determine for the first time the oral lethal dose 50 (LD50 and the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL in mice by using an accurate well-characterized TTX standard.

  2. Comparing probabilistic and descriptive analyses of time–dose–toxicity relationship for determining no-observed-adverse-effect level in drug development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glatard, Anaïs; Berges, Aliénor; Sahota, Tarjinder; Ambery, Claire; Osborne, Jan; Smith, Randall; Hénin, Emilie; Chen, Chao

    2015-01-01

    The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of a drug defined from animal studies is important for inferring a maximal safe dose in human. However, several issues are associated with its concept, determination and application. It is confined to the actual doses used in the study; becomes lower with increasing sample size or dose levels; and reflects the risk level seen in the experiment rather than what may be relevant for human. We explored a pharmacometric approach in an attempt to address these issues. We first used simulation to examine the behaviour of the NOAEL values as determined by current common practice; and then fitted the probability of toxicity as a function of treatment duration and dose to data collected from all applicable toxicology studies of a test compound. Our investigation was in the context of an irreversible toxicity that is detected at the end of the study. Simulations illustrated NOAEL's dependency on experimental factors such as dose and sample size, as well as the underlying uncertainty. Modelling the probability as a continuous function of treatment duration and dose simultaneously to data from multiple studies allowed the estimation of the dose, along with its confidence interval, for a maximal risk level that might be deemed as acceptable for human. The model-based data integration also reconciled between-study inconsistency and explicitly provided maximised estimation confidence. Such alternative NOAEL determination method should be explored for its more efficient data use, more quantifiable insight to toxic doses, and the potential for more relevant animal-to-human translation. - Highlights: • Simulations revealed issues with NOAEL concept, determination and application. • Probabilistic modelling was used to address these issues. • The model integrated time-dose-toxicity data from multiple studies. • The approach uses data efficiently and may allow more meaningful human translation.

  3. Comparing probabilistic and descriptive analyses of time–dose–toxicity relationship for determining no-observed-adverse-effect level in drug development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glatard, Anaïs; Berges, Aliénor; Sahota, Tarjinder; Ambery, Claire [Clinical Pharmacology Modelling and Simulation, GlaxoSmithKline, 1 Iron Bridge Road, Uxbridge, UB11 1BT London (United Kingdom); Osborne, Jan [Non-Clinical Safety Projects, GlaxoSmithKline, Ware (United Kingdom); Smith, Randall [Computational Toxicology, GlaxoSmithKline, Upper Merion (United States); Hénin, Emilie [UMR 5558 Laboratoire Biométrie et de Biologie Evolutive, Equipe EMET (Evaluation et Modélisation des Effets Thérapeutiques), Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Service de Pharmacologie Clinique et Essais Thérapeutiques, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon (France); Chen, Chao, E-mail: chao.c.chen@gsk.com [Clinical Pharmacology Modelling and Simulation, GlaxoSmithKline, 1 Iron Bridge Road, Uxbridge, UB11 1BT London (United Kingdom)

    2015-10-15

    The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of a drug defined from animal studies is important for inferring a maximal safe dose in human. However, several issues are associated with its concept, determination and application. It is confined to the actual doses used in the study; becomes lower with increasing sample size or dose levels; and reflects the risk level seen in the experiment rather than what may be relevant for human. We explored a pharmacometric approach in an attempt to address these issues. We first used simulation to examine the behaviour of the NOAEL values as determined by current common practice; and then fitted the probability of toxicity as a function of treatment duration and dose to data collected from all applicable toxicology studies of a test compound. Our investigation was in the context of an irreversible toxicity that is detected at the end of the study. Simulations illustrated NOAEL's dependency on experimental factors such as dose and sample size, as well as the underlying uncertainty. Modelling the probability as a continuous function of treatment duration and dose simultaneously to data from multiple studies allowed the estimation of the dose, along with its confidence interval, for a maximal risk level that might be deemed as acceptable for human. The model-based data integration also reconciled between-study inconsistency and explicitly provided maximised estimation confidence. Such alternative NOAEL determination method should be explored for its more efficient data use, more quantifiable insight to toxic doses, and the potential for more relevant animal-to-human translation. - Highlights: • Simulations revealed issues with NOAEL concept, determination and application. • Probabilistic modelling was used to address these issues. • The model integrated time-dose-toxicity data from multiple studies. • The approach uses data efficiently and may allow more meaningful human translation.

  4. Sub-NOAEL amounts of vinclozolin and xenoestrogens target rat chondrogenesis in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auxietre, Thuy-Anh; Dumontier, Marie-France; Balguy, Irene; Frapart, Yves; Canivenc-Lavier, Marie-Chantal; Berges, Raymond; Boudalia, Sofiane; Auger, Jacques; Corvol, Marie-Therese; Savouret, Jean-François

    2014-04-01

    Several endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) elicit skeletal dysgenesis at pharmacological doses. We have investigated the impact of doses below the "No Observed Adverse Effect" (NOAEL) for vinclozolin (V), an anti-androgenic fungicide, alone or associated with xenoestrogens (Genistein, G and bisphenol-A, BPA). V, G, BPA and their combinations were administered orally to female Wistar rats during gestation and lactation. F1 and F2 offspring were investigated for skeletal anomalies at post-natal days 30, 110 (d30, d110). Skeletal development was monitored by measuring caudal vertebrae and long bones dimensions by X-ray micro-CT-scan. A significant increase in Inter Transverse Apophysis (ITA) distance at the upper head of caudal vertebrae, associated with a reduction in vertebral body height was observed in treated F1 females, but not males. Histometrical analysis of vertebral body growth plate cartilage was performed on serial sections of caudal vertebrae. F1 females but not males showed a diminution in growth plate thickness, with greater impact on the hypertrophic zone. All effects were maximal at d30. Effects on ITA width persisted until d110 while effects on growth plate disappeared. These effects were essentially vinclozolin or BPA-dependent. F2 animals were not affected. Our data suggest that vinclozolin and xenoestrogens act as cartilage developmental disruptors. We suggest that present NOAEL values for these compounds, and EDC at large, might be reconsidered using gestational exposure models. Finally, micro CT-scan appears a valuable non-invasive technique to detect EDC effects on live fauna. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. NOAEL-dose of a neonicotinoid pesticide, clothianidin, acutely induce anxiety-related behavior with human-audible vocalizations in male mice in a novel environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirano, Tetsushi; Yanai, Shogo; Takada, Tadashi; Yoneda, Naoki; Omotehara, Takuya; Kubota, Naoto; Minami, Kiichi; Yamamoto, Anzu; Mantani, Youhei; Yokoyama, Toshifumi; Kitagawa, Hiroshi; Hoshi, Nobuhiko

    2018-01-05

    Neonicotinoids are novel systemic pesticides acting as agonists on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of insects. Experimental studies have revealed that neonicotinoids pose potential risks for the nervous systems of non-target species, but the brain regions responsible for their behavioral effects remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess the neurobehavioral effects of clothianidin (CTD), a later neonicotinoid developed in 2001 and widely used worldwide, and to explore the target regions of neonicotinoids in the mammalian brain. A single-administration of 5 or 50mg/kg CTD to male C57BL/6N mice at or below the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) induced an acute increase in anxiety during the elevated plus-maze test. In addition, mice in the CTD-administered group spontaneously emitted human-audible vocalizations (4-16kHz), which are behavioral signs of aversive emotions, and showed increased numbers of c-fos immunoreactive cells in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In conclusion, mice exposed to NOAEL-dose CTD would be rendered vulnerable to a novel environment via the activation of thalamic and hippocampal regions related to stress responses. These findings should provide critical insight into the neurobehavioral effects of neonicotinoids on mammals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Prenatal and early postnatal NOAEL-dose clothianidin exposure leads to a reduction of germ cells in juvenile male mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanai, Shogo; Hirano, Tetsushi; Omotehara, Takuya; Takada, Tadashi; Yoneda, Naoki; Kubota, Naoto; Yamamoto, Anzu; Mantani, Youhei; Yokoyama, Toshifumi; Kitagawa, Hiroshi; Hoshi, Nobuhiko

    2017-07-07

    Neonicotinoids are pesticides used worldwide. They bind to insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) with high affinity. We previously reported that clothianidin (CTD), one of the latest neonicotinoids, reduced antioxidant expression and induced germ cell death in the adult testis of vertebrates. Here, we investigated the male reproductive toxicity of prenatal and early postnatal exposure to CTD, because it is likely that developmental exposure more severely affects the testis compared to adults due to the absence of the blood-testis barrier. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were given water gel blended with CTD (0, 10 or 50 mg/kg/day; no-observed-adverse-effect-level [NOAEL for mice]: 47.2 mg/kg/day) between gestational day 1 and 14 days post-partum. We then examined the testes of male offspring at postnatal day 14. The testis weights and the numbers of germ cells per seminiferous tubule were decreased in the CTD-50 group, and abnormal tubules containing no germ cells appeared. Nevertheless, the apoptotic cell number and proliferative activity were not significantly different between the control and CTD-exposed groups. There were no significant differences in the androgen-related parameters, such as the Leydig cell volume per testis, the Sertoli cell number and the tubule diameter. The present study is the first demonstration that in utero and lactational exposures to CTD at around the NOAEL for mice reduce the germ cell number, but our findings suggest that these exposures do not affect steroidogenesis in Leydig cells during prenatal or early postnatal life.

  7. The application of in vitro data in the derivation of the acceptable daily intake of food additives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Walton, K.; Walker, R.; Sandt, J.J.M. van de; Castell, J.V.; Knapp, A.G.A.A.; Kozianowski, G.; Roberfroid, M.; Schilter, B.

    1999-01-01

    The acceptable daily intake (ADI) for food additives is commonly derived from the NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect level) in long-term animal in vivo studies. To derive an ADI a safety or uncertainty factor (commonly 100) is applied to the NOAEL in the most sensitive test species. The 100-fold

  8. Low-dose effects of bisphenol A on early sexual development in male and female rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Sofie; Petersen, Marta Axelstad; Boberg, Julie

    2014-01-01

    the influence of BPA on early sexual development in male and female rats at dose levels covering both regulatory no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) (5 and 50 mg/kg bw per day) as well as doses in the microgram per kilogram dose range (0.025 and 0.25 mg/kg bw per day). Time-mated Wistar rats (n=22) were...... in both sexes indicates effects on prenatal sexual development and provides new evidence of low-dose adverse effects of BPA in rats in the microgram per kilogram dose range. The NOAEL in this study is clearly below 5 mg/kg for BPA, which is used as the basis for establishment of the current tolerable......Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely detected in human urine and blood. BPA has been reported to impair many endpoints for reproductive and neurological development; however, it is controversial whether BPA has effects in the microgram per kilogram dose range. The aim of the current study was to examine...

  9. Low-level exposure of guinea pigs and marmosets to sarin vapour in air: Lowest-observable-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) for miosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Helden, H.P.M. van; Trap, H.C.; Kuijpers, W.C.; Oostdijk, J.P.; Benschop, H.P.; Langenberg, J.P.

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this pilot study was to indicate, for low-level exposure of conscious guinea pigs and marmoset monkeys to sarin vapour in air, the lowest-observable-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) of sarin for miosis. This is the concentration × time (C·t) value (t = 5 h) of exposure at which miosis

  10. Subchronic Inhalation Toxicity Study of n-pentane in Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong-Kyu Kim

    2012-09-01

    Conclusion: The no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL of n-pentane is evaluated as being more than 6,885 ppm (20.3 mg/L in both male and female rats. n-pentane was not a classified specific target organ toxicity in the globally harmonized classification system (GHS.

  11. Assessment of the safety of hydrogenated resistant maltodextrin: reverse mutation assay, acute and 90-day subchronic repeated oral toxicity in rats, and acute no-effect level for diarrhea in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshikawa, Yuko; Kishimoto, Yuka; Tagami, Hiroyuki; Kanahori, Sumiko

    2013-01-01

    A series of safety assessments were performed on hydrogenated resistant maltodextrin prepared by converting the reducing terminal glucose of resistant maltodextrin into sorbitol. The reverse mutation assay did not show mutagenicity. Acute and 90-day subchronic oral toxicity studies in rats showed no death was observed in any groups, including the group receiving the highest single dose of 10 g/kg body weight or the highest dose of 5 g/kg body weight per day for 90 days. Mucous or watery stools were observed in the hydrogenated resistant maltodextrin treatment group on the acute study, which were transient and were associated with the osmotic pressure caused by intake of the high concentrations. Subchronic study showed dose-dependent increases in the weights of cecum alone, cecal contents alone, and cecum with cecal contents as well as hypertrophy of the cecal mucosal epithelium, which are considered to be common physiological responses after intake of indigestible carbohydrates. These results indicated that the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of hydrogenated resistant maltodextrin was 10 g/kg body weight or more on the acute oral toxicity study and 5.0 g/kg body weight/day or more on the 90-day subchronic repeated oral toxicity study in rats. Further study performed in healthy adult humans showed that the acute no-effect level of hydrogenated resistant maltodextrin for diarrhea was 0.8 g/kg body weight for men and more than 1.0 g/kg body weight for women. The results of the current safety assessment studies suggest that hydrogenated resistant maltodextrin is safe for human consumption.

  12. Hazard characterisation of chemicals in food and diet : dose response, mechanisms and extrapolation issues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dybing, E.; Doe, J.; Groten, J.; Kleiner, J.; O'Brien, J.; Renwick, A.G.; Schlatter, J.; Steinberg, P.; Tritscher, A.; Walker, R.; Younes, M.

    2002-01-01

    Hazard characterisation of low molecular weight chemicals in food and diet generally use a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) or a benchmark dose as the starting point. For hazards that are considered not to have thresholds for their mode of action, low-dose extrapolation and other modelling

  13. Oral repeated-dose systemic and reproductive toxicity of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pushkor Mukerji

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH was evaluated for potential systemic repeated-dose and reproductive toxicity in mice. 6:2 FTOH was administered by oral gavage to CD-1 mice as a suspension in 0.5% aqueous methylcellulose with 0.1% Tween-80 at dosages of 1, 5, 25, or 100 mg/kg/day. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL for systemic toxicity was 25 mg/kg/day (males and 5 mg/kg/day (females, based on effects at higher doses on mortality, clinical observations, body weight, nutritional parameters, hematology (red and white blood cell, clinical chemistry (liver-related, liver weights, and histopathology (liver, teeth, reproductive tract, and mammary gland. However, 6:2 FTOH was not a selective reproductive toxicant. The NOAEL for reproductive toxicity was >100 mg/kg/day; no effects on reproductive outcome were observed at any dosage. The NOAEL for viability and growth of the offspring was 25 mg/kg/day, based on clinical signs of delayed maturation in pups, and reductions in pup survival and pup body weight during lactation at 100 mg/kg/day. While the severity of the effects was generally greater in mice than previously reported in CD rats, the overall NOAELs were identical in both species, 5 mg/kg/day for systemic toxicity and 25 mg/kg/day for offspring viability/growth. 6:2 FTOH was not a selective reproductive toxicant in either species; no effects on reproductive outcome occurred at any dose level, and any effects observed in offspring occurred at dose levels that induced mortality and severe toxicity in maternal animals.

  14. Are there any remarkable effects of prenatal exposure to food colourings on neurobehaviour and learning process in rat offspring?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doguc, Duygu Kumbul; Aylak, Firdevs; Ilhan, Ilter; Kulac, Esin; Gultekin, Fatih

    2015-01-01

    Artificial food colourings and additives (AFCAs) have long been discussed to have adverse effects on cognition and behaviour in children. In this study, our aim was to assess the probable side effects of prenatal exposure to colouring food additives on neurobehaviour and spatial learning process. We administered 'no observable adverse effect levels' (NOAELs) of common used AFCAs as a mixture (erythrosine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red AC, Sunset yellow FCF, tartrazine, Amaranth, Brilliant Blue, Azorubine and Indigotine) to female rats before and during gestation and tested their effects on spatial working memory and behaviour in their offspring. Effects of AFCAs on spatial working memory were evaluated by Morris water maze, behavioural and locomotor effects by open-field and forced-swim tests. Prenatal exposure to commonly used AFCAs had no adverse effects on spatial working memory; however, assessment of interaction of sex and AFCAs on 'latency to locate the visible platform', which was used as a measure of motivation, showed a significant interaction (P < 0.05) on female rats. In addition, AFCAs caused an increase in anxiolytic like effect in the open-field test (P < 0.05) and an increase in mobility time (P < 0.05) in the forced-swim test. We also detected a significant interaction of sex and AFCAs on forced-swim test parameters (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that prenatal exposure to NOAELs of AFCAs resulted in implicit adverse effects that caused an increase in motility and a decrease in motivation and anxiety in offspring in sex-related manner.

  15. [Effects of excess nicotinic acid on growth and the urinary excretion of B-group vitamins and the metabolism of tryptophan in weaning rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuwatari, Tsutomu; Kurata, Kaori; Shibata, Katsumi

    2009-04-01

    To determine the tolerable upper intake level of nicotinic acid in humans, we investigated the effects of excess nicotinic acid administration on body weight gain, food intake, and urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins and the metabolism of tryptophan in weaning rats. The weaning rats were freely fed a niacin-free 20% casein diet (control diet) or the same diet with 0.1%, 0.3% or 0.5% nicotinic acid for 23 days. The excess nicotinic acid intake did not affect body weight gain, food intake, serotonin contents in the brain, stomach and small intestine, or the urinary excretions of water-soluble vitamins. Although excess nicotinic acid did not affect the upper part of the tryptophan-nicotinamide pathway, 0.5% nicotinic acid diet increased the urinary excretion of quinolinic acid. The diet containing more than 0.3% nicotinic acid also increased the urinary excretion of nicotinic acid, which is usually below the limit of detection. As determined from the results of body weight gain and food intake as indices for apparent adverse effects, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for nicotinic acid was 0.5% in diet, corresponding to 450 mg/kg body weight/day. As judged from in increase of urinary quinolinic acid and nicotinic acid as indices of metabolic change, NOAEL was 0.1% in diet, corresponding to 90 mg/kg body weight/day, and the lowest-observed-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) was 0.3% in diet, corresponding to 270 mg/kg body weight/day.

  16. Calcium lignosulphonate: re-evaluation of relevant endpoints to re-confirm validity and NOAEL of a 90-day feeding study in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiel, Anette; Braun, William; Cary, Maurice G; Engelhardt, Jeffery A; Goodman, Dawn G; Hall, William C; Romeike, Annette; Ward, Jerrold M

    2013-08-01

    A 90-day feeding study in Han/Wistar rats with calcium lignosulphonate was evaluated by the EFSA. The study was considered to be inadequate due to potentially impaired health status of the animals based upon a high incidence of minimal lymphoid hyperplasia in mesenteric/mandibular lymph nodes and Peyer's patches, and minimal lymphoid cell infiltration in the liver in all animals. The EFSA Panel further disagreed with the conclusion that the treatment-related observation of foamy histiocytosis in mesenteric lymph nodes was non-adverse and asked whether this observation would progress to something more adverse over time. A PWG was convened to assess the sections of lymph nodes, Peyer's patches and liver. In addition, all lymphoid tissues were re-examined. The clinical pathology and animal colony health screening data were re-evaluated. The question whether the foamy histiocytosis could progress to an adverse finding with increasing exposure duration was addressed by read-across. In conclusion, the animals on the 90-day feeding study were in good health, the study was adequate for safety evaluation, and the foamy histiocytes in the mesenteric lymph nodes were not considered adverse, but rather an adaptive response that was considered unlikely to progress to an adverse condition with time. The NOAEL was re-affirmed to be 2000 mg/kgbw/d. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Scientific opinion on risks for animal health related to the presence of zearalenone and its modified forms in feed

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Annette

    (CONTAM) established no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) for pig (piglets and gilts), poultry (chicken and fattening turkeys), sheep and fish (extrapolated from carp) and lowest observed effect level (LOAEL) for dogs. No reference points could be established for cattle, ducks, goats, horses...... of adverse health effects of feed containing ZEN was considered extremely low for poultry and low for sheep, dog, pig and fish. The same conclusions also apply to the sum of ZEN and its modified forms.......Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin primarily produced by Fusarium fungi, occurs predominantly in cereal grains. The European Commission asked EFSA for a scientific opinion on the risk to animal health related to ZEN and its modified forms in feed. Modified forms of ZEN occurring in feed include phase I...

  18. Combined exposure to endocrine disrupting pesticides impairs parturition, causes pup mortality and affects sexual differentiation in rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Pernille Rosenskjold; Christiansen, Sofie; Boberg, Julie

    2010-01-01

    Risk assessment is currently based on the no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) for single compounds. Humans are exposed to a mixture of chemicals and recent studies in our laboratory have shown that combined exposure to endocrine disrupters can cause adverse effects on male sexual development...... were gavaged during gestation and lactation with five doses of a mixture of the fungicides procymidone, mancozeb, epoxyconazole, tebuconazole and prochloraz. The mixture ratio was chosen according to the doses of each individual pesticide that produced no observable effects on pregnancy length and pup...... survival in our laboratory and the dose levels used ranged from 25 to 100% of this mixture. All dose levels caused increased gestation length and dose levels above 25% caused impaired parturition leading to markedly decreased number of live born offspring and high pup perinatal mortality. The sexual...

  19. Quantifying population-level risks using an individual-based model: sea otters, Harlequin Ducks, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harwell, Mark A; Gentile, John H; Parker, Keith R

    2012-07-01

    Ecological risk assessments need to advance beyond evaluating risks to individuals that are largely based on toxicity studies conducted on a few species under laboratory conditions, to assessing population-level risks to the environment, including considerations of variability and uncertainty. Two individual-based models (IBMs), recently developed to assess current risks to sea otters and seaducks in Prince William Sound more than 2 decades after the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), are used to explore population-level risks. In each case, the models had previously shown that there were essentially no remaining risks to individuals from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from the EVOS. New sensitivity analyses are reported here in which hypothetical environmental exposures to PAHs were heuristically increased until assimilated doses reached toxicity reference values (TRVs) derived at the no-observed-adverse-effects and lowest-observed-adverse-effects levels (NOAEL and LOAEL, respectively). For the sea otters, this was accomplished by artificially increasing the number of sea otter pits that would intersect remaining patches of subsurface oil residues by orders of magnitude over actual estimated rates. Similarly, in the seaduck assessment, the PAH concentrations in the constituents of diet, sediments, and seawater were increased in proportion to their relative contributions to the assimilated doses by orders of magnitude over measured environmental concentrations, to reach the NOAEL and LOAEL thresholds. The stochastic IBMs simulated millions of individuals. From these outputs, frequency distributions were derived of assimilated doses for populations of 500,000 sea otters or seaducks in each of 7 or 8 classes, respectively. Doses to several selected quantiles were analyzed, ranging from the 1-in-1000th most-exposed individuals (99.9% quantile) to the median-exposed individuals (50% quantile). The resulting families of quantile curves provide the basis for

  20. Endocrine effects of chemicals: aspects of hazard identification and human health risk assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dekant, Wolfgang; Colnot, Thomas

    2013-12-16

    Hazard and risk assessment of chemicals with endocrine activity is hotly debated due to claimed non-monotonous dose-response curves in the low-dose region. In hazard identification a clear definition of "endocrine disruptors" (EDs) is required; this should be based on the WHO/IPCS definition of EDs and on adverse effects demonstrated in intact animals or humans. Therefore, endocrine effects are a mode of action potentially resulting in adverse effects; any classification should not be based on a mode of action, but on adverse effects. In addition, when relying on adverse effects, most effects reported in the low-dose region will not qualify for hazard identification since most have little relation to an adverse effect. Non-monotonous dose-response curves that had been postulated from limited, exploratory studies could also not be reproduced in targeted studies with elaborate quality assurance. Therefore, regulatory agencies or advisory bodies continue to apply the safety-factor method or the concept of "margin-of-exposure" based on no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) in the risk assessment of chemicals with weak hormonal activity. Consistent with this approach, tolerable levels regarding human exposure have been defined for such chemicals. To conclusively support non-monotonous dose-response curves, targeted experiments with a sufficient number of animals, determination of adverse endpoints, adequate statistics and quality control would be required. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Developmental and Reproductive Effects of SE5-OH: An Equol-Rich Soy-Based Ingredient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matulka, R.A.; Burdock, G.; Matsuura, I.; Uesugi, T.; Ueno, T.

    2009-01-01

    Consumption of the isoflavones daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and their structural analogues is generally considered beneficial to human health. Equol is not found in soy, but is converted from daidzein by human gut bacterial flora. Research indicates that between 30-50% of the population is capable of converting daidzein to equol; therefore, there has been recent development of a new equol-rich functional food that relies on bacterial conversion of daidzein to equol under strictly controlled conditions. Therefore, a new equol-rich soy product (SE5-OH) has been developed, based on the bacterial conversion of daidzein; and its reproductive and developmental toxicity has been evaluated in a two-generation study and a developmental toxicity study with Sprague-Dawley rats at dose levels of 200, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day by gavage. SE5-OH contains approximately 0.65% equol, 0.024% daidzein, 0.022% genistein, and 0.30% glycitein. From the reproductive study, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for SE5-OH determined for both male and female rats is 1000 mg/kg/day (6.5 mg equol/kg/day). In the developmental toxicity phase of the study, no effects by SE5-OH were found in the embryo-fetus at any of the doses tested. The NOAEL for developmental effects of SE5-OH is 2000 mg/kg/day (13 mg equol/kg/day).

  2. Application of ultraperformance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabonomic techniques to analyze the joint toxic action of long-term low-level exposure to a mixture of organophosphate pesticides on rat urine profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Longfei; Wang, Hong; Xu, Wei; Zeng, Yan; Hou, Yurong; Zhang, Yuqiu; Zhao, Xiujuan; Sun, Changhao

    2013-07-01

    In previously published articles, we evaluated the toxicity of four organophosphate (OP) pesticides (dichlorvos, dimethoate, acephate, and phorate) to rats using metabonomic technology at their corresponding no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL). Results show that a single pesticide elicits no toxic response. This study aimed to determine whether chronic exposure to a mixture of the above four pesticides (at their corresponding NOAEL) can lead to joint toxic action in rats using the same technology. Pesticides were administered daily to rats through drinking water for 24 weeks. The above mixture of the four pesticides showed joint toxic action at the NOAEL of each pesticide. The metabonomic profiles of rats urine were analyzed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The 16 metabolites statistically significantly changed in all treated groups compared with the control group. Dimethylphosphate and dimethyldithiophosphate exclusively detected in all treated groups can be used as early, sensitive biomarkers for exposure to a mixture of the OP pesticides. Moreover, exposure to the OP pesticides resulted in increased 7-methylguanine, ribothymidine, cholic acid, 4-pyridoxic acid, kynurenine, and indoxyl sulfate levels, as well as decreased hippuric acid, creatinine, uric acid, gentisic acid, C18-dihydrosphingosine, phytosphingosine, suberic acid, and citric acid. The results indicated that a mixture of OP pesticides induced DNA damage and oxidative stress, disturbed the metabolism of lipids, and interfered with the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Ensuring food safety requires not only the toxicology test data of each pesticide for the calculation of the acceptable daily intake but also the joint toxic action.

  3. 28-Day oral (gavage) toxicity studies of green tea catechins prepared for beverages in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chengelis, Christopher P; Kirkpatrick, Jeannie B; Regan, Karen S; Radovsky, Ann E; Beck, Melissa J; Morita, Osamu; Tamaki, Yasushi; Suzuki, Hiroyuki

    2008-03-01

    The beneficial health effects associated with drinking green tea are widely considered to be due primarily to tea catechins. Heat treatment of marketed green tea beverages for sterilization causes epimerization and/or polymerization of tea catechins. Safety studies on heat-treated tea catechins are limited. The objective of the present study was to evaluate potential adverse effects, if any, of two standardized green tea catechin (GTC) preparations: one that underwent heat sterilization (GTC-H) and one that was not heat-sterilized (GTC-UH). A decaffeinated preparation of the GTC-H (GTC-HDC) was also evaluated to ascertain if any effects were due to caffeine. The GTC preparations were administered to rats once daily at levels up to 2000 mg/kg/day for 28 days. There were no deaths attributable to the GTC preparations. The clinical condition of the animals, functional observational battery, motor activity, clinical pathology evaluations, organ weights, and gross necropsy findings were unaffected by any of the GTC preparations. GTC-HDC or GTC-UH dosing had no effects on body weights or microscopic findings, whereas lower body weights and food consumption were observed in the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg/day GTC-H group males. The no observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for localized gastric effects for GTC-H was 1000 mg/kg/day. No other target organs were identified. Thus, the NOAEL for systemic toxicity following oral administration was 2000 mg/kg/day for GTC-H, GTC HDC, and GTC-UH under the conditions of this study.

  4. EPA`s program for risk assessment guidelines: Quantification issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dourson, M.L. [Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)

    1990-12-31

    The quantitative procedures associated with noncancer risk assessment include reference dose (RfD), benchmark dose, and severity modeling. The RfD, which is part of the EPA risk assessment guidelines, is an estimation of a level that is likely to be without any health risk to sensitive individuals. The RfD requires two major judgments: the first is choice of a critical effect(s) and its No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL); the second judgment is choice of an uncertainty factor. This paper discusses major assumptions and limitations of the RfD model.

  5. Pharmacokinetics for regulatory risk analysis: the case of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogen, K T; Hall, L C

    1989-08-01

    A methodology for using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models to derive predicted safe concentrations of noncarcinogens in drinking water for humans based on experimentally determined no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) in animals is presented and applied to the case of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform, MC). For each toxic endpoint and lowest corresponding NOAEL identified for MC, we considered a set of toxicologically plausible options regarding the presumed toxic agent and the metric for effective dose to target tissue. A four-compartment PBPK model for rodents was used to estimate corresponding effective doses to the animals used to obtain the experimental NOAELs. A five-compartment PBPK model was then applied, in conjunction with a multiroute (inhalation, ingestion and dermal) human-exposure scenario, to calculate alternative concentrations of MC in drinking water predicted to result in corresponding effective doses to the same target tissues in humans. In the case of MC, the PBPK approach to interspecies and interroute extrapolation of toxicity data resulted in lower drinking water concentrations predicted to be nontoxic to humans than corresponding concentrations obtained using a traditional method for determining safe levels.

  6. Subacute Toxicity Study of 40 kGy Irradiated Ready-to-Eat Bulgogi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J.G.; Kim, J.H.; Lee, J.W.; Byun, M.W.; Jeon, Y.E.; Kang, I.J.; Hwang, H.J.

    2011-01-01

    The wholesomeness of 40 kGy irradiated ready-to-eat (RTE) bulgogi was evaluated by subacute toxicity studies (body weight, food consumption, organ weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, and histopathological examination) with groups of 40 male and female ICR mice fed the agent at dietary levels of 5% for 90 days. There were no treatment-related adverse effects with regard to body weight, food consumption, organ weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, and histopathology. The no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) was also determined to be greater than dietary level of at least 5% (3900 mg/kg body weight/day for males, 3500 mg/kg body weight/day for females) for samples under the present experimental conditions. These results suggest that, under these experimental conditions, RTE bulgogi irradiated at 40 kGy did not show any toxic effects

  7. Ninety-day oral toxicity study of rice-derived γ-oryzanol in Sprague-Dawley rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seol-Hee Moon

    Full Text Available A 90-day oral toxicity study of γ-oryzanol, a rice-derived triterpenoid ferulate, was performed by oral gavage administration to male and female Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 0, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg body weight/day. All rats administered γ-oryzanol survived throughout the study period. Both male and female rats showed no toxicologically significant changes of the general signs, examination findings, body weight, food consumption, functional observational battery results, ophthalmological findings, urinalysis, hematology tests, clinical chemistry tests, organ weights, and necropsy findings. Moreover, there were no histopathological changes related to administration of γ-oryzanol in males and females from the 2000 mg/kg body weight/day group. In conclusion, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL of γ-oryzanol exceeded 2000 mg/kg body weight/day for both male and female rats under the conditions of this study. Keywords: γ-Oryznaol, Rice, Rat, Repeated-dose oral toxicity study, NOAEL

  8. Focal treatment of spasticity using botulinum toxin A in cerebral palsy cases of GMFCS level V: evaluation of adverse effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Tedesco

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective:To report on the experience of injections of botulinum toxin A (BTA in a series of patients with cerebral palsy of Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS level V.Methods:This was a retrospective case series study on 33 patients with cerebral palsy of GMFCS level V who received 89 sessions of BTA application (of which 84 were Botox® and five were other presentations, in which the basic aim was to look for adverse effects.Results:The mean number of application sessions per patient was three, and the mean age at the time of each injection was 4 + 6 years (range: 1.6–13 years. The muscles that most frequently received injections were the gastrocnemius, hamstrings, hip adductors, biceps brachii and finger flexors. The mean total dose was 193 U and the mean dose per weight was 12.5 U/kg. Only one patient received anesthesia for the injections and no sedation was used in any case. No local or systemic adverse effects were observed within the minimum follow-up of one month.Conclusion:The absence of adverse effects in our series was probably related to the use of low doses and absence of sedation or anesthesia. According to our data, BTA can be safely used for patients with cerebral palsy of GMFCS level V, using low doses and preferably without sedation or anesthesia.

  9. [Effects of excess pyridoxine-HCl on growth and urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins in weaning rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuwatari, Tsutomu; Itoh, Keiko; Shibata, Katsumi

    2009-04-01

    To determine the tolerable upper intake level of pyridoxine-HCl in humans, we investigated the effects of excess pyridoxine-HCl administration on body weight gain, food intake, tissue weight, and urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins in weaning rats. The weaning rats were freely fed ordinary diet containing 0.0007% pyridoxine-HCl (control diet) or the same diet with 0.1%, 0.5%, 0.8% or 1.0% pyridoxine-HCl for 30 days. The body weight gain in the 0.8% and 1.0% groups, and the total food intake in the 1.0% group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The urinary excretion of pantothenic acid in the pyridoxine-HCl added groups were higher than that in the control group, while excessive pyridoxine-HCl intake did not affect the urinary excretion of other water-soluble vitamins. These results showed that the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for pyridoxine-HCl was 0.1% in diet, corresponding to 90 mg/kg body weight/day, and lowest-observed-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) was 0.5% in diet, corresponding to 450 mg/kg body weight/day.

  10. Developmental and Reproductive Effects of SE5-OH: An Equol-Rich Soy-Based Ingredient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ray A. Matulka

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Consumption of the isoflavones daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and their structural analogues is generally considered beneficial to human health. Equol is not found in soy, but is converted from daidzein by human gut bacterial flora. Research indicates that between 30–50% of the population is capable of converting daidzein to equol; therefore, there has been recent development of a new equol-rich functional food that relies on bacterial conversion of daidzein to equol under strictly controlled conditions. Therefore, a new equol-rich soy product (SE5-OH has been developed, based on the bacterial conversion of daidzein; and its reproductive and developmental toxicity has been evaluated in a two-generation study and a developmental toxicity study with Sprague-Dawley rats at dose levels of 200, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day by gavage. SE5-OH contains approximately 0.65% equol, 0.024% daidzein, 0.022% genistein, and 0.30% glycitein. From the reproductive study, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL for SE5-OH determined for both male and female rats is 1000 mg/kg/day (6.5 mg equol/kg/day. In the developmental toxicity phase of the study, no effects by SE5-OH were found in the embryo-fetus at any of the doses tested. The NOAEL for developmental effects of SE5-OH is 2000 mg/kg/day (13 mg equol/kg/day.

  11. Mercury contamination in human hair and fish from Cambodia: levels, specific accumulation and risk assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agusa, Tetsuro; Kunito, Takashi; Iwata, Hisato; Monirith, In; Tana, Touch Seang; Subramanian, Annamalai; Tanabe, Shinsuke

    2005-01-01

    Mercury (Hg) concentrations in human hair and fish samples from Phnom Penh, Kien Svay, Tomnup Rolork and Batrong, Cambodia, collected in November 1999 and December 2000 were determined to understand the status of contamination, and age- and sex-dependent accumulation in humans and to assess the intake of mercury via fish consumption. Mercury concentrations in human hair ranged from 0.54 to 190 μg/g dry wt. About 3% of the samples contained Hg levels exceeding the no observed adverse effects level (NOAEL) of WHO (50 μg/g) and the levels in some hair samples of women also exceeded the NOAEL (10 μg/g) associated with fetus neurotoxicity. A weak but significant positive correlation was observed between age and Hg levels in hair of residents. Mercury concentrations in muscle of marine and freshwater fish from Cambodia ranged from <0.01 to 0.96 μg/g wet wt. Mercury intake rates were estimated on the basis of the Hg content in fish and daily fish consumption. Three samples of marine fish including sharp-tooth snapper and obtuse barracuda, and one sample of sharp-tooth snapper exceeded the guidelines by US EPA and by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), respectively, which indicates that some fish specimens examined (9% and 3% for US EPA and JECFA guidelines, respectively) were hazardous for consumption at the ingestion rate of Cambodian people (32.6 g/day). It is suggested that fish is probably the main source of Hg for Cambodian people. However, extremely high Hg concentrations were observed in some individuals and could not be explained by Hg intake from fish consumption, indicating some other contamination sources of Hg in Cambodia. - A source other than fish may be responsible for high Hg in some Cambodians

  12. Stress Level and Adversity Quotient among Single Working Mothers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dianne Bautista Solis

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The study identified the profile of the single working mothers in terms of number of children, number of years as a single parent and reason for being a single parent; assessed the single mothers’ stress level and adversity quotient; determined the significant difference of stress level and adversity quotient of single mothers when grouped according to profile variables; determined the best predictor of stress level and adversity quotient. Moreover this research endeavoured to test significant relationship between the adversity quotient and stress level of single working mothers. Lastly, it proposed a stress management program for single working mothers for them to cope with their stress and adversities in life. The researcher employed quantitative method using standardized questionnaires namely Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS and Adversity Response Profile (ARP. The respondents were twenty five (25 single working mothers of the students of Batangas State University. From the results, majority of the respondents have 3 children, widow and in early years as single parent; with a normal level of stress and an average adversity quotient.. There are no significant differences on the stress level and adversity quotient of the respondents when grouped according to profile variables. Finally, stress level has no significant effect on adversity quotient of single working mothers. From the findings, the researcher further recommends that the Office of Guidance and Counseling should update the student information database to determine students with a single working mother. The Parent-Teacher Association may form a single-parent subgroup for the single working mothers to be able to identify to other mothers with same situation. Moreover, the proposed stress management program may be reviewed and implemented by the Office of Guidance and Counseling in coordination with the Parent-Teacher Association of Batangas State University. Future researchers

  13. Human health risk assessment of chloroxylenol in liquid hand soap and dishwashing soap used by consumers and health-care professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yost, Lisa J; Rodricks, Joseph D; Turnbull, Duncan; DeLeo, Paul C; Nash, J Frank; Quiñones-Rivera, Antonio; Carlson, Pete A

    2016-10-01

    A quantitative human risk assessment of chloroxylenol was conducted for liquid hand and dishwashing soap products used by consumers and health-care workers. The toxicological data for chloroxylenol indicate lack of genotoxicity, no evidence of carcinogenicity, and minimal systemic toxicity. No observed adverse effect levels (NOAEL) were established from chronic toxicity studies, specifically a carcinogenicity study that found no cancer excess (18 mg/kg-day) and studies of developmental and reproductive toxicity (100 mg/kg-day). Exposure to chloroxylenol for adults and children was estimated for two types of rinse-off cleaning products, one liquid hand soap, and two dishwashing products. The identified NOAELs were used together with exposure estimates to derive margin of exposure (MOE) estimates for chloroxylenol (i.e., estimates of exposure over NOAELs). These estimates were designed with conservative assumptions and likely overestimate exposure and risk (i.e., highest frequency, 100% dermal penetration). The resulting MOEs ranged from 178 to over 100, 000, 000 indicating negligibly small potential for harm related to consumer or health-care worker exposure to chloroxylenol in liquid soaps used in dish washing and hand washing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Artificial sweeteners

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, John Christian

    2012-01-01

    Low-calorie sweeteners are authorised food additives in the European Union (EU). The safety of these sweeteners has been evaluated in accordance with internationally agreed principles for the safety evaluation of food additives. In the EU, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Food...... (SCF) was the scientific guarantor for the safety of food additives until March 2003. Since then this has been taken over by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), notably its Scientific Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food (ANS Panel). Based on the large number...... of toxicological studies that are requested for the safety evaluation of food additives, a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) is identified for the most sensitive effect in the most sensitive animal species. A safety factor of 100 is normally applied to the NOAEL in order to establish an acceptable daily...

  15. Scientific Opinion on the safety of synthetic N-acetyl-D-neuraminic acid as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Morten

    2017-01-01

    Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on synthetic N-acetyl-d-neuraminic acid (NANA) as a novel food (NF) submitted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97. The information...... on the composition, the specifications, the batch-to-batch variability, stability and production process of the NF is sufficient and does not raise concerns about the safety of the NF. The NF is intended to be marketed as an ingredient in formulae and foods for infants and young children as well as an ingredient...... in a variety of foods and in food supplements for the general population. NANA is naturally present in human milk, in a bound and free form. The Margin of Exposure, which was based on the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 493 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day from a subchronic study and the anticipated...

  16. Toxicological Benchmarks for Wildlife

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sample, B.E. Opresko, D.M. Suter, G.W.

    1993-01-01

    Ecological risks of environmental contaminants are evaluated by using a two-tiered process. In the first tier, a screening assessment is performed where concentrations of contaminants in the environment are compared to no observed adverse effects level (NOAEL)-based toxicological benchmarks. These benchmarks represent concentrations of chemicals (i.e., concentrations presumed to be nonhazardous to the biota) in environmental media (water, sediment, soil, food, etc.). While exceedance of these benchmarks does not indicate any particular level or type of risk, concentrations below the benchmarks should not result in significant effects. In practice, when contaminant concentrations in food or water resources are less than these toxicological benchmarks, the contaminants may be excluded from further consideration. However, if the concentration of a contaminant exceeds a benchmark, that contaminant should be retained as a contaminant of potential concern (COPC) and investigated further. The second tier in ecological risk assessment, the baseline ecological risk assessment, may use toxicological benchmarks as part of a weight-of-evidence approach (Suter 1993). Under this approach, based toxicological benchmarks are one of several lines of evidence used to support or refute the presence of ecological effects. Other sources of evidence include media toxicity tests, surveys of biota (abundance and diversity), measures of contaminant body burdens, and biomarkers. This report presents NOAEL- and lowest observed adverse effects level (LOAEL)-based toxicological benchmarks for assessment of effects of 85 chemicals on 9 representative mammalian wildlife species (short-tailed shrew, little brown bat, meadow vole, white-footed mouse, cottontail rabbit, mink, red fox, and whitetail deer) or 11 avian wildlife species (American robin, rough-winged swallow, American woodcock, wild turkey, belted kingfisher, great blue heron, barred owl, barn owl, Cooper's hawk, and red

  17. Adverse Effects of Bisphosphonates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abrahamsen, Bo

    2010-01-01

    and are tolerated by the majority of patients, but serious adverse events have been recorded in some cases. Only the most common of adverse effects are robustly observable in clinical trials. In general, studies were not powered to detect effects that were lower in incidence than fractures. This review of adverse...

  18. Adverse effects of bisphosphonates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abrahamsen, Bo

    2010-01-01

    and are tolerated by the majority of patients, but serious adverse events have been recorded in some cases. Only the most common of adverse effects are robustly observable in clinical trials. In general, studies were not powered to detect effects that were lower in incidence than fractures. This review of adverse...

  19. 81-85 Community Awareness of Adverse Effects of No

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Secretary

    - inflammatory drugs. They were also asked if ... seek treatment for the pain. Only 8% of the study participants knew some adverse effects caused by ... (35%) of them did not know of any adverse effects due to NSAIDs but 53% cited potential ...

  20. Toxicological evaluation of a novel cooling compound: 2-(4-methylphenoxy-N-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl-N-(2-thienylmethylacetamide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donald S. Karanewsky

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A toxicological evaluation of a novel cooling agent, 2-(4-methylphenoxy-N-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl-N-(2-thienylmethyl acetamide (S2227; CAS 1374760-95-8, was completed for the purpose of assessing its safety for use in food and beverage applications. S2227 undergoes rapid oxidative metabolism in vitro, and in rat and dog pharmacokinetic studies is rapidly converted to its component carboxylic acid and secondary amine. S2227 was not found to be mutagenic or clastogenic in vitro, and did not induce micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes in vivo. The secondary amine hydrolysis product, N-(2-thienylmethyl-1H-pyrazol-3-amine (M179, was also evaluated for genotoxicity. In subchronic oral toxicity studies in rats, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL for S2227 was 100 mg/kg/day (highest dose tested when administered by oral gavage for 90 consecutive days. Furthermore, S2227 demonstrated a lack of maternal toxicity, as well as adverse effects on fetal morphology at the highest dose tested, providing a NOAEL of 1000 mg/kg/day for both maternal toxicity and embryo/fetal development when administered orally during gestation to pregnant rats.

  1. [Effects of excess vitamin B1 or vitamin B2 on growth and urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins in weaning rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuwatari, Tsutomu; Kuzuya, Mako; Satoh, Shiori; Shibata, Katsumi

    2009-04-01

    To determine the tolerable upper intake levels of vitamin B(1) and vitamin B(2) in humans, we investigated the effects of excess thiamin or riboflavin administration on body weight gain, food intake, tissue weights, and urinary excretion of B-group vitamins in weaning rats. The weaning rats were freely fed ordinary diet containing 0.0006% thiamin-HCl or the same diet with 0.006%, 0.03%, 0.18% or 1.0% thiamin-HCl for 30 days, or the diet containing 0.0006% riboflavin or the same diet with 0.1%, 0.5 or 1.0% riboflavin for 22 days. Mild diarrhea was seen only in the rats fed with 1.0% thiamin-HCl diet. Excess thiamin-HCl or riboflavin did not affect body weight gains, food intake or tissue weights. The urinary excretions of water-soluble vitamins also did not differ among the diets. These results clearly showed that feeding a diet containing up to 1.0% thiamin-HCl or 1.0% riboflavin did not induce apparent adverse effects, and the no-observed-adverse-effect-levels (NOAELs) for thiamin-HCl and riboflavin in rats might be 1.0% in diet, corresponding to 900 mg/kg body weight/day.

  2. Introduction to benchmark dose methods and U.S. EPA's benchmark dose software (BMDS) version 2.1.1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, J. Allen; Gift, Jeffrey S.; Zhao, Q. Jay

    2011-01-01

    Traditionally, the No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level (NOAEL) approach has been used to determine the point of departure (POD) from animal toxicology data for use in human health risk assessments. However, this approach is subject to substantial limitations that have been well defined, such as strict dependence on the dose selection, dose spacing, and sample size of the study from which the critical effect has been identified. Also, the NOAEL approach fails to take into consideration the shape of the dose-response curve and other related information. The benchmark dose (BMD) method, originally proposed as an alternative to the NOAEL methodology in the 1980s, addresses many of the limitations of the NOAEL method. It is less dependent on dose selection and spacing, and it takes into account the shape of the dose-response curve. In addition, the estimation of a BMD 95% lower bound confidence limit (BMDL) results in a POD that appropriately accounts for study quality (i.e., sample size). With the recent advent of user-friendly BMD software programs, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS), BMD has become the method of choice for many health organizations world-wide. This paper discusses the BMD methods and corresponding software (i.e., BMDS version 2.1.1) that have been developed by the U.S. EPA, and includes a comparison with recently released European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) BMD guidance.

  3. Acute and subchronic toxicity of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil in mallards and ferrets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stubblefield, W.A.; Hancock, G.A.; Ford, W.H.; Ringer, R.K.

    1995-01-01

    The toxic properties of naturally weathered Exxon Valdez crude oil (WEVC) were assessed in a battery of acute and subchronic toxicity tests using mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, and European ferrets, Mustela putorius. Adult mallard acute oral toxicity study results indicated no mortalities or signs o toxicity, i.e., no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and median lethal dose (LD50) > 5,000 mg/kg. Acute oral feeding and food avoidance tests with ducklings also indicated no toxicity (NOAEL and LC50 > 50,000 mg/kg diet) with no evidence of food avoidance (FAC50 > 20,000 mg/kg diet). No mortalities or toxic signs were noted in a 14-d feeding study with adult birds at dietary concentrations up to 100,000 mg WEVC/kg diet. Among clinical and physiological end points evaluated, the only significant difference noted was an increase in liver: body weight ratios in the 100,000-mg WEVC/kg diet dose group. No differences in clinical chemistry or hematological parameters were noted, and there were no consistent differences in histological evaluations of organ tissues. Daily oral doses of up to 5,000 mg/kg of WEVC over 5 d resulted in minimal effects on ferrets. Increased serum albumin concentrations were observed in the 5,000-mg/kg dose group females and decreased spleen weights were noted in females of all WEVC treatment groups. No other significant observations were noted

  4. Risk assessment derived from migrants identified in several adhesives commonly used in food contact materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canellas, E; Vera, P; Nerín, C

    2015-01-01

    Adhesives are used to manufacture multilayer materials, where their components pass through the layers and migrate to the food. Nine different adhesives (acrylic, vinyl and hotmelt) and their migration in 21 laminates for future use as market samples have been evaluated and risk assessment has been carried out. A total of 75 volatiles and non volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Most of the compounds migrated below their specific migration limit (SML), lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL), no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) and values recommended by Cramer. Six compounds classified as high toxicity class III according to Cramer classification, migrated over their SML and exposure values recommended by Cramer, when they were applied in the full area of the packaging. Nevertheless, these adhesives fulfill the threshold in the real application as they are applied in a small area of the packaging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity test of G-7% NANA in rats: An application of new criterion for toxicity determination to test article-induced changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heo, Hye Seon; An, MinJi; Lee, Ji Sun; Kim, Hee Kyong; Park, Yeong-Chul

    2018-06-01

    G-7% NANA is N-acetylneuraminic acid(NANA) containing 7% sialic acid isolated from glycomacropeptide (GMP), a compound of milk. Since NANA is likely to have immunotoxicity, the need to ensure safety for long-term administration has been raised. In this study, a 90-day repeated oral dose toxicity test was performed in rats using G-7% NANA in the dosages of 0, 1250, 2500 and 5000 mg/kg/day.A toxicity determination criterion based on the significant change caused by the administration of the substancewas developed for estimating NOEL, NOAEL and LOAELapplied to this study. When analyzing the immunological markers, no significant changes were observed, even if other significant changes were observed in the high dose group. In accordance with the toxicity determination criterion developed, the NOEL in male and female has been determined as 2500 mg/kg/day, and the NOAEL in females has been determined as 5000 mg/kg/day. The toxicity determination criterion, applied for the first time in the repeated dose toxicity tests, could provide a basis for distinguishing NOEL and NOAEL more clearly; nevertheless, the toxicity determination criterion needs to be supplemented by adding differentiating adverse effects and non-adverse effects based on more experiences of the repeated dose toxicity tests. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Toxic effects, metabolism, and carry-over of ergot alkaloids in laying hens, with a special focus on changes of the alkaloid isomeric ratio in feed caused by hydrothermal treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dänicke, Sven

    2016-02-01

    adverse effect level (LOAEL) of 14.56 mg EA/kg for laying hen diets can be proposed, while the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) corresponds to a dietary EA level of 3.72 mg/kg. However, it must be stressed that these critical levels apply for the specific EA pattern tested in the present experiment, while batches of ergot containing a less typical alkaloid composition, or other expanding conditions, might contribute to variations in the LOAEL/NOAEL.

  7. Safety assessment of Superba™ krill powder: Subchronic toxicity study in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kjetil Berge

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The safety of krill powder was assessed in a subchronic 13-week toxicity study where rats were fed krill powder or control diets. The krill powder inclusion in the test diet was 9.67% (w/w. There were no differences noted in body weight or food consumption in either gender. Differences in clinical chemistry values were noted in the krill powder-treated animals, but these findings were of no toxicological significance. A significant decrease in absolute heart weight, but not relative heart weight, was observed in both sexes given krill powder, although no corresponding histological changes were observed. Hepatocyte vacuolation was noted histologically in males fed krill powder. This finding was not associated with other indications of hepatic dysfunction. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL for the conditions of this study was considered to be 9.67% krill powder.

  8. Effects of excess pantothenic acid administration on the other water-soluble vitamin metabolisms in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibata, Katsumi; Takahashi, Chisato; Fukuwatari, Tsutomu; Sasaki, Ryuzo

    2005-12-01

    To acquire the data concerning the tolerable upper intake level which prevents health problems from an excessive intake of pantothenic acid, an animal experiment was done. Rats of the Wistar strain (male, 3 wk old) were fed on a diet which contains 0%, 0.0016% (control group), 1%, or 3% calcium pantothenate for 29 d. The amount of weight increase, the food intake, and the organ weights were measured, as well as the pantothenic acid contents in urine, the liver and blood. Moreover, to learn the influence of excessive pantothenic acid on other water-soluble vitamin metabolism, thiamin, riboflavin, a vitamin B6 catabolite, the niacin catabolites, and ascorbic acid in urine were measured. As for the 3% addition group, enlargement of the testis, diarrhea, and hair damage were observed, and the amount of weight increase and the food intake were less than those of the control group. However, abnormality was not seen in the 1% addition group. The amount of pantothenic acid in urine, the liver, and blood showed a high correlation with intake level of pantothenic acid. It was only for 4-pyridoxic acid, a vitamin B6 catabolite, in urine that a remarkable difference was observed against the control group. Moreover, the (2-Py+4-Py)/MNA excretion ratio for these metabolites of the nicotinamide also indicated a low value in the 3% pantothenic acid group. As for the calcium pantothenate, it was found that the 3% level in the diet was the lowest-observed-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) and the 1% level was the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL).

  9. Determination of no-observed effect level (NOEL-biomarker equivalents to interpret biomonitoring data for organophosphorus pesticides in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bouchard Michèle

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Environmental exposure to organophosphorus pesticides has been characterized in various populations, but interpretation of these data from a health risk perspective remains an issue. The current paper proposes biological reference values to help interpret biomonitoring data related to an exposure to organophosphorus pesticides in children for which measurements of alkylphosphate metabolites are available. Methods Published models describing the kinetics of malathion and chlorpyrifos in humans were used to determine no-observed effect level – biomarker equivalents for methylphosphates and ethylphosphates, respectively. These were expressed in the form of cumulative urinary amounts of alkylphosphates over specified time periods corresponding to an absorbed no-observed effect level dose (derived from a published human exposure dose and assuming various plausible exposure scenarios. Cumulative amounts of methylphosphate and ethylphosphate metabolites measured in the urine of a group of Quebec children were then compared to the proposed biological reference values. Results From a published no-observed effect level dose for malathion and chlorpyrifos, the model predicts corresponding oral biological reference values for methylphosphate and ethylphosphate derivatives of 106 and 52 nmol/kg of body weight, respectively, in 12-h nighttime urine collections, and dermal biological reference values of 40 and 32 nmol/kg of body weight. Out of the 442 available urine samples, only one presented a methylphosphate excretion exceeding the biological reference value established on the basis of a dermal exposure scenario and none of the methylphosphate and ethylphosphate excretion values were above the obtained oral biological reference values, which reflect the main exposure route in children. Conclusion This study is a first step towards the development of biological guidelines for organophophorus pesticides using a toxicokinetic modeling

  10. Tavaborole, a Novel Boron-Containing Small Molecule Pharmaceutical Agent for Topical Treatment of Onychomycosis: II. Prenatal and Postnatal Developmental Toxicity and Maternal Function Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciaravino, Vic; Coronado, Dina; Lanphear, Cheryl; Hoberman, Alan; Chanda, Sanjay

    2016-09-01

    Tavaborole is a topical antifungal agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of toenail onychomycosis. The effects of tavaborole on gestation, parturition (delivery, labor), offspring development, and survival during the perinatal and postnatal periods were assessed in mated female rats. Females (F0 generation) were administered single daily oral (gavage) doses of 15, 60, or 100 mg/kg/d from gestation day 6 through lactation day 20. The females were allowed to deliver naturally and rear their offspring until lactation day 21, at which time the F0 females were euthanized. One male and female from each litter were selected (F1 generation) and retained for assessments, including growth, neurobehavior, fertility, and their ability to produce an F2 generation. Reproductive and offspring parameters were determined for the F1 and F2 generations, as applicable. F1 females and F2 pups were euthanized on postnatal day 7. In the F0 females, decreased activity was observed in the 100 mg/kg/d dose group. Excess salivation was observed in the 60 and 100 mg/kg/d dose groups (slight to moderate), however, this finding was not considered adverse. There were no tavaborole-related effects on the growth, viability, development, neurobehavioral assessments, or reproductive performance of the F1 generation. Survivability and mean body weight of the F2 pups were unaffected. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for maternal toxicity (F0 generation) was 60 mg/kg/d, based on the decreased activity observed in the 100 mg/kg/d dose group. The NOAEL for the offspring effects was ≥100 mg/kg/d, based on the lack of test article-related changes. © The Author(s) 2016.

  11. Reproductive toxicity parameters and biological monitoring in occupationally and environmentally boron-exposed persons in Bandirma, Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duydu, Yalçın; Başaran, Nurşen; Üstündağ, Aylin; Aydin, Sevtap; Ündeğer, Ülkü; Ataman, Osman Yavuz; Aydos, Kaan; Düker, Yalçın; Ickstadt, Katja; Waltrup, Britta Schulze; Golka, Klaus; Bolt, Hermann M

    2011-06-01

    Boric acid and sodium borates have been considered as being "toxic to reproduction and development", following results of animal studies with high doses. Experimentally, a NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) of 17.5 mg B/kg-bw/day has been identified for the (male) reproductive effects of boron in a multigeneration study of rats, and a NOAEL for the developmental effects in rats was identified at 9.6 mg B/kg-bw/day. These values are being taken as the basis of current EU safety assessments. The present study was conducted to investigate the reproductive effects of boron exposure in workers employed in boric acid production plant in Bandirma, Turkey. In order to characterize the external and internal boron exposures, boron was determined in biological samples (blood, urine, semen), in workplace air, in food, and in water sources. Unfavorable effects of boron exposure on the reproductive toxicity indicators (concentration, motility, morphology of the sperm cells and blood levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and total testosterone) were not observed. The mean calculated daily boron exposure (DBE) of the highly exposed group was 14.45 ± 6.57 (3.32-35.62) mg/day. These human exposures represent worst-case exposure conditions to boric acid/borates in Turkey. These exposure levels are considerably lower than exposures, which have previously led to reproductive effects in experimental animals. In conclusion, this means that dose levels of boron associated with developmental and reproductive toxic effects in animals are by far not reachable for humans under conditions of normal handling and use.

  12. Supplementation prevalence and adverse effects in physical exercise practitioners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Walkíria Valeriano; de Andrade Gomes Silva, Maria Irene; Tavares Toscano, Luciana; Dantas de Oliveira, Klébya Hellen; de Lacerda, Lavoisiana Mateus; Sérgio Silva, Alexandre

    2014-01-01

    The use of nutritional supplements is prevalent among physical exercise practitioners and some adverse effects have been reported, however not sufficiently substantial, because they originate from isolated cases. Investigate nutritional supplements consumption prevalence and adverse effects of the use of such products. An epidemiological, representative and transversal study, with 180 physical exercise practitioners in gyms, who answered questionnaires about sports supplementation, associated factors and self-perceived adverse effects. In a subsample of 86 individuals, blood pressure was measured and blood was collected for the evaluation of lipid profile markers, hepatic and renal function. The supplementation prevalence level was 58.3%, whereas the physicians and nutritionists indicated only 21.9%. The reported adverse effects were observed only by supplement users (acne, insomnia, aggressiveness, headaches and tachycardia). Systolic blood pressure was higher in the supplemented group when compared to the control group (p = 0.04), as in the subgroup of thermogenic users (p nutritional supplements without specialized orientation was elevated among physical exercise practitioners, being associated to adverse effects both by the users themselves and by clinical diagnosis.

  13. Cardiovascular risk from water arsenic exposure in Vietnam: Application of systematic review and meta-regression analysis in chemical health risk assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phung, Dung; Connell, Des; Rutherford, Shannon; Chu, Cordia

    2017-06-01

    A systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis cannot provide the endpoint answer for a chemical risk assessment (CRA). The objective of this study was to apply SR and meta-regression (MR) analysis to address this limitation using a case study in cardiovascular risk from arsenic exposure in Vietnam. Published studies were searched from PubMed using the keywords of arsenic exposure and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Random-effects meta-regression was applied to model the linear relationship between arsenic concentration in water and risk of CVD, and then the no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) were identified from the regression function. The probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) technique was applied to characterize risk of CVD due to arsenic exposure by estimating the overlapping coefficient between dose-response and exposure distribution curves. The risks were evaluated for groundwater, treated and drinking water. A total of 8 high quality studies for dose-response and 12 studies for exposure data were included for final analyses. The results of MR suggested a NOAEL of 50 μg/L and a guideline of 5 μg/L for arsenic in water which valued as a half of NOAEL and guidelines recommended from previous studies and authorities. The results of PRA indicated that the observed exposure level with exceeding CVD risk was 52% for groundwater, 24% for treated water, and 10% for drinking water in Vietnam, respectively. The study found that systematic review and meta-regression can be considered as an ideal method to chemical risk assessment due to its advantages to bring the answer for the endpoint question of a CRA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. No-observed effect levels are associated with up-regulation of MGMT following MMS exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doak, Shareen H; Brüsehafer, Katja; Dudley, Ed; Quick, Emma; Johnson, George; Newton, Russell P; Jenkins, Gareth J S

    2008-12-15

    The alkylating agents methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) and ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) have non-linear dose-response curves, with a no-observed effect level (NOEL) and a lowest observed effect level (LOEL) for both gross chromosomal damage and mutagenicity. However, the biological mechanism responsible for the NOEL has yet to be identified. A strong candidate is DNA repair as it may be able to efficiently remove alkyl adducts at low doses resulting in a NOEL, but at higher doses fails to fully remove all lesions due to saturation of enzymatic activity resulting in a LOEL and subsequent linear increases in mutagenicity. We therefore assessed the transcriptional status of N-methylpurine-DNA glycoslase (MPG) and O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), which represent the first line of defence following exposure to alkylating agents through the respective enzymatic removal of N7-alkylG and O(6)-alkylG. The relative MPG and MGMT gene expression profiles were assessed by real-time RT-PCR following exposure to 0-2 microg/ml MMS for 1-24h. MPG expression remained fairly steady, but in contrast significant up-regulation of MGMT was observed when cells were treated with 0.5 and 1.0 microg/ml MMS for 4h (2.5- and 6.5-fold increases respectively). These doses lie within the NOEL for MMS mutagenicity (LOEL is 1.25 microg/ml), thus this boost in MGMT expression at low doses may be responsible for efficiently repairing O(6)methylG lesions and creating the non-linear response for mutations. However, as the LOEL for MMS clastogenicity is 0.85 microg/ml, O(6)-alkylG is unlikely to be responsible for the clastogenicity observed at these concentrations. Consequently, at low doses N7-methylG is possibly the predominant cause of MMS clastogenicity, while O(6)-methylG is more likely to be responsible for MMS mutagenicity, with MGMT up-regulation playing a key role in removal of O(6)-alkylG lesions before they are fixed as permanent point mutations, resulting in non-linear dose

  15. Observational Studies on Evaluating the Safety and Adverse Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jung-Nein Lai

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. This study aims to share our experiences when carrying out observational studies of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM. Methods. We have proactively monitored the safety profiles of Duhuo Jisheng Tang (DJT, Suan Zao Ren Tang (SZRT, and TMN-1. A list of adverse events (AEs, complete blood counts, and liver and kidney function tests were obtained from the participants during their scheduled hospital visits. Retrospective observational studies were conducted based on the reimbursement database of the National Health Insurance system, Taiwan, to explore the relationship between the use of TCM that have been adulterated by aristolochic acid and the risk from both nephrotoxins and carcinogens. Results. A total of 221, 287, and 203 AEs were detected after SZRT, DJT, and TMN-1 had been taken, respectively. Dizziness, headache, stomach ache, and diarrhea were judged to be probably related to SZRT treatment. Retrospective observational studies found an association between the consumption of aristolochic acid-containing Chinese formulae such as Mu Tong and an increased risk of CKD, ESRD, and urinary tract cancer. Conclusion. Prospective and retrospective observational studies seem to have specific advantages when investigating the safety and adverse effects of TCM therapies, as well as possibly other alternative/complementary therapies.

  16. Observational Studies on Evaluating the Safety and Adverse Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Jin-Ling; Wang, Jung-Der

    2013-01-01

    Background. This study aims to share our experiences when carrying out observational studies of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Methods. We have proactively monitored the safety profiles of Duhuo Jisheng Tang (DJT), Suan Zao Ren Tang (SZRT), and TMN-1. A list of adverse events (AEs), complete blood counts, and liver and kidney function tests were obtained from the participants during their scheduled hospital visits. Retrospective observational studies were conducted based on the reimbursement database of the National Health Insurance system, Taiwan, to explore the relationship between the use of TCM that have been adulterated by aristolochic acid and the risk from both nephrotoxins and carcinogens. Results. A total of 221, 287, and 203 AEs were detected after SZRT, DJT, and TMN-1 had been taken, respectively. Dizziness, headache, stomach ache, and diarrhea were judged to be probably related to SZRT treatment. Retrospective observational studies found an association between the consumption of aristolochic acid-containing Chinese formulae such as Mu Tong and an increased risk of CKD, ESRD, and urinary tract cancer. Conclusion. Prospective and retrospective observational studies seem to have specific advantages when investigating the safety and adverse effects of TCM therapies, as well as possibly other alternative/complementary therapies. PMID:24159351

  17. Evaluation of the systemic toxicity and mutagenicity of OLIGOPIN®, procyanidolic oligomers (OPC) extracted from French Maritime Pine Bark extract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, L; Penman, M G; Piriou, Y

    2018-01-01

    The potential systemic toxicity of Oligopin®, a French Maritime Pine Bark extract (FMPBE) rich in procyanidolic oligomers, was evaluated in an acute oral limit test and a 90-day repeated dose oral toxicity study with Sprague Dawley rats. The potential mutagenicity was assessed in a bacterial reverse mutation assay and in vitro mammalian chromosome aberration assay with human lymphocytes. The results indicate that Oligopin® was nongenotoxic in both bacterial and human cell assays, was not acutely toxic via oral administration at up to 2000 mg/kg and was well tolerated following 90 days of oral administration to SD rats, with a no observed adverse effect level of 1000 mg/kg/day. The lack of significant adverse systemic effects in the 90 day study is concordant with findings from several human clinical trials. The acute toxicity and mutagenicity data are consistent with data reported by AFSSA in a summary of FMPBE safety, in which a NOAEL of 100 mg/kg/day was established. In contrast, the NOAEL derived from the 90-day study with Oligopin® was 1000 mg/kg/day, suggesting that it is less systemically toxic than other FMPBE previously evaluated in subchronic studies, and comparable to proanthocyanidins extracted from grape seeds, which are widely used as nutritional supplement ingredients.

  18. The two sides of adversity: the effect of distant versus recent adversity on updating emotional content in working memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levens, Sara M; Armstrong, Laura Marie; Orejuela-Dávila, Ana I; Alverio, Tabitha

    2017-09-01

    Previous research suggests that adversity can have both adaptive and maladaptive effects, yet the emotional and working memory processes that contribute to more or less adaptive outcomes are unclear. The present study sought to investigate how updating emotional content differs in adolescents who have experienced past, recent, or no adversity. Participants who had experienced distant adversity (N = 53), no adversity (N = 58), or recent adversity only (N = 20) performed an emotion n-back task with emotional facial expressions. Results revealed that the distant adversity group exhibited significantly faster reaction times (RTs) than the no adversity and recent adversity only groups. In contrast, the recent adversity only group exhibited significantly slower RTs and more errors than the distant adversity and no adversity groups. These results suggest an emotion and executive control pathway by which both the benefits and negative effects of adversity may be conferred. Results also highlight the importance of time in assessing the impact of adversity.

  19. 75 FR 19272 - Thifensulfuron methyl; Pesticide Tolerances

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-14

    ... background exposure level). A short and intermediate-term adverse effect was identified; however... including infants dose effects and children). appropriate for acute exposure assessment for the general... population (intraspecies). UFL = use of a LOAEL to extrapolate a NOAEL. UFS = use of a short-term study for...

  20. BISPHENOL A AND ITS POTENTIAL TOXIC EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGANISMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irena Šutiaková

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Bisphenol A (BPA, 2, 2,-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl propane, CAS No. 80-05-7, is an industrial chemical that is made by combining acetone and phenol. Food is acknowledged to be a main source of exposure to BPA as a consequence of BPA migration from food containers. Several studies have reported BPA migrations from can surface coatings or plastics into foods and food-simulating liquids at high temperatures, and with repeated use of plastic products. Evaluation of BPA confirmed a no-observable adverse effect level (NOAEL of 5 mg/kg/body weight/day and established a maximum total daily intake (TDI of 0.05 mg/kg body weight. A metabolism of BPA is characterized mainly by phase II conjugation reactions in the gastrointestinal tract and in the liver. The presence of BPA in the environment can cause serious health problems (endocrine disruptions, neurotoxic, genotoxic and other problems. However, there are controversial opinions about BPA. Based on current knowledge of literature the need for further experimental studies in addressing health of human and animal populations living in different ecosystems may be still useful.

  1. Ninety-day oral toxicity study of rice-derived γ-oryzanol in Sprague-Dawley rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, Seol-Hee; Kim, Duyeol; Shimizu, Norihito; Okada, Tadashi; Hitoe, Shoketsu; Shimoda, Hiroshi

    2017-01-01

    A 90-day oral toxicity study of γ-oryzanol, a rice-derived triterpenoid ferulate, was performed by oral gavage administration to male and female Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 0, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg body weight/day. All rats administered γ-oryzanol survived throughout the study period. Both male and female rats showed no toxicologically significant changes of the general signs, examination findings, body weight, food consumption, functional observational battery results, ophthalmological findings, urinalysis, hematology tests, clinical chemistry tests, organ weights, and necropsy findings. Moreover, there were no histopathological changes related to administration of γ-oryzanol in males and females from the 2000 mg/kg body weight/day group. In conclusion, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of γ-oryzanol exceeded 2000 mg/kg body weight/day for both male and female rats under the conditions of this study.

  2. Different DNA damage response of cis and trans isomers of commonly used UV filter after the exposure on adult human liver stem cells and human lymphoblastoid cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Anežka; Bányiová, Katarína; Babica, Pavel; El Yamani, Naouale; Collins, Andrew Richard; Čupr, Pavel

    2017-09-01

    2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC), used in many categories of personal care products (PCPs), is one of the most discussed ultraviolet filters because of its endocrine-disrupting effects. EHMC is unstable in sunlight and can be transformed from trans-EHMC to emergent cis-EHMC. Toxicological studies are focusing only on trans-EHMC; thus the toxicological data for cis-EHMC are missing. In this study, the in vitro genotoxic effects of trans- and cis-EHMC on adult human liver stem cells HL1-hT1 and human-derived lymphoblastoid cells TK-6 using a high-throughput comet assay were studied. TK-6 cells treated with cis-EHMC showed a high level of DNA damage when compared to untreated cells in concentrations 1.56 to 25μgmL -1 . trans-EHMC showed genotoxicity after exposure to the two highest concentrations 12.5 and 25μgmL -1 . The increase in DNA damage on HL1-hT1 cells induced by cis-EHMC and trans-EHMC was detected at the concentration 25μgmL -1 . The No observed adverse effect level (NOAEL, mg kg -1 bwday -1 ) was determined using a Quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (QIVIVE) approach: NOAEL trans-EHMC =3.07, NOAEL cis-EHMC =0.30 for TK-6 and NOAEL trans-EHMC =26.46, NOAEL cis-EHMC =20.36 for HL1-hT1. The hazard index (HI) was evaluated by comparing the reference dose (RfD, mgkg -1 bwday -1 ) obtained from our experimental data with the chronic daily intake (CDI) of the female population. Using comet assay experimental data with the more sensitive TK-6 cells, HI cis-EHMC was 7 times higher than HI trans-EHMC . In terms of CDI, relative contributions were; dermal exposure route>oral>inhalation. According to our results we recommend the RfD trans-EHMC =0.20 and RfD cis-EHMC =0.02 for trans-EHMC and cis-EHMC, respectively, to use for human health risk assessment. The significant difference in trans-EHMC and cis-EHMC response points to the need for toxicological reevaluation and application reassessment of both isomers in PCPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B

  3. Combined exposure to endocrine disrupting pesticides impairs parturition and causes pup mortality in rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Pernille Reimer; Christiansen, Sofie; Boberg, Julie

    from gestational day 7 to postnatal day (PND)13 with either vehicle (control) or a mixture of the five pesticides at 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of their individual NOAELs for causing major effects on pregnancy length and pup survival in our earlier studies. The pregnancy length was dose....... Although laboratory animal studies have shown that some endocrine disrupting pesticides can affect reproduction and sexual differentiation, individual pesticides may appear to be present in human tissues at too low levels to cause concern for adverse reproductive effects. However, recent studies in our...... laboratory have shown that combined exposure to endocrine disrupters can cause adverse effects on male sexual development, even though the doses of the single compounds are below their individual NOAELs for anti-androgenic effects. Here, we present results from range finding studies with combined exposure...

  4. Allopregnanolone preclinical acute pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies to predict tolerability and efficacy for Alzheimer's disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald W Irwin

    Full Text Available To develop allopregnanolone as a therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease, we investigated multiple formulations and routes of administration in translationally relevant animal models of both sexes. Subcutaneous, topical (transdermal and intranasal, intramuscular, and intravenous allopregnanolone were bolus-administered. Pharmacokinetic analyses of intravenous allopregnanolone in rabbit and mouse indicated that peak plasma and brain levels (3-fold brain/plasma ratios at 5min were sufficient to activate neuroregenerative responses at sub-sedative doses. Slow-release subcutaneous suspension of allopregnanolone displayed 5-fold brain/plasma ratio at Cmax at 30min. At therapeutic doses by either subcutaneous or intravenous routes, allopregnanolone mouse plasma levels ranged between 34-51ng/ml by 30min, comparable to published endogenous human level in the third trimester of pregnancy. Exposure to subcutaneous, topical, intramuscular, and intravenous allopregnanolone, at safe and tolerable doses, increased hippocampal markers of neurogenesis including BrdU and PCNA in young 3xTgAD and aged wildtype mice. Intravenous allopregnanolone transiently and robustly phosphorylated CREB within 5min and increased levels of neuronal differentiation transcription factor NeuroD within 4h. Neurogenic efficacy was achieved with allopregnanolone brain exposure of 300-500hr*ng/g. Formulations were tested to determine the no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL and maximally tolerated doses (MTD in male and female rats by sedation behavior time course. Sex differences were apparent, males exhibited ≥40% more sedation time compared to females. Allopregnanolone formulated in sulfobutyl-ether-beta-cyclodextrin at optimized complexation ratio maximized allopregnanolone delivery and neurogenic efficacy. To establish the NOAEL and MTD for Allo-induced sedation using a once-per-week intravenous regenerative treatment regimen: In female rats the NOAEL was 0.5mg/kg and MTD 2mg

  5. Single, 14-Day, and 13-Week Repeated Dose Toxicity Studies of Daily Oral Gelidium elegans Extract Administration to Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jia; Ryu, Su-Jung; Kim, Kui-Jin; Kim, Hyung-Min; Chung, Hee-Chul; Lee, Boo-Yong

    2018-01-20

    Gelidium elegans extract (GEE) is derived from a red alga from the Asia-Pacific region, which has antioxidant, anti-adipogenic, and anti-hyperglycemic effects. However, detailed studies of the toxicology of GEE have not been performed. We evaluated the single oral dose toxicity of GEE in male and female Sprague-Dawley (CD) rats. GEE did not cause deaths or have toxic effects at dosages of 5000 mg/kg/day, although compound-colored stools and diarrhea were observed in both sexes, which lasted 5000 mg/kg. We next evaluated the repeated oral dose toxicity of GEE in CD rats over 14 days and 13 weeks. GEE did not induce any significant toxicological changes in either sex at 2000 mg/kg/day. Repeated oral dose toxicity studies showed no adverse effects, in terms of clinical signs, mortality, body mass, food consumption, ophthalmic examination, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, necropsy, organ masses, or histopathology, at dosages of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg/day. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for GEE is thus likely to be >2000 mg/kg/day, and no pathology was identified in potential target organs. Therefore, this study indicates that repeated oral dosing with GEE is safe in CD rats.

  6. Linking existing in vitro dermal absorption data to physicochemical properties: Contribution to the design of a weight-of-evidence approach for the safety evaluation of cosmetic ingredients with low dermal bioavailability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ates, Gamze; Steinmetz, Fabian P; Doktorova, Tatyana Yordanova; Madden, Judith C; Rogiers, Vera

    2016-04-01

    To characterize the risk of cosmetic ingredients when threshold toxicity is assumed, often the "margin of safety" (MoS) is calculated. This uncertainty factor is based on the systemic no observable (adverse) effect level (NO(A)EL) which can be derived from in vivo repeated dose toxicity studies. As in vivo studies for the purpose of the cosmetic legislation are no longer allowed in Europe and a validated in vitro alternative is not yet available, it is no longer possible to derive a NO(A)EL value for a new cosmetic ingredient. Alternatively, cosmetic ingredients with a low dermal bioavailability might not need repeated dose data, as internal exposure will be minimal and systemic toxicity might not be an issue. This study shows the possibility of identifying compounds suspected to have a low dermal bioavailability based on their physicochemical properties (molecular weight, melting point, topological polar surface area and log P) and their in vitro dermal absorption data. Although performed on a limited number of compounds, the study suggests a strategic opportunity to support the safety assessor's reasoning to omit a MoS calculation and to focus more on local toxicity and mutagenicity/genotoxicity for ingredients for which limited systemic exposure is to be expected. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. 76 FR 12877 - Fomesafen; Pesticide Tolerances

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-09

    ... to be a background exposure level). Short-/intermediate- term adverse effects (hyalinization of... (intraspecies). UFL = use of a LOAEL to extrapolate a NOAEL. UFS = use of a short-term study for long-term risk... (10X) margin of safety for infants and children in the case of threshold effects to account for...

  8. Toxicity evaluation of chlorinated organic compounds using immortalized rat hepatocytes; Fushika rat kansaibo wo mochiita yuki enso kagobutsu no dokusei hyoka no kokoromi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sone, H; Nakajima, M; Yonemoto, J [National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba (Japan)

    1997-11-10

    Chlorinated organic compounds has high priority for toxicity screening among environmental hazardous chemicals. In the present study, we used immortalized rat hepatocytes as a liver model in vitro to evaluate the toxicity of nine chlorinated organic compounds. Toxicity of nine chlorinated organic compounds were evaluated to cellular viability of immortalized rat hapatocytes. The potency of the toxicity based on 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value was in the following order: triclocalban>triclosan>3,4-dichloroaniline>2,5-diclorophenol> 2,5-dichloroanisole>p-dichlorobenzene> p-chloroaniline>o-dichlorobenzene=tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate. The rank order of cytotoxic potency of nine chemicals was compared with toxicity information using animals. The rank order of cytotoxic potency did not relative to the order referenced mean lethal dose (LD50) as an index of acute toxicity of rats or mice. However, the rank order of cytotoxic potency relatively correlated non-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) under the exposure duration adjusted for chronic toxicity in vivo. These data suggests that the origin of testing cell had better to make match target organ of toxic chemicals for extrapolation from data of bioassay in vitro to in vivo. 16 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.

  9. Dose-response and operational thresholds/NOAELs for in vitro mutagenic effects from DNA-reactive mutagens, MMS and MNU.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pottenger, Lynn H; Schisler, Melissa R; Zhang, Fagen; Bartels, Michael J; Fontaine, Donald D; McFadden, Lisa G; Bhaskar Gollapudi, B

    2009-08-01

    The dose-response relationships for in vitro mutagenicity induced by methylmethanesulfonate (MMS) or methylnitrosourea (MNU) in L5178Y mouse lymphoma (ML) cells were examined. DNA adducts (N7-methylguanine, N7MeG and O(6)-methylguanine, O(6)MeG) were quantified as biomarkers of exposure. Both endpoints were assessed using 5replicates/dose (4-h treatment) with MMS or MNU (0.0069-50muM), or vehicle (1% DMSO). Mutant frequency (MF) (thymidine kinase (TK) locus) was determined using the soft agar cloning methodology and a 2-day expression period; in addition, microwell and Sequester-Express-Select (SES) methods were used for MMS. Isolated DNA was acid-hydrolyzed, and adducts quantified by LC/ESI-MS/MS, using authentic and internal standards. MF dose-responses were analyzed using several statistical approaches, all of which confirmed that a threshold dose-response model provided the best fit. NOAELs for MF were 10muM MMS and 0.69muM MNU, based on ANOVA and Dunnett's test (p/=10muM MMS or 3.45muM MNU. O(6)MeG levels were only quantifiable at >/=10muM MNU; O(6)MeG was not quantifiable in control or MMS-treated cells at current detection limits. Thus, (1) cells treated with MMS did not demonstrate increases in TK(-) MF, but did demonstrate quantifiable levels of N7MeG adducts; and (2) the levels of N7MeG adducts did not correlate with induced MF, as MNU-treated cells had fewer N7MeG adducts but higher MF compared with MMS-treated cells, for quasi-equimolar doses. Taken together, these results demonstrate operational thresholds, defined as the highest dose for which the response is not significantly (statistically or biologically) distinguishable from the control/background values, for induction of mutations and N7MeG adducts in ML cells treated with MMS or MNU, and a lack of correlation between induced MF and levels of N7MeG adducts.

  10. 13 CFR 120.892 - Certifications of no adverse change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Certifications of no adverse change. 120.892 Section 120.892 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Development Company Loan Program (504) Interim Financing § 120.892 Certifications of no adverse...

  11. Subchronic oral toxicity of silver nanoparticles

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    Kim Yong

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles has resulted in their extensive application in health, electronic, consumer, medicinal, pesticide, and home products; however, silver nanoparticles remain a controversial area of research with respect to their toxicity in biological and ecological systems. Results This study tested the oral toxicity of silver nanoparticles (56 nm over a period of 13 weeks (90 days in F344 rats following Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD test guideline 408 and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP. Five-week-old rats, weighing about 99 g for the males and 92 g for the females, were divided into four 4 groups (10 rats in each group: vehicle control, low-dose (30 mg/kg, middle-dose (125 mg/kg, and high-dose (500 mg/kg. After 90 days of exposure, clinical chemistry, hematology, histopathology, and silver distribution were studied. There was a significant decrease (P Conclusions The target organ for the silver nanoparticles was found to be the liver in both the male and female rats. A NOAEL (no observable adverse effect level of 30 mg/kg and LOAEL (lowest observable adverse effect level of 125 mg/kg are suggested from the present study.

  12. [Intestinal cleaning for colonoscopy in children: effectiveness, adherence and adverse effects of schemes differentiated by age].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miquel, Isabel; Arancibia, María Eugenia; Alliende, Francisco; Ríos, Gloria; Rodríguez, Lorena; Lucero, Yalda; Saelzer, Eric

    2017-04-01

    Adequate intestinal cleanliness is crucial to achieve optimal colonoscopy performance. Several bowel preparation (BP) schemes have been proposed, but there is still no consensus as regards which is the most suitable in paediatric patients. To describe the effectiveness, adherence, and adverse effects of BP protocols differentiated by age group in paediatric patients subjected to colonoscopy. Prospective, study that included patients PEG 3350 without electrolytes); 4y-9y 11 m (PEG 3350 without electrolytes + bisacodyl); 10 y-18 y (PEG 3350 with electrolytes). Demographic, clinical information, adherence and adverse effects were registered. Effectiveness was determined using a validated scale (Boston modified) during colonoscopy. A total of 159 patients were included, of which 87 (55%) were males, and with a median age of 4 years (range 1 m-17 years). Seventy eight percent of patients achieved successful BP. The higher effectiveness was observed in the groups of < 6 m (96%) and 10-18 y (91%). Constipation was significantly more frequent (29%) in the 4 yo-9 yo 11 m in which lower effectiveness was observed (69%). Good adherence was observed in 87% of patients. Adverse effects were observed in a third of patients, although they were mild and did not lead to the suspension of the BP. Satisfactory results were achieved with the BP schemes used, with a successful BP being obtained in 4 out of 5 patients. Results were different between groups, which is probably related to previous bowel transit and indicated medication.

  13. Single, 14-Day, and 13-Week Repeated Dose Toxicity Studies of Daily Oral Gelidium elegans Extract Administration to Rats

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    Jia Choi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Gelidium elegans extract (GEE is derived from a red alga from the Asia–Pacific region, which has antioxidant, anti-adipogenic, and anti-hyperglycemic effects. However, detailed studies of the toxicology of GEE have not been performed. We evaluated the single oral dose toxicity of GEE in male and female Sprague-Dawley (CD rats. GEE did not cause deaths or have toxic effects at dosages of 5000 mg/kg/day, although compound-colored stools and diarrhea were observed in both sexes, which lasted <2 days. Therefore, the LD50 of GEE is likely to be >5000 mg/kg. We next evaluated the repeated oral dose toxicity of GEE in CD rats over 14 days and 13 weeks. GEE did not induce any significant toxicological changes in either sex at 2000 mg/kg/day. Repeated oral dose toxicity studies showed no adverse effects, in terms of clinical signs, mortality, body mass, food consumption, ophthalmic examination, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, necropsy, organ masses, or histopathology, at dosages of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg/day. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL for GEE is thus likely to be >2000 mg/kg/day, and no pathology was identified in potential target organs. Therefore, this study indicates that repeated oral dosing with GEE is safe in CD rats.

  14. The effect of an adverse psychological environment on salivary cortisol levels in the elderly differs by 5-HTTLPR genotype

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    Marie-Laure Ancelin

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: An adverse psychological environment (e.g. stressful events or depression has been shown to influence basal cortisol levels and cortisol response to stress. This differs depending on the adverse stimuli, but also varies across individuals and may be influenced by genetic predisposition. An insertion/deletion polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR is a strong candidate in this regard. Objective: To investigate how stressful life events and depression are associated with diurnal cortisol levels in community-dwelling elderly and determine whether this varies according to genetic variability in the 5-HTTLPR. Methods: This population-based study included 334 subjects aged 65 and older (mean (SD = 76.5 (6.3. Diurnal cortisol was measured on two separate days, under quiet (basal and stressful conditions. The number of recent major stressful events experienced during the past year was assessed from a 12-item validated questionnaire as an index of cumulative recent stressful events. Lifetime trauma was evaluated using the validated Watson's PTSD inventory, which evaluates the most severe traumatic or frightening experience according to DSM criteria. Depression was defined as having a Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI diagnosis of current major depressive disorder or high levels of depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale ≥16. 5-HTTLPR genotyping was performed on blood samples. Results: Exposure to stressful life events was associated with lower basal evening cortisol levels overall, and in the participants with the 5-HTTLPR L allele but not the SS genotype. The greatest effects (over 50% decrease, p < 0.001 were observed for the LL participants having experienced multiple recent stressful events or severe lifetime traumas. Participants with the L allele also had higher evening cortisol stress response. Conversely, depression tended to be associated with a 42

  15. Health effects from exposure to atmospheric mineral dust near Las Vegas, NV, USA

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    Deborah E. Keil

    Full Text Available Desert areas are usually characterized by a continuous deposition of fine airborne particles. Over time, this process results in the accumulation of silt and clay on desert surfaces. We evaluated health effects associated with regional atmospheric dust, or geogenic dust, deposited on surfaces in the Nellis Dunes Recreation Area (NDRA in Clark County, Nevada, a popular off-road vehicle (ORV recreational site frequented daily by riders, families, and day campers. Because of atmospheric mixing and the mostly regional origin of the accumulated particles, the re-suspended airborne dust is composed of a complex mixture of minerals and metals including aluminum, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, arsenic, strontium, cesium, lead, uranium, and others. Geogenic dust with a median diameter of 4.1 μm was administered via oropharyngeal aspiration to female B6C3F1 mice at doses of 0.01 to 100 mg dust/kg body weight, four times, a week apart, for 28-days. Immuno- and neurotoxicological outcomes 24 h following the last exposure were evaluated. Antigen-specific IgM responses were dose-responsively suppressed at 0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 mg/kg/day. Splenic and thymic lymphocytic subpopulations and natural killer cell activity also were significantly reduced. Antibodies against MBP, NF-68, and GFAP were not affected, while brain CD3+ T cells were decreased in number. A lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL of 0.1 mg/kg/day and a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL of 0.01 mg/kg/day were derived based on the antigen-specific IgM responses. Keywords: Geogenic dust, Heavy metals, Minerals, Lung exposure, Immunotoxicity, Neurotoxicity

  16. Repeated sub-chronic oral toxicity study of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) in dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yonglin; Wang, Yunzhi; Li, Yanshen; Han, Rui; Li, Chunmei; Xiao, Lin; Cho, Susan; Ma, Yukui; Fang, Chao; Lee, Albert W

    2017-06-01

    In this study, Beagle dogs were administered xylooligosaccharide (XOS, CAS # 87099-0) at doses of 0, 1250, 2500, and 5000 mg/kg/day by oral gavage for 26 weeks. A 4-week recovery period was added to observe delayed or reversible toxicity. Measurements included body weight, food consumption, clinical observations, temperature, electrocardiogram (ECG), urinalysis, blood chemistry, hematology, organ weight, gross necropsy, and histopathological examination. Except for transient diarrhea or vomiting, no treatment-related adverse effects were noted. In the mid-dose groups, transitional diarrhea was observed in the initial 1-2 weeks. In the high-dose groups, diarrhea and/or vomiting were observed episodically over the duration of treatment. However, they disappeared after XOS was withdrawn in the recovery period. Although there was a tendency toward less weight gain in the high-dose group animal group, this is typical in animals and humans fed non-digestible carbohydrates. This chronic toxicity study demonstrated that the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of XOS is 2500 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day. Based on body surface area (conversion factor of 0.54 for dogs to human), this corresponds to daily doses of 1350 mg/kg BW or 81-108 g XOS in human adults weighing 60-80 kg. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Prospective observational study of adverse drug reactions to diclofenac in children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Standing, Joseph F; Ooi, Kuan; Keady, Simon; Howard, Richard F; Savage, Imogen; Wong, Ian C K

    2009-01-01

    AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the type of common (occurring in >1% of patients) adverse reactions caused by diclofenac when given to children for acute pain. METHODS A prospective observational study was undertaken on paediatric surgical patents aged ≤12 years at Great Ormond Street and University College London Hospitals. All adverse events were recorded, and causality assessment used to judge the likelihood of them being due to diclofenac. Prospective recruitment meant not all patients were prescribed diclofenac, allowing an analysis of utilization. Causality of all serious adverse events was reviewed by an expert panel. RESULTS Children prescribed diclofenac were significantly older, and stayed in hospital for shorter periods than those who were not. Diclofenac was not avoided in asthmatic patients. Data on 380 children showed they suffer similar types of nonserious adverse reactions to adults. The incidence (95% confidence interval) of rash was 0.8% (0.016, 2.3); minor central nervous system disturbance 0.5% (0.06, 1.9); rectal irritation with suppositories 0.3% (0.009, 1.9); and diarrhoea 0.3% (0.007, 1.5). No serious adverse event was judged to be caused by diclofenac, meaning the incidence of serious adverse reactions to diclofenac in children is Children given diclofenac for acute pain appeared to suffer similar types of adverse reactions to adults; the incidence of serious adverse reaction is <0.8%. PMID:19694745

  18. Study of the effects of ß-myrcene on rat fertility and general reproductive performance

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    Paumgartten F.J.R.

    1998-01-01

    basis of the data presented in this paper the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL for toxic effects on fertility and general reproductive performance can be set at 300 mg of ß-myrcene/kg body weight by the oral route.

  19. Biocompatible lutein-polymer-lipid nanocapsules: Acute and subacute toxicity and bioavailability in mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ranganathan, Arunkumar; Hindupur, Ravi; Vallikannan, Baskaran, E-mail: baskaranv@cftri.res.in

    2016-12-01

    Lutein-poly-(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-phospholipid (PL) nanocapsules were prepared (henceforth referred as lutein nanocapsules) and studied for acute, subacute oral toxicity and bioavailability of lutein in mice. Prior to examining the safety of lutein nanocapsules, particle size, zeta potential, surface morphology and interaction between lutein, PLGA and PL were studied. In acute study, mice were gavaged with a single dose of lutein nanocapsules at 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/kg body weight (BW) and examined for 2 weeks, while in subacute study, daily mice were gavaged with a dose of 1 and 10 mg/kg BW for 4 weeks. Results revealed that mean size and zeta value of lutein nanocapsules were 140 nm and − 44 mV, respectively. Acute and subacute toxicity studies did not show any mortality or treatment related adverse effect in clinical observations, ophthalmic examinations, body and organ weights. No toxicity related findings were observed in hematology, histopathology and other blood and tissue clinical chemistry parameters. In subacute study, no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of lutein nanocapsules was found to be at a dose of 10 mg/kg BW. Feeding lutein nanocapsules resulted in a significant (p < 0.01) increase in lutein level in plasma and tissue compared to the control group. Lutein nanocapsules did not cause toxicity in mice. However, human trials are warranted. - Highlights: • Acute and subacute toxicity studies of lutein-PLGA-PL showed no toxicity. • PLGA-PL nanocapsules were safe carriers for oral delivery of lutein. • Oral gavage of lutein-PLGA-PL nanocapsule improves plasma lutein levels.

  20. Toxicological evaluation of two novel bitter modifying flavour compounds: 3-(1-((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-ylmethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl-1-(3-hydroxybenzylimidazolidine-2,4-dione and 3-(1-((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-ylmethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl-1-(3-hydroxybenzyl-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donald S. Karanewsky

    Full Text Available A toxicological evaluation of two novel bitter modifying flavour compounds, 3-(1-((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-ylmethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl-1-(3-hydroxybenzylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (S6821, CAS 1119831-25-2 and 3-(1-((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-ylmethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl-1-(3-hydroxybenzyl-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (S7958, CAS 1217341-48-4, were completed for the purpose of assessing their safety for use in food and beverage applications. S6821 undergoes oxidative metabolism in vitro, and in rat pharmacokinetic studies both S6821 and S7958 are rapidly converted to the corresponding O-sulfate and O-glucuronide conjugates. S6821 was not found to be mutagenic or clastogenic in vitro, and did not induce micronuclei in bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes in vivo. S7958, a close structural analog of S6821, was also found to be non-mutagenic in vitro. In short term and subchronic oral toxicity studies in rats, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL for both S7958 and S6821 was 100 mg/kg bw/day (highest dose tested when administered as a food ad-mix for either 28 or 90 consecutive days, respectively. Furthermore, S6821 demonstrated a lack of maternal toxicity, as well as adverse effects on fetal morphology at the highest dose tested, providing a NOAEL of 1000 mg/kg bw/day for both maternal toxicity and embryo/fetal development when administered orally during gestation to pregnant rats. Keywords: S6821, S7958, FEMA GRAS, Subchronic toxicological evaluation, Genetic toxicological evaluation

  1. Subchronic toxicity study of corn silk with rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Cuina; Zhang, Tiehua; Liu, Jun; Lu, Shuang; Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Erlei; Wang, Zuozhao; Zhang, Yan; Liu, Jingbo

    2011-09-01

    Corn silk is a traditional herbal medicine in China, which has been used in many parts of the world for the treatment of edema as well as for cystitis, gout, kidney stones, nephritis, prostatitis and similar ailments. However, there is little scientific evidence about its safety. As a part of its safety assessment, a subchronic toxicity was performed in this paper. The subchronic toxicity was investigated in male and female Wistar rats by dietary administration at concentrations of 0.5%, 2.0% and 8.0% (w/w) for 90 days. Overall health, body weight, food consumption, hematology, blood chemistry, organ weights, gross and microscopic appearance of tissues were compared between test and control groups. A number of significant differences were seen between groups, but none of them was considered to be adverse. Based on the present study, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of corn silk is at least 8.0% which corresponds to a mean daily corn silk intake of approximately 9.354 and 10.308 g/day/kg body weight for males and females, respectively. The results obtained in the present study suggest that consumption of corn silk has no adverse effects and support the safety of corn silk for humans. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Safety studies conducted on pecan shell fiber, a food ingredient produced from ground pecan shells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolan, Laurie; Matulka, Ray; Worn, Jeffrey; Nizio, John

    2016-01-01

    Use of pecan shell fiber in human food is presently limited, but could increase pending demonstration of safety. In a 91-day rat study, pecan shell fiber was administered at dietary concentrations of 0 (control), 50 000, 100 000 or 150 000 ppm. There was no effect of the ingredient on body weight of males or females or food consumption of females. Statistically significant increases in food consumption were observed throughout the study in 100 000 and 150 000 ppm males, resulting in intermittent decreases in food efficiency (150 000 ppm males only) that were not biologically relevant. All animals survived and no adverse clinical signs or functional changes were attributable to the test material. There were no toxicologically relevant changes in hematology, clinical chemistry or urinalysis parameters or organ weights in rats ingesting pecan shell fiber. Any macroscopic or microscopic findings were incidental, of normal variation and/or of minimal magnitude for test substance association. Pecan shell fiber was non-mutagenic in a bacterial reverse mutation test and non-clastogenic in a mouse peripheral blood micronucleus test. Based on these results, pecan shell fiber has an oral subchronic (13-week) no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 150 000 ppm in rats and is not genotoxic at the doses analyzed.

  3. Incidence of immediate adverse effects of gadolinium contrast media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ujita, Kouishi; Matsui, Satomi; Oikawa, Satoko; Habano, Youji; Ozaki, Daisuke; Ootake, Hidenori; Amanuma, Makoto; Endo, Keigo

    2010-01-01

    We investigated the adverse effects of intravenous injection of one of 4 types of gadolinium contrast media in 6550 patients: gadopentate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA), 4299 patients; gadodiamide (Gd-DTPA-BMA), 1612; gadoteridol (Gd (HP-DO3A)), 565; and gadoterate meglumin (Gd-DOTA), 74. Thirty-two (0.49%) patients experienced adverse effects, which included rash (18.8%), nausea (40.6%), vomiting (34.4%), and an unpleasant sensation in the throat (6.3%). No patient required hospitalization. We compared the incidence of adverse effects from the 4 types of contrast media and found no difference in sex, age, body region examined, or method of contrast administration. Incidence was significantly higher for Gd (HP-DO3A) than Gd-DTPA and Gd-DTPA-BMA (P<0.000001). (author)

  4. Sub-chronic oral toxicity of Cuminum cyminum L.'s essential oil in female Wistar rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taghizadeh, Mohsen; Ostad, Seyed Naser; Asemi, Zatollah; Mahboubi, Mohaddese; Hejazi, Sara; Sharafati-Chaleshtori, Reza; Rashidi, Aliakbar; Akbari, Hosein; Sharifi, Nasrin

    2017-08-01

    The current study was performed to evaluate the toxicity of Cuminum cyminum L. (C. cyminum)'s essential oil after 23 days and 45 days of repeated oral administration in female Wistar rats. A total of 80 healthy female Wistar rats were randomly selected and divided into 4 groups. The rats were gavaged with C. cyminum's essential oil at dose levels of 0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day. Clinical signs, body weight, hematology, serum biochemistry and organ histopathology were assessed once after 23 days and again after 45 days passed from the start of the intervention. Oral administration of C. cyminum's essential oil had no observed adverse effects on clinical signs, mortality, body weight, hematology, biochemistry and organ histology (liver, kidneys, spleen and lungs) in a sample of healthy female Wistar rats after 23 days and 45 days from the start of the study. However, an increase in serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) was found only at dose level of 1000 mg/kg/d C. cyminum's essential oil, after the 23-days interval. We conservatively defined the non-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for C. cyminum's essential oil as 500 mg/kg/d in female Wistar rats. The present study results should be treated with cautious in terms of the other organs' toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Subchronic safety evaluation of CMS-1 (a botanical antihypertensive product derived from Semen Cnidium monnieri) in Sprague-Dawley rats and beagle dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Xue-Lian; Gao, Ting-Ting; Zhao, Li-Jun; Zhu, Hai; Xia, Zhen-Na; Lu, Wen; Lu, Guo-Cai

    2014-08-01

    CMS-1, mainly composed of imperatorin as its active compound, is a partially purified fraction of a Chinese herbal medicine, Semen Cnidium monnieri. CMS-1 has the potential to be further developed as a new treatment for hypertension. Thus, we studied its toxicity in both Sprague-Dawley rats and beagle dogs. Rats (0-900mg/kg/day) and dogs (0-450mg/kg/day) received CMS-1 orally for 30 consecutive days, followed by a 15-day recovery period. The major target organs of CMS-1 toxicity are the GI (inappetence), liver (hepatocellular necrosis, enzyme elevation), thymus (atrophy), cardiovascular (hypotension), changes in ECG T and P waveforms, elevation of nitrous oxide levels and hematological (RBC parameters disturbances) systems. Most treatment-induced adverse effects were reversible or showed a progressive recovery upon discontinuation of the treatment. The No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) was 100mg/kg/day for rats and 50mg/kg/day for dogs. This non-clinical study suggests that clinical monitoring of CMS-1 in patients should focus on the gastrointestinal system, blood tests for liver functions, electrolytes, and blood homeostasis, cardiovascular functions, and immune functions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Psychiatric Adverse Effects of Dermatological Drugs

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    Mine Özmen

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Dermatological drugs, mostly corticosteroids and isotretinoin, cause different psychiatric adverse effects. During steroid therapy, a wide range of psychiatric conditions, from minor clinical symptoms like insomnia and anxiety to serious psychiatric syndromes like psychosis and delirium might be seen. In medical literature, a causal connection is usually suggested between “isotretinoin”, which is used for treatment of acne vulgaris and depression and suicide attempts. However, there are no statistically significant double-blind randomized studies that support this connection. Clinicians must know patient’s psychiatric history before using any dermatological treatment known as causing psychiatric adverse effects, and psychiatric consultation should be established whenever necessary.

  7. Sub-chronic 90-day toxicity of neamine in SD rats and its anti-liver cancer activity in vitro and in vivo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Yanli [Department of pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 400030 (China); Feng, Yongdong [Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 400030 (China); Li, Yanling [Department of pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 400030 (China); Xu, Yiping; Shi, Nian [Department of hygienic toxicology, School of Public Health, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 400030 (China); Hu, Guo-fu [Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston 02111 (United States); Wu, Yunxia, E-mail: wuyunxia@hust.edu.cn [Department of pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 400030 (China)

    2017-01-15

    Neamine, an inhibitor of angiogenin (ANG), is a new investigative anticancer drug currently in preclinical stage. Here we report the 90-day sub-chronic toxicity of neamine in SD rats and its anti-liver cancer activity in vitro and in vivo. Neamine has a No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 12 and 16 mg·kg{sup −1}·d{sup −1} for female and male rats, respectively. No mortality was found. The adverse effects included increased organ coefficients of spleen and kidney, increased BUN in both female and male rats at high dose, increased CR and decreased organ coefficients of heart and liver in male rats at high dose. All of which, except the kidney coefficient and BUN in males, returned to normal levels after 28-day recovery. Histopathological examination revealed vacuolar degeneration of glomerulus, degeneration of renal tubules and cast in the kidneys, which were also recovered except in males of high-dosing group. These results indicate that kidney is the most susceptible organ for neamine toxicity. Tissue microarray analysis validated that ANG is up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied by increased nuclear translocation, suggesting that ANG is a possible target for drug development in liver cancer treatment. Neamine blocked nuclear translocation of ANG in HUVEC and HepG2 cells, and inhibited ANG-stimulated cell proliferation without affecting basal level cell proliferation. Neamine also inhibited progression of HepG2 xenografts in athymic mice accompanied by decreased angiogenesis and cancer cell proliferation. These results suggest that neamine is a specific ANG inhibitor with low toxicity and high anti-liver cancer efficacy. - Highlights: • The NOAEL of neamine is 12 mg·kg{sup −1}·d{sup −1} for females and 16 mg·kg{sup −}1·d{sup −1} for males. • The most susceptible organ for neamine toxicity is kidney. • Neamine inhibits the progression of xenograft HepG2 liver cancer in athymic mice.

  8. Sub-chronic 90-day toxicity of neamine in SD rats and its anti-liver cancer activity in vitro and in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Yanli; Feng, Yongdong; Li, Yanling; Xu, Yiping; Shi, Nian; Hu, Guo-fu; Wu, Yunxia

    2017-01-01

    Neamine, an inhibitor of angiogenin (ANG), is a new investigative anticancer drug currently in preclinical stage. Here we report the 90-day sub-chronic toxicity of neamine in SD rats and its anti-liver cancer activity in vitro and in vivo. Neamine has a No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 12 and 16 mg·kg −1 ·d −1 for female and male rats, respectively. No mortality was found. The adverse effects included increased organ coefficients of spleen and kidney, increased BUN in both female and male rats at high dose, increased CR and decreased organ coefficients of heart and liver in male rats at high dose. All of which, except the kidney coefficient and BUN in males, returned to normal levels after 28-day recovery. Histopathological examination revealed vacuolar degeneration of glomerulus, degeneration of renal tubules and cast in the kidneys, which were also recovered except in males of high-dosing group. These results indicate that kidney is the most susceptible organ for neamine toxicity. Tissue microarray analysis validated that ANG is up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied by increased nuclear translocation, suggesting that ANG is a possible target for drug development in liver cancer treatment. Neamine blocked nuclear translocation of ANG in HUVEC and HepG2 cells, and inhibited ANG-stimulated cell proliferation without affecting basal level cell proliferation. Neamine also inhibited progression of HepG2 xenografts in athymic mice accompanied by decreased angiogenesis and cancer cell proliferation. These results suggest that neamine is a specific ANG inhibitor with low toxicity and high anti-liver cancer efficacy. - Highlights: • The NOAEL of neamine is 12 mg·kg −1 ·d −1 for females and 16 mg·kg − 1·d −1 for males. • The most susceptible organ for neamine toxicity is kidney. • Neamine inhibits the progression of xenograft HepG2 liver cancer in athymic mice.

  9. Unexpected Lack of Deleterious Effects of Uranium on Physiological Systems following a Chronic Oral Intake in Adult Rat

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    Isabelle Dublineau

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Uranium level in drinking water is usually in the range of microgram-per-liter, but this value may be as much as 100 to 1000 times higher in some areas, which may raise question about the health consequences for human populations living in these areas. Our purpose was to improve knowledge of chemical effects of uranium following chronic ingestion. Experiments were performed on rats contaminated for 9 months via drinking water containing depleted uranium (0.2, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 120 mg/L. Blood biochemical and hematological indicators were measured and several different types of investigations (molecular, functional, and structural were conducted in organs (intestine, liver, kidneys, hematopoietic cells, and brain. The specific sensitivity of the organs to uranium was deduced from nondeleterious biological effects, with the following thresholds (in mg/L: 0.2 for brain, >2 for liver, >10 for kidneys, and >20 for intestine, indicating a NOAEL (No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level threshold for uranium superior to 120 m g/L. Based on the chemical uranium toxicity, the tolerable daily intake calculation yields a guideline value for humans of 1350 μg/L. This value was higher than the WHO value of 30 μg/L, indicating that this WHO guideline for uranium content in drinking water is very protective and might be reconsidered.

  10. Unexpected lack of deleterious effects of uranium on physiological systems following a chronic oral intake in adult rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dublineau, Isabelle; Souidi, Maâmar; Gueguen, Yann; Lestaevel, Philippe; Bertho, Jean-Marc; Manens, Line; Delissen, Olivia; Grison, Stéphane; Paulard, Anaïs; Monin, Audrey; Kern, Yseult; Rouas, Caroline; Loyen, Jeanne; Gourmelon, Patrick; Aigueperse, Jocelyne

    2014-01-01

    Uranium level in drinking water is usually in the range of microgram-per-liter, but this value may be as much as 100 to 1000 times higher in some areas, which may raise question about the health consequences for human populations living in these areas. Our purpose was to improve knowledge of chemical effects of uranium following chronic ingestion. Experiments were performed on rats contaminated for 9 months via drinking water containing depleted uranium (0.2, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 120 mg/L). Blood biochemical and hematological indicators were measured and several different types of investigations (molecular, functional, and structural) were conducted in organs (intestine, liver, kidneys, hematopoietic cells, and brain). The specific sensitivity of the organs to uranium was deduced from nondeleterious biological effects, with the following thresholds (in mg/L): 0.2 for brain, >2 for liver, >10 for kidneys, and >20 for intestine, indicating a NOAEL (No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level) threshold for uranium superior to 120 m g/L. Based on the chemical uranium toxicity, the tolerable daily intake calculation yields a guideline value for humans of 1350 μg/L. This value was higher than the WHO value of 30 μg/L, indicating that this WHO guideline for uranium content in drinking water is very protective and might be reconsidered.

  11. Estimation of Potential Population Level Effects of Contaminants on Wildlife; FINAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loar, J.M.

    2001-01-01

    The objective of this project is to provide DOE with improved methods to assess risks from contaminants to wildlife populations. The current approach for wildlife risk assessment consists of comparison of contaminant exposure estimates for individual animals to literature-derived toxicity test endpoints. These test endpoints are assumed to estimate thresholds for population-level effects. Moreover, species sensitivities to contaminants is one of several criteria to be considered when selecting assessment endpoints (EPA 1997 and 1998), yet data on the sensitivities of many birds and mammals are lacking. The uncertainties associated with this approach are considerable. First, because toxicity data are not available for most potential wildlife endpoint species, extrapolation of toxicity data from test species to the species of interest is required. There is no consensus on the most appropriate extrapolation method. Second, toxicity data are represented as statistical measures (e.g., NOAEL s or LOAELs) that provide no information on the nature or magnitude of effects. The level of effect is an artifact of the replication and dosing regime employed, and does not indicate how effects might increase with increasing exposure. Consequently, slight exceedance of a LOAEL is not distinguished from greatly exceeding it. Third, the relationship of toxic effects on individuals to effects on populations is poorly estimated by existing methods. It is assumed that if the exposure of individuals exceeds levels associated with impaired reproduction, then population level effects are likely. Uncertainty associated with this assumption is large because depending on the reproductive strategy of a given species, comparable levels of reproductive impairment may result in dramatically different population-level responses. This project included several tasks to address these problems: (1) investigation of the validity of the current allometric scaling approach for interspecies extrapolation

  12. Embryo-fetal development toxicity of honokiol microemulsion intravenously administered to pregnant rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qianqian; Ye, Xiangfeng; Wang, Lingzhi; Peng, Bangjie; Zhang, Yingxue; Bao, Jie; Li, Wanfang; Wei, Jinfeng; Wang, Aiping; Jin, Hongtao; Chen, Shizhong

    2016-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the embryo-fetal development toxicity of honokiol microemulsion. The drug was intravenously injected to pregnant SD rats at dose levels of 0, 200, 600 and 2000 μg/kg/day from day 6-15 of gestation. All the pregnant animals were observed for body weights and any abnormal changes and subjected to caesarean-section on gestation day (GD) 20; all fetuses obtained from caesarean-section were assessed by external inspection, visceral and skeletal examinations. No treatment-related external alterations as well as visceral and skeletal malformations were observed in honokiol microemulsion groups. There was no significant difference in the body weight gain of the pregnant rats, average number of corpora lutea, and the gravid uterus weight in the honokiol microemulsion groups compared with the vehicle control group. However, at a dose level of 2000 μg/kg/day, there was embryo-fetal developmental toxicity observed, including a decrease in the body length and tail length of fetuses. In conclusion, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of honokiol microemulsion is 600 μg/kg/day, 75 times above the therapeutic dosage and it has embryo-fetal toxicity at a dose level of 2000 μg/kg/day, which is approximately 250 times above the therapeutic dosage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Safety assessment of non-animal chondroitin sulfate sodium: Subchronic study in rats, genotoxicity tests and human bioavailability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miraglia, Niccolò; Bianchi, Davide; Trentin, Antonella; Volpi, Nicola; Soni, Madhu G

    2016-07-01

    Chondroitin sulfate, an amino sugar polymer made of glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-galactosamine, is used in dietary supplements to promote joint health. Commonly used chondroitin sulfate is of animal origin and can pose potential safety problems including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The objective of the present study was to investigate potential adverse effects, if any, of microbial derived chondroitin sulfate sodium (CSS) in subchronic toxicity, genotoxicity and bioavailability studies. In the toxicity study, Sprague Dawley rats (10/sex/group) were gavaged with CSS at dose levels of 0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day for 90-days. No mortality or significant changes in clinical signs, body weights, body weight gain or feed consumption were noted. Similarly, no toxicologically relevant treatment-related changes in hematological, clinical chemistry, urinalysis and organ weights were noted. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations did not reveal treatment-related abnormalities. In vitro mutagenic and clastogenic potentials as evaluated by Ames assay, chromosomal aberration test and micronucleus assay did not reveal genotoxicity of CSS. In pharmacokinetic study in human, CSS showed higher absorption as compared to chondroitin sulfate of animal origin. The results of subchronic toxicity study supports the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for CSS as 1000 mg/kg bw/day, the highest dose tested. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Glyphosate and adverse pregnancy outcomes, a systematic review of observational studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica S. A. de Araujo

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A study in frog and chicken embryos, and reports of a high incidence of birth defects in regions of intensive GM-soy planting have raised concerns on the teratogenic potential of glyphosate-based herbicides. These public concerns prompted us to conduct a systematic review of the epidemiological studies testing hypotheses of associations between glyphosate exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes including birth defects. Methods A systematic and comprehensive literature search was performed in MEDLINE, TOXLINE, Bireme-BVS and SCOPUS databases using different combinations of exposure and outcome terms. A case–control study on the association between pesticides and congenital malformations in areas of extensive GM soy crops in South America, and reports on the occurrence of birth defects in these regions were reviewed as well. Results The search found ten studies testing associations between glyphosate and birth defects, abortions, pre-term deliveries, small for gestational date births, childhood diseases or altered sex ratios. Two additional studies examined changes of time-to-pregnancy in glyphosate-exposed populations. Except for an excess of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD (OR = 3.6, 1.3-9.6 among children born to glyphosate appliers, no significant associations between this herbicide and adverse pregnancy outcomes were described. Evidence that in South American regions of intensive GM-soy planting incidence of birth defects is high remains elusive. Conclusions Current epidemiological evidence, albeit limited to a few studies using non-quantitative and indirect estimates and dichotomous analysis of exposures, does not lend support to public concerns that glyphosate-based pesticides might pose developmental risks to the unborn child. Nonetheless, owing to methodological limitations of existing analytical observational studies, and particularly to a lack of a direct measurement (urine and/or blood levels

  15. Toxicity and biodistribution of orally administered casein nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gil, Ana Gloria; Irache, Juan Manuel; Peñuelas, Iván; González Navarro, Carlos Javier; López de Cerain, Adela

    2017-08-01

    In the last years, casein nanoparticles have been proposed as carriers for the oral delivery of biologically active compounds. However, till now, no information about their possible specific hazards in vivo was available. The aim of this work was to assess the safety of casein nanoparticles when administered orally to animals through a 90 days dose-repeated toxicity study (OECD guideline 408), that was performed in Wistar rats under GLP conditions. After 90 days, no evidences of significant alterations in animals treated daily with 50, 150 or 500 mg/kg bw of nanoparticles were found. This safety agrees well with the fact that nanoparticles were not absorbed and remained within the gut as observed by radiolabelling in the biodistribution study. After 28 days, there was a generalized hyperchloremia in males and females treated with the highest dose of 500 mg/kg bw, that was coupled with hypernatremia in the females. These effects were related to the presence of mannitol which was used as excipient in the formulation of casein nanoparticles. According to these results, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) could be established in 150 mg/kg bw/day and the Lowest Observed Effect Level (LOEL) could be established in 500 mg/kg bw/day. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Volatile oils of Chinese crude medicines exhibit antiparasitic activity against human Demodex with no adverse effects in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ji-Xin; Sun, Yan-Hong; Li, Chao-Pin

    2015-04-01

    Demodex is a type of permanent obligatory parasite, which can be found on the human body surface. Currently, drugs targeting Demodex usually result in adverse effects and have a poor therapeutic effect. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the use of Chinese crude medicine volatile oils for targeting and inhibiting Demodex in vitro . The volatile oils of six Chinese crude medicines were investigated, including clove, orange fruit, Manchurian wildginger, cinnamon bark, Rhizome Alpiniae Officinarum and pricklyash peel, which were extracted using a distillation method. The exercise status of Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis and the antiparasitic effects of the volatile oils against the two species were observed using microscopy. A skin irritation test was used to examine the irritation intensity of the volatile oils. In addition, an acute toxicity test was utilized to observe the toxicity effects of the volatile oils on the skin. Xin Fumanling ointment was employed as a positive control to identify the therapeutic effects of the volatile oils. The results indicated that all six volatile oils were able to kill Demodex efficiently. In particular, the clove volatile oil was effective in inducing optimized anti- Demodex activity. The lethal times of the volatile oils were significantly decreased compared with the Xin Fumanling ointment (Poil did not trigger any irritation (0.2 and 0.3 points for intact and scratched skin, respectively), and had a safety equal to that of distilled water. There were not any adverse effects observed following application of the clove volatile oil on the intact or scratched skin. In conclusion, the volatile oils of Chinese crude medicines, particularly that of clove, demonstrated an evident anti- Demodex activity and were able to kill Demodex effectively and safely in vivo .

  17. Supplementation with Glucosamine Has no Adverse Effects on Glycemic Level and Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zohreh Mazloom

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Use of glucosamine as an alternative treatment for osteoarthritis is becoming more frequent, including in those who have diabetes at the same time. The results from in vitro and animal studies propose that glucosamine may inversely affect glucose metabolism. However, the recommended dose of oral glucosamine in healthy people or diabetics did not have such effects consistently. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of glucosamine on glycemic control and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: Fifty-four patients with type 2 diabetes participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The participants were assigned to receive 1500 mg glucosamine hydrochloride or placebo for 12 weeks. After determining their baseline characteristics, body mass index and dietary intake components, fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin were measured at weeks of 0, 8, and 12. Indices of insulin function including quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR were calculated by specific formulas. Independent t-test and general linear model repeated measures were used to analyze the data. Results: In the glucosamine group, the means of fasting blood glucose and insulin were 107.31±24.07 mg/dl and 8.75±4.37 μu/ ml, respectively at baseline, which reached 112.38±31.50 and 9.10±4.17 at week 12. In the placebo group, the mean for fasting blood glucose and insulin were 103.84±24.15 and 9.79±4.02 at the beginning of the study, which reached to 111.40±26.43 and 8.58±3.68 at week 12. The results showed that there were no significant differences in fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and QUICKI indices at all the studied time points (weeks of 0, 8 and 12 within or between the groups. Conclusion: Twelve weeks of a normal recommended dose of glucosamine supplements may not have adverse effects on glycemic control and insulin

  18. Childhood adversity and adult personality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenman, Stephen; Rodgers, Bryan

    2006-05-01

    To explore how recalled childhood adversity affects trait measures of personality in three age cohorts of an Australian adult population and to examine the effects of particular adversities on adult personality traits. A total of 7485 randomly selected subjects in the age bands of 20-24, 40-44 and 60-64 years were interviewed at the outset of a longitudinal community study of psychological health in the Canberra region of Australia. In the initial interview, subjects answered 17 questions about domestic adversity and three questions on positive aspects of upbringing to age 16 years. Personality traits were measured by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Behavioural Activation and Inhibition Scales, Positive and Negative Affect Scales and a measure of dissocial behaviours. Higher levels of childhood adversity substantially increase the risk of high neuroticism (OR = 2.6) and negative affect (OR = 2.6), less for behavioural inhibition (OR = 1.7) and for dissocial behaviour (OR = 1.7). No significant effect is seen for extraversion, psychoticism or behavioural activation. Age and gender had little effect on the pattern of risk. Maternal depression has significant and substantial independent effects on measures of neuroticism and negative affect as well as most other measures of personality. Childhood domestic adversity has substantial associations with clinically important aspects of personality: neuroticism and negative affect. Only small effects are seen on behavioural inhibition and dissocial behaviour, and no significant effect on extraversion and behavioural activation. These unexpected findings contradict clinical belief. Maternal psychological ill-health is pre-eminent among adversities predicting later disadvantageous traits, even for those traits that had only the slightest association with childhood adversity. Consequences of childhood adversity prevail throughout the lifespan in men and women equally. The study underlines the importance of childhood domestic

  19. Germline glutathione S-transferase variants in breast cancer: Relation to diagnosis and cutaneous long-term adverse effects after two fractionation patterns of radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edvardsen, Hege; Kristensen, Vessela N.; Grenaker Alnaes, Grethe Irene B.Sc.; Bohn, Mona; Erikstein, Bjorn; Helland, Aslaug; Borresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Fossa, Sophie Dorothea

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To explore whether certain glutathione S-transferase (GST) polymorphisms are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer or the level of radiation-induced adverse effects after two fractionation patterns of adjuvant radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: The prevalence of germline polymorphic variants in GSTM1, GSTP1, and GSTT1 was determined in 272 breast cancer patients and compared with that in a control group of 270 women from the general population with no known history of breast cancer. The genetic variants were determined using multiplex polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction enzyme fragment analysis. In 253 of the patients surveyed for radiotherapy-induced side effects after a median observation time of 13.7 years (range, 7-22.8 years), the genotypes were related to the long-term effects observed after two fractionation patterns (treatment A, 4.3 Gy in 10 fractions for 156 patients; and treatment B, 2.5 Gy in 20 fractions for 97; both administered within a 5-week period). Results: None of the GST polymorphisms conferred an increased risk of breast cancer, either alone or in combination. Compared with treatment B, treatment A was followed by an increased level of moderate to severe radiation-induced side effects for all the endpoints studied (i.e., degree of telangiectasia, subcutaneous fibrosis and atrophy, lung fibrosis, costal fractures, and pleural thickening; p <0.001 for all endpoints). A significant association was found between the level of pleural thickening and the GSTP1 Ile105Val variant. Conclusion: The results of this study have illustrated the impact of hypofractionation on the level of adverse effects and indicated that the specific alleles of GSTP1, M1, and T1 studied here may be significant in determining the level of adverse effects after radiotherapy

  20. [Adverse effects of oxcarbazepine].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Shu; Gong, Zhi-Cheng

    2015-04-01

    Oxcarbazepine is a new antiepileptic drug. The results of clinical trials suggest that oxcarbazepine is well tolerated and has less drug interactions. It is being used more and more widely in clinical practice, but its adverse effects should not be ignored. The most common adverse effects of oxcarbazepine are usually related to the central nervous system and digestive system, including fatigue, drowsiness, diplopia, dizziness, nausea and vomit. The common skin adverse reaction is rash. Long-term use of oxcarbazepine may also cause hyponatremia. This article reviews the literature from China and overseas about the adverse effets of oxcarbazepine over the last 10 years in order to find information about rational clinical use of oxcarbazepine.

  1. Safety studies conducted on pecan shell fiber, a food ingredient produced from ground pecan shells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurie Dolan

    Full Text Available Use of pecan shell fiber in human food is presently limited, but could increase pending demonstration of safety. In a 91-day rat study, pecan shell fiber was administered at dietary concentrations of 0 (control, 50 000, 100 000 or 150 000 ppm. There was no effect of the ingredient on body weight of males or females or food consumption of females. Statistically significant increases in food consumption were observed throughout the study in 100 000 and 150 000 ppm males, resulting in intermittent decreases in food efficiency (150 000 ppm males only that were not biologically relevant. All animals survived and no adverse clinical signs or functional changes were attributable to the test material. There were no toxicologically relevant changes in hematology, clinical chemistry or urinalysis parameters or organ weights in rats ingesting pecan shell fiber. Any macroscopic or microscopic findings were incidental, of normal variation and/or of minimal magnitude for test substance association. Pecan shell fiber was non-mutagenic in a bacterial reverse mutation test and non-clastogenic in a mouse peripheral blood micronucleus test. Based on these results, pecan shell fiber has an oral subchronic (13-week no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL of 150 000 ppm in rats and is not genotoxic at the doses analyzed. Keywords: Pecan shell, Fiber, Rat, Diet, Toxicity, Mutagenicity

  2. A chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity study of FD & C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borzelleca, J F; Hallagan, J B

    1988-03-01

    Charles River CD-1 mice were fed FD & C Yellow No. 5 in the diet at levels of 0.0, 0.0, 0.5, 1.5 or 5.0% in a long-term toxicity/carcinogenicity study. Each group consisted of 60 males and 60 females. Maximum exposure was 104 wk for both males and females. No consistent, significant compound-related adverse effects were noted. The no-observed-adverse effect level established in this study was 5.0% (8103 mg/kg/day and 9735 mg/kg/day for male and female mice, respectively.)

  3. Inhalation toxicity of methanol/gasoline in rats: effects of 13-week exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poon, R; Park, G; Viau, C; Chu, I; Potvin, M; Vincent, R; Valli, V

    1998-01-01

    glands in the high dose males. No other significant microscopic changes were observed in the tissues of treated animals. Based on the marked increase in urinary ascorbic acid and albumin in the high dose males and the decreased forelimb grip strength in the high dose females, we concluded that the no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of methanol/gasoline vapour is 500/30 ppm.

  4. The extended statistical analysis of toxicity tests using standardised effect sizes (SESs): a comparison of nine published papers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Festing, Michael F W

    2014-01-01

    The safety of chemicals, drugs, novel foods and genetically modified crops is often tested using repeat-dose sub-acute toxicity tests in rats or mice. It is important to avoid misinterpretations of the results as these tests are used to help determine safe exposure levels in humans. Treated and control groups are compared for a range of haematological, biochemical and other biomarkers which may indicate tissue damage or other adverse effects. However, the statistical analysis and presentation of such data poses problems due to the large number of statistical tests which are involved. Often, it is not clear whether a "statistically significant" effect is real or a false positive (type I error) due to sampling variation. The author's conclusions appear to be reached somewhat subjectively by the pattern of statistical significances, discounting those which they judge to be type I errors and ignoring any biomarker where the p-value is greater than p = 0.05. However, by using standardised effect sizes (SESs) a range of graphical methods and an over-all assessment of the mean absolute response can be made. The approach is an extension, not a replacement of existing methods. It is intended to assist toxicologists and regulators in the interpretation of the results. Here, the SES analysis has been applied to data from nine published sub-acute toxicity tests in order to compare the findings with those of the author's. Line plots, box plots and bar plots show the pattern of response. Dose-response relationships are easily seen. A "bootstrap" test compares the mean absolute differences across dose groups. In four out of seven papers where the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was estimated by the authors, it was set too high according to the bootstrap test, suggesting that possible toxicity is under-estimated.

  5. The extended statistical analysis of toxicity tests using standardised effect sizes (SESs: a comparison of nine published papers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael F W Festing

    Full Text Available The safety of chemicals, drugs, novel foods and genetically modified crops is often tested using repeat-dose sub-acute toxicity tests in rats or mice. It is important to avoid misinterpretations of the results as these tests are used to help determine safe exposure levels in humans. Treated and control groups are compared for a range of haematological, biochemical and other biomarkers which may indicate tissue damage or other adverse effects. However, the statistical analysis and presentation of such data poses problems due to the large number of statistical tests which are involved. Often, it is not clear whether a "statistically significant" effect is real or a false positive (type I error due to sampling variation. The author's conclusions appear to be reached somewhat subjectively by the pattern of statistical significances, discounting those which they judge to be type I errors and ignoring any biomarker where the p-value is greater than p = 0.05. However, by using standardised effect sizes (SESs a range of graphical methods and an over-all assessment of the mean absolute response can be made. The approach is an extension, not a replacement of existing methods. It is intended to assist toxicologists and regulators in the interpretation of the results. Here, the SES analysis has been applied to data from nine published sub-acute toxicity tests in order to compare the findings with those of the author's. Line plots, box plots and bar plots show the pattern of response. Dose-response relationships are easily seen. A "bootstrap" test compares the mean absolute differences across dose groups. In four out of seven papers where the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL was estimated by the authors, it was set too high according to the bootstrap test, suggesting that possible toxicity is under-estimated.

  6. A review of low-level air pollution and adverse effects on human health: implications for epidemiological studies and public policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olmo, Neide Regina Simões; do Nascimento Saldiva, Paulo Hilário; Braga, Alfésio Luís Ferreira; Lin, Chin An; de Paula Santos, Ubiratan; Pereira, Luiz Alberto Amador

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to review original scientific articles describing the relationship between atmospheric pollution and damage to human health. We also aimed to determine which of these studies mentioned public policy issues. Original articles relating to atmospheric pollution and human health published between 1995 and 2009 were retrieved from the PubMed database and analyzed. This study included only articles dealing with atmospheric pollutants resulting primarily from vehicle emissions. Three researchers were involved in the final selection of the studies, and the chosen articles were approved by at least two of the three researchers. Of the 84 non-Brazilian studies analyzed, 80 showed an association between atmospheric pollution and adverse effects on human health. Moreover, 66 showed evidence of adverse effects on human health, even at levels below the permitted emission standards. Three studies mentioned public policies aimed at changing emission standards. Similarly, the 29 selected Brazilian studies reported adverse associations with human health, and 27 showed evidence of adverse effects even at levels below the legally permitted emission standards. Of these studies, 16 mentioned public policies aimed at changing emission standards. Based on the Brazilian and non-Brazilian scientific studies that have been conducted, it can be concluded that, even under conditions that are compliant with Brazilian air quality standards, the concentration of atmospheric pollutants in Brazil can negatively affect human health. However, as little discussion of this topic has been generated, this finding demonstrates the need to incorporate epidemiological evidence into decisions regarding legal regulations and to discuss the public policy implications in epidemiological studies. PMID:21655765

  7. THE EFFECT OF EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION ON ADVERSITY QUOTIENT IN PATIENTS WITH HIV/AIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nursalam Nursalam

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Patients with HIV/AIDS may have various types of psychological responses. It was very difficult situation for them. Difficulty can measured by using Adversity Quotient. As a nurse, we can give extrinsic motivation to bring back the patient HIV/AIDS’s quality of life. The objective of this study was to identify the presence effect of extrinsic motivation on Adversity Quotient in patients with HIV/AIDS in Infectious Disease Intermediateatery Treatment Unit, Dr. Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya. Method: This study was used a quasy experimental purposive sampling design. The population was taken from ambulatory patients. There were 16 respondents who met to the inclusion criteria. The independent variable was extrinsic motivation and dependent variable was Adversity Quotient. Data were collected by using questionnaire and interview, then analyzed by using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Mann Whitney U Test with significance level p=0.05. Result: The result revealed that there was an effect of extrinsic motivation on Adversity Quotient of patients with HIV/AIDS (p=0.017. The extrinsic motivation was found to have an effect on control response (p=0.027 and origin response (p=0.028, there was no influence of extrinsic motivation on ownership response (p=0.334, reach (p=0.129 and endurance (p=0.161. Discussion: It can be concluded that the extrinsic motivation with intervention of social support has a positive effect on the improvement of Adversity Quotient in patients with HIV/AIDS. Further studies should measure the effectiveness of Adversity Quotient training on acceptance response in patients with HIV/AIDS.

  8. Nano-TiO₂--feasibility and challenges for human health risk assessment based on open literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Frans M; Johnston, Helinor J; Stone, Vicki; Aitken, Robert J; Hankin, Steve; Peters, Sheona; Aschberger, Karin

    2011-06-01

    This study aims at investigating feasibility and challenges associated with conducting a human health risk assessment for nano-titanium-dioxide (nano-TiO₂) based on the open literature by following an approach similar to a classical regulatory risk assessment. Gaps in the available data set, both in relation to exposures and hazard, do not allow reaching any definite conclusions that could be used for regulatory decision-making. Results show that repeated inhalation in the workplace and possibly consumer inhalation may cause risks. Also short-term inhalation following spray applications may cause risks. Main future work should focus on generating occupational and consumer inhalation exposure data, as well as toxicity data on absorption following inhalation, repeated dermal contact, and contact with damaged skin. Also relevant seems further information on possible neurotoxicity and genotoxicity/carcinogenicity, as well as establishing a No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) for acute inhalation of nano-TiO₂.

  9. Toxicological assessment of indium nitrate on aquatic organisms and investigation of the effects on the PLHC-1 fish cell line

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zurita, Jorge L. [National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Av. Dr Fedriani s/n, 41009, Seville (Spain); Jos, Angeles [Area of Toxicology, University of Seville, Prof. Garcia Gonzalez 2, 41012, Seville (Spain); Peso, Ana del; Salguero, Manuel [National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Av. Dr Fedriani s/n, 41009, Seville (Spain); Camean, Ana M. [Area of Toxicology, University of Seville, Prof. Garcia Gonzalez 2, 41012, Seville (Spain); Lopez-Artiguez, Miguel [National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Av. Dr Fedriani s/n, 41009, Seville (Spain); Repetto, Guillermo [National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Av. Dr Fedriani s/n, 41009, Seville (Spain); Area of Toxicology, University of Seville, Prof. Garcia Gonzalez 2, 41012, Seville (Spain)], E-mail: repetto@us.es

    2007-11-15

    Indium nitrate is mainly used as a semiconductor in batteries, for plating and other chemical and medical applications. There is a lack of available information about the adverse effects of indium compounds on aquatic organisms. Therefore, the toxic effects on systems from four trophic levels of the aquatic ecosystem were investigated. Firstly, the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, the alga Chlorella vulgaris and the cladoceran Daphnia magna were used in the toxicological evaluation of indium nitrate. The most sensitive model was V. fischeri, with a NOAEL of 0.02 and an EC{sub 50} of 0.04 mM at 15 min. Although indium nitrate should be classified as harmful to aquatic organisms, it is not expected to represent acute risk to the aquatic biota. Secondly, PLHC-1 fish cell line was employed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of toxicity. Although protein content, neutral red uptake, methylthiazol metabolization, lysosomal function and acetylcholinesterase activity were reduced in cells, stimulations were observed for metallothionein levels and succinate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. No changes were observed in ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity. To clarify the main events in PLHC-1 cell death induced by indium nitrate, nine modulators were applied. They were related to oxidative stress ({alpha}-tocopherol succinate, mannitol and sodium benzoate), disruption of calcium homeostasis (BAPTA-AM and EGTA), thiol protection (1,4-dithiotreitol), iron chelation (deferoxiamine) or regulation of glutathione levels (2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid and malic acid diethyl ester). The main morphological alterations were hydropic degeneration and loss of cells. At least, in partly, toxicity seems to be mediated by oxidative stress, and particularly by NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation.

  10. Toxicological assessment of indium nitrate on aquatic organisms and investigation of the effects on the PLHC-1 fish cell line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zurita, Jorge L.; Jos, Angeles; Peso, Ana del; Salguero, Manuel; Camean, Ana M.; Lopez-Artiguez, Miguel; Repetto, Guillermo

    2007-01-01

    Indium nitrate is mainly used as a semiconductor in batteries, for plating and other chemical and medical applications. There is a lack of available information about the adverse effects of indium compounds on aquatic organisms. Therefore, the toxic effects on systems from four trophic levels of the aquatic ecosystem were investigated. Firstly, the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, the alga Chlorella vulgaris and the cladoceran Daphnia magna were used in the toxicological evaluation of indium nitrate. The most sensitive model was V. fischeri, with a NOAEL of 0.02 and an EC 50 of 0.04 mM at 15 min. Although indium nitrate should be classified as harmful to aquatic organisms, it is not expected to represent acute risk to the aquatic biota. Secondly, PLHC-1 fish cell line was employed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of toxicity. Although protein content, neutral red uptake, methylthiazol metabolization, lysosomal function and acetylcholinesterase activity were reduced in cells, stimulations were observed for metallothionein levels and succinate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. No changes were observed in ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity. To clarify the main events in PLHC-1 cell death induced by indium nitrate, nine modulators were applied. They were related to oxidative stress (α-tocopherol succinate, mannitol and sodium benzoate), disruption of calcium homeostasis (BAPTA-AM and EGTA), thiol protection (1,4-dithiotreitol), iron chelation (deferoxiamine) or regulation of glutathione levels (2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid and malic acid diethyl ester). The main morphological alterations were hydropic degeneration and loss of cells. At least, in partly, toxicity seems to be mediated by oxidative stress, and particularly by NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation

  11. Clinical trial considerations on male contraception and collection of pregnancy information from female partners

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    Banholzer Maria

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is little guidance regarding the risk of exposure of pregnant women/ women of childbearing potential to genotoxic or teratogenic compounds via vaginal dose delivered through seminal fluid during sexual intercourse. Method We summarize current thinking and provide clinical trial considerations for a consistent approach to contraception for males exposed to genotoxic and/or teratogenic compounds or to compounds of unknown teratogenicity, and for collection of pregnancy data from their female partners. Results Where toxicity testing demonstrates genotoxic potential, condom use is required during exposure and for 5 terminal plasma half-lives plus 74 days (one human spermatogenesis cycle to avoid conception. For non-genotoxic small molecules and immunoglobulins with unknown teratogenic potential or without a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL from embryo-fetal development (EFD studies and no minimal anticipated biological effect level (MABEL, condom use is recommended for males with pregnant partner/female partner of childbearing potential. For teratogenic small molecules with estimated seminal fluid concentration and a margin between projected maternal area under the curve (AUC and NOAEL AUC from EFD studies of ≥300 (≥100 for immunoglobulins or in the absence of a NOAEL with a margin between MABEL plasma concentration and maternal Cmax of ≥300 (≥10 for immunoglobulins, condom use is not required. However, condom use is required for margins below the thresholds previously indicated. For small molecules with available seminal fluid concentrations, condom use is required if margins are Pregnancy data should be proactively collected if pregnancy occurs during the condom use period required for males exposed to first-in-class molecules or to molecules with a target/class shown to be teratogenic, embryotoxic or fetotoxic in human or preclinical experiments. Conclusion These recommendations, based on a precaution

  12. Thirteen-week oral toxicity study of L-glutamine in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsubuku, Shoji; Hatayama, Kazuhisa; Mawatari, Kazunori; Smriga, Miro; Kimura, Takeshi

    2004-01-01

    L-Glutamine (Gln) is a semiessential amino acid used in enteral feeding in critically ill patients, and is contained in numerous dietary supplements available to the general public. This study evaluated toxicological effects of Gln in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Gln produced by Ajinomoto Co. (Tokyo, Japan) was incorporated into a standard diet at doses equal to 1.25%, 2.5%, and 5.0% (w/w), respectively. A control group of rats received only a standard diet. All diets were administered ad libitum for 13 consecutive weeks. To examine recoverability of any potential effects, the administration period was followed by a 5-week recovery period, during which only the standard diet was provided to all animals. Throughout the administration and recovery periods, no deaths were observed, and no changes in diet consumption, ophthalmologic findings, gross pathology, and histopathology were detected. Several changes in urine parameters (total protein, urine pH, and a positive incidence (+/-) of ketone bodies) were observed in the 2.5% and 5.0% groups at the end of the administration period. Minor increases were found in hematology parameters for the 5.0% group (platelet count, gamma-globulin, lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]), but all changes were within physiological range. No effects of administration were observed in the 1.25% group. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for Gln was estimated at 1.25% for both genders (males 0.83 +/- 0.01 g/kg/day; females, 0.96 +/- 0.06 g/kg/day).

  13. DRD4-exonIII-VNTR moderates the effect of childhood adversities on emotional resilience in young-adults.

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    Debjani Das

    Full Text Available Most individuals successfully maintain psychological well-being even when exposed to trauma or adversity. Emotional resilience or the ability to thrive in the face of adversity is determined by complex interactions between genetic makeup, previous exposure to stress, personality, coping style, availability of social support, etc. Recent studies have demonstrated that childhood trauma diminishes resilience in adults and affects mental health. The Dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4 exon III variable number tandem repeat (VNTR polymorphism was reported to moderate the impact of adverse childhood environment on behaviour, mood and other health-related outcomes. In this study we investigated whether DRD4-exIII-VNTR genotype moderates the effect of childhood adversities (CA on resilience. In a representative population sample (n = 1148 aged 30-34 years, we observed an interactive effect of DRD4 genotype and CA (β = 0.132; p = 0.003 on resilience despite no main effect of the genotype when effects of age, gender and education were controlled for. The 7-repeat allele appears to protect against the adverse effect of CA since the decline in resilience associated with increased adversity was evident only in individuals without the 7-repeat allele. Resilience was also significantly associated with approach-/avoidance-related personality measures (behavioural inhibition/activation system; BIS/BAS measures and an interactive effect of DRD4-exIII-VNTR genotype and CA on BAS was observed. Hence it is possible that approach-related personality traits could be mediating the effect of the DRD4 gene and childhood environment interaction on resilience such that when stressors are present, the 7-repeat allele influences the development of personality in a way that provides protection against adverse outcomes.

  14. A preliminary 13-week oral toxicity study of ginger oil in male and female Wistar rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeena, Kottarapat; Liju, Vijayastelter B; Kuttan, Ramadasan

    2011-12-01

    Zingiber officinale Roscoe, ginger, is a major spice extensively used in traditional medicine. The toxicity profile of ginger oil was studied by subchronic oral administration for 13 weeks at doses of 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg per day to 6 groups of Wistar rats (5/sex per dose). Separate groups of rats (5/sex per group) received either paraffin oil (vehicle) or were untreated and served as comparative control groups. There was no mortality and no decrease in body weight or food consumption as well as selective organ weights during the study period. Administration of ginger oil to rats did not produce any treatment-related changes in hematological parameters, hepatic, renal functions, serum electrolytes, or in histopathology of selected organs. The major component of ginger oil was found to be zingiberene (31.08%), and initial studies indicated the presence of zingiberene in the serum after oral dosing. These results confirmed that ginger oil is not toxic to male and female rats following subchronic oral administrations of up to 500 mg/kg per day (no observed adverse effect level [NOAEL]).

  15. A sub-chronic toxicity evaluation of a natural astaxanthin-rich carotenoid extract of Paracoccus carotinifaciens in rats

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    Toyohisa Katsumata

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Astaxanthin is believed to be beneficial to human health because it possesses strong antioxidant properties. A natural astaxanthin-rich carotenoid extract (ARE was produced by a well-controlled fermentation of a natural bacteria Paracoccus carotinifaciens, followed by the extraction and enrichment of the final product comprising mixture of carotenoids that is predominantly astaxanthin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sub-chronic toxicity of the ARE using 6 week old Sprague-Dawley SPF rats [Crl:CD(SD]. The test article was suspended in olive oil and administered daily to the rats by oral gavage for 13 weeks at doses of 0 (olive oil, 250, 500 or 1000 mg/kg/day. Each group consisted of 10 animals of each sex. No deaths occurred and no treatment-related changes were observed in the detailed clinical observations, manipulative tests, grip strength, motor activity, body weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, blood chemistry, organ weight, necropsy or histopathology. Dark-red feces were observed throughout the administration period in all treated groups due to excretion of the colored test article. Based on these results, it was concluded that the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL for ARE was at least 1000 mg/kg/day for male and female rats, respectively.

  16. Population pharmacokinetics of exendin-(9-39) and clinical dose selection in patients with congenital hyperinsulinism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Chee M; Tang, Fei; Seeholzer, Steven H; Zou, Yixuan; De León, Diva D

    2018-03-01

    Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycaemia in infants and children. Exendin-(9-39), an inverse glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, is a novel therapeutic agent for HI that has demonstrated glucose-raising effect. We report the first population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model of the exendin-(9-39) in patients with HI and propose the optimal dosing regimen for future clinical trials in neonates with HI. A total of 182 pharmacokinetic (PK) observations from 26 subjects in three clinical studies were included for constructing the PopPK model using first order conditional estimation (FOCE) with interaction method in nonlinear mixed-effects modelling (NONMEM). Exposure metrics (area under the curve [AUC] and maximum plasma concentration [C max ]) at no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) in rats and dogs were determined in toxicology studies. Observed concentration-time profiles of exendin-(9-39) were described by a linear two-compartmental PK model. Following allometric scaling of PK parameters, age and creatinine clearance did not significantly affect clearance. The calculated clearance and elimination half-life for adult subjects with median weight of 69 kg were 11.8 l h -1 and 1.81 h, respectively. The maximum recommended starting dose determined from modelling and simulation based on the AUC 0-last at the NOAEL and predicted AUC 0-inf using the PopPK model was 27 mg kg -1  day -1 intravenously. This is the first study to investigate the PopPK of exendin-(9-39) in humans. The final PopPK model was successfully used with preclinical toxicology findings to propose the optimal dosing regimen of exendin-(9-39) for clinical studies in neonates with HI, allowing for a more targeted dosing approach to achieve desired glycaemic response. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

  17. Observation on the adverse reactions of different concentrations of povidone-iodine applied before cataract surgery

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    Shan-Jun Wu

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the efficiency and safety of 50g/L povidone-iodine solution in preventing postoperative endophthalmitis through comparing the incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis and adverse reactions after conjunctival sac washing with povidone-iodine of different concentrations.METHODS: Totally 500 cataract patients were divided into 50g/L povidone-iodine group and 25g/L povidone-iodine group. All the operated eyes were observed during and after surgery.The patients' subjective discomfort was inquired and their signs of eyes were recorded. RESULTS: The eye irritation of 50g/L povidone-iodine group was more significant than 25g/L povidone-iodine group. No significant difference in the corneal epithelial loss and endophthalmitis was observed between two groups.CONCLUSION:Conjunctival sac washing with 50g/L povidone-iodine is an effective and safe measure to prevent endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.

  18. Surface Level Ozone and its Adverse Effects on Crops and Forests: A Need for an Interdisciplinary Understanding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sagar V. Krupa

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Surface level ozone (O3 is clearly a global scale problem with regard to its adverse effects on crops, forests and native, terrestrial plant ecosystems. Photochemists and meteorologists are continuing to define the chemistry and physics of the prevalence of O3 at the ground level. Similarly, plant scientists in the U.S. and Europe have examined the effects of O3 on crops and tree seedlings or saplings through large-scale studies. Examples include the U.S. National Crop Loss Assessment Network (NCLAN, the U.S. EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency’s San Bernardino National Forest Photochemical Oxidant Study, European Open-top Chambers Programme (EOTCP, and several ongoing EU (European Union projects. In addition, there have been studies on mature tree responses through field measurements and by simulation modeling.

  19. The safety of PolyGlycopleX® (PGX® as shown in a 90-day rodent feeding study

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    Ann Marone Palma

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study was designed to evaluate the safety of PolyGlycopleX® (PGX®, a novel viscous dietary polysaccharide (fiber, when administered to Sprague Dawley® rats in the diet for 90 days. Methods Groups of ten male and ten female rats each consumed PGX mixed in the diet at levels of 0, 1.25, 2.5 or 5.0% for 90 days, then evaluated for toxicological effects on parameters that included neuromotor activity, body weight, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, hematology, and histopathology. Results Mean body weight, mean feed consumption and food efficiency in the treated groups were generally comparable to controls for both male and female rats. No changes were noted in neuromotor behavior, and histopathological analysis revealed no significant changes between treated and control animals. There were no differences in mean organ weight, organ-to-body weight or organ-to-brain weight values between controls and treated animals. Decreased red blood cell count occurred in the high dose males and increases in aspartate and alanine aminotransferase enzyme levels and triglycerides, while significant decreases in serum sodium, potassium and chloride concentrations were observed in the females fed 5.0% PGX. However, the decreased mineral concentrations may be the result of significantly increased urinary volume in both males and females at the high dose, with a concomitant decrease in urinary specific gravity (males and females and protein concentration (females. These results were within historical control values, did not correlate with any histopathological changes, and were not considered adverse. Conclusion The results indicate a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL for PGX at 5.0% of the diet, corresponding to an average daily intake of 3219 and 3799 mg/kg bw/day in male and female rats, respectively.

  20. Sub-acute Toxicity Study of Tiger Milk Mushroom Lignosus tigris Chon S. Tan Cultivar E Sclerotium in Sprague Dawley Rats

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    Shin Yee Fung

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Lignosus also known as Tiger Milk Mushroom, is classified in the family Polyporaceae and mainly consumed for its medicinal properties in Southeast Asia and China. The sclerotium is known as the part with medicinal value and often used by the natives to treat a variety of ailments. Lignosus tigris Chon S. Tan, one of the species of the Malaysia Tiger Milk mushroom, has recently been successfully cultivated in laboratory. Earlier studies have demonstrated the L. tigris cultivar E sclerotia exhibited beneficial biomedicinal properties. This study evaluated the potential toxicity of L. tigris E sclerotia in a 28-day sub-acute oral administration in Sprague Dawley (SD rats. L. tigris E sclerotial powder was administered orally at three different doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg to the SD rats once daily, consecutively for 28 days. Body weight of the rats was recorded and general behavior, adverse effects and mortality were observed daily throughout the experimental period. At the end of the experiment, blood hematology and biochemistry, relative organ weights and histopathological analysis were performed. Results showed that there were no mortality nor signs of toxicity throughout the 28-day sub-acute toxicity study. Oral administration of the L. tigris E sclerotial powder at daily dose up to 1000 mg/kg had no significant effects in body weight, relative organ weight, blood hematological and biochemistry, gross pathology and histopathology of the organs. L. tigris E sclerotial powder did not cause any treatment-related adverse effect in the rats at different treatment dosages up to 1000 mg/kg. As the lethal dose for the rats is above 1000 mg/kg, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL dose is more than 1000 mg/kg.

  1. Health assessment of gasoline and fuel oxygenate vapors: developmental toxicity in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Linda G; Gray, Thomas M; Trimmer, Gary W; Parker, Robert M; Murray, F Jay; Schreiner, Ceinwen A; Clark, Charles R

    2014-11-01

    Gasoline-vapor condensate (BGVC) or condensed vapors from gasoline blended with methyl t-butyl ether (G/MTBE), ethyl t-butyl ether (G/ETBE), t-amyl methyl ether (G/TAME) diisopropyl ether (G/DIPE), ethanol (G/EtOH), or t-butyl alcohol (G/TBA) were evaluated for developmental toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed via inhalation on gestation days (GD) 5-20 for 6h/day at levels of 0 (control filtered air), 2000, 10,000, and 20,000mg/m(3). These exposure durations and levels substantially exceed typical consumer exposure during refueling (<1-7mg/m(3), 5min). Dose responsive maternal effects were reduced maternal body weight and/or weight change, and/or reduced food consumption. No significant malformations were seen in any study. Developmental effects occurred at 20,000mg/m(3) of G/TAME (reduced fetal body weight, increased incidence of stunted fetuses), G/TBA (reduced fetal body weight, increased skeletal variants) and G/DIPE (reduced fetal weight) resulting in developmental NOAEL of 10,000mg/m(3) for these materials. Developmental NOAELs for other materials were 20,000mg/m(3) as no developmental toxicity was induced in those studies. Developmental NOAELs were equal to or greater than the concurrent maternal NOAELs which ranged from 2000 to 20,000mg/m(3). There were no clear cut differences in developmental toxicity between vapors of gasoline and gasoline blended with the ether or alcohol oxygenates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Paradigm lost, paradigm found: The re-emergence of hormesis as a fundamental dose response model in the toxicological sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calabrese, Edward J.

    2005-01-01

    This paper provides an assessment of the toxicological basis of the hormetic dose-response relationship including issues relating to its reproducibility, frequency, and generalizability across biological models, endpoints measured and chemical class/physical stressors and implications for risk assessment. The quantitative features of the hormetic dose response are described and placed within toxicological context that considers study design, temporal assessment, mechanism, and experimental model/population heterogeneity. Particular emphasis is placed on an historical evaluation of why the field of toxicology rejected hormesis in favor of dose response models such as the threshold model for assessing non-carcinogens and linear no threshold (LNT) models for assessing carcinogens. The paper argues that such decisions were principally based on complex historical factors that emerged from the intense and protracted conflict between what is now called traditional medicine and homeopathy and the overly dominating influence of regulatory agencies on the toxicological intellectual agenda. Such regulatory agency influence emphasized hazard/risk assessment goals such as the derivation of no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) and the lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) which were derived principally from high dose studies using few doses, a feature which restricted perceptions and distorted judgments of several generations of toxicologists concerning the nature of the dose-response continuum. Such historical and technical blind spots lead the field of toxicology to not only reject an established dose-response model (hormesis), but also the model that was more common and fundamental than those that the field accepted. - The quantitative features of the hormetic dose/response are described and placed within the context of toxicology

  3. Paradigm lost, paradigm found: The re-emergence of hormesis as a fundamental dose response model in the toxicological sciences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calabrese, Edward J. [Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Morrill I, N344, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)]. E-mail: edwardc@schoolph.umass.edu

    2005-12-15

    This paper provides an assessment of the toxicological basis of the hormetic dose-response relationship including issues relating to its reproducibility, frequency, and generalizability across biological models, endpoints measured and chemical class/physical stressors and implications for risk assessment. The quantitative features of the hormetic dose response are described and placed within toxicological context that considers study design, temporal assessment, mechanism, and experimental model/population heterogeneity. Particular emphasis is placed on an historical evaluation of why the field of toxicology rejected hormesis in favor of dose response models such as the threshold model for assessing non-carcinogens and linear no threshold (LNT) models for assessing carcinogens. The paper argues that such decisions were principally based on complex historical factors that emerged from the intense and protracted conflict between what is now called traditional medicine and homeopathy and the overly dominating influence of regulatory agencies on the toxicological intellectual agenda. Such regulatory agency influence emphasized hazard/risk assessment goals such as the derivation of no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) and the lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) which were derived principally from high dose studies using few doses, a feature which restricted perceptions and distorted judgments of several generations of toxicologists concerning the nature of the dose-response continuum. Such historical and technical blind spots lead the field of toxicology to not only reject an established dose-response model (hormesis), but also the model that was more common and fundamental than those that the field accepted. - The quantitative features of the hormetic dose/response are described and placed within the context of toxicology.

  4. Comparing the Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Citalopram with Nortriptylinee in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

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    hedayat Nazari

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Nazari H1, Saki M2, Sohrabi P3, Tarrahi MJ4, Movahedi M5, Badrizadeh A6, Baqeri Kh7 1. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 2. Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 3. General Practitioner, Neurology and Psychoiatry Hospital, Khorramabad 4. Instructor, Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 5. Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 6. B.Sc of Nursing, Staff Member of Research and Technology Office, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 7. B.Sc of Nursing, Psychology hospital Abstract Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD is one of the most common mental disorders all over the world. An effective treatment preserves an acceptable level of function in the affected patients. Different drugs are used in the treatment of MDD, and each of them has specific therapeutic and adverse effects. Recently, SSRI drugs are used in the treatment of this disorder, and yet there is not enough study about them. Thus, we decided to compare the effectiveness and adverse effects of Nortriptyline with that of Citalopram in MDD. Materials and methods: In this double-blinded clinical trial, 80 MMD (DSM-IV-TR patients, who that not any other mental, substance and organic disorders were selected. Samples were randomly assigned into two groups which were treated with Nortriptyline or Citalopram. Efficacy and adverse effects were evaluated at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after the treatment. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: Efficacy was similar in two groups, and no significant differences between the two groups were observed in the mean scores. The comparison of adverse effects between the two groups showed a significant difference in the hypersomnia, dry mouth, anorexia and nausea

  5. No adverse effects detected for simultaneous whole-body exposure to multiple-frequency radiofrequency electromagnetic fields for rats in the intrauterine and pre- and post-weaning periods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirai, Tomoyuki; Wang, Jianqing; Kawabe, Mayumi; Wake, Kanako; Watanabe, So-ichi; Takahashi, Satoru; Fujiwara, Osamu

    2017-01-01

    In everyday life, people are exposed to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) with multiple frequencies. To evaluate the possible adverse effects of multifrequency RF EMFs, we performed an experiment in which pregnant rats and their delivered offspring were simultaneously exposed to eight different communication signal EMFs (two of 800 MHz band, two of 2 GHz band, one of 2.4 GHz band, two of 2.5 GHz band and one of 5.2 GHz band). Thirty six pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) 10-week-old rats were divided into three groups of 12 rats: one control (sham exposure) group and two experimental (low- and high-level RF EMF exposure) groups. The whole body of the mother rats was exposed to the RF EMFs for 20 h per day from Gestational Day 7 to weaning, and F 1 offspring rats (46–48 F1 pups per group) were then exposed up to 6 weeks of age also for 20 h per day. The parameters evaluated included the growth, gestational condition and organ weights of the dams; the survival rates, development, growth, physical and functional development, memory function, and reproductive ability of the F 1 offspring; and the embryotoxicity and teratogenicity in the F 2 rats. No abnormal findings were observed in the dams or F 1 offspring exposed to the RF EMFs or to the F 2 offspring for any of the parameters evaluated. Thus, under the conditions of the present experiment, simultaneous whole-body exposure to eight different communication signal EMFs at frequencies between 800 MHz and 5.2 GHz did not show any adverse effects on pregnancy or on the development of rats.

  6. Serum uric acid level predicts adverse outcomes after myocardial revascularization or cardiac valve surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazzeroni, Davide; Bini, Matteo; Camaiora, Umberto; Castiglioni, Paolo; Moderato, Luca; Bosi, Davide; Geroldi, Simone; Ugolotti, Pietro T; Brambilla, Lorenzo; Brambilla, Valerio; Coruzzi, Paolo

    2018-01-01

    Background High levels of serum uric acid have been associated with adverse outcomes in cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and heart failure. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prognostic role of serum uric acid levels in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial revascularization and/or cardiac valve surgery. Design We performed an observational prospective cohort study. Methods The study included 1440 patients with available serum uric acid levels, prospectively followed for 50 ± 17 months. Mean age was 67 ± 11 years; 781 patients (54%) underwent myocardial revascularization, 474 (33%) cardiac valve surgery and 185 (13%) valve-plus-coronary artery by-pass graft surgery. The primary endpoints were overall and cardiovascular mortality while secondary end-points were combined major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. Results Serum uric acid level mean values were 286 ± 95 µmol/l and elevated serum uric acid levels (≥360 µmol/l or 6 mg/dl) were found in 275 patients (19%). Overall mortality (hazard ratio = 2.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.5-3.0; p uric acid levels, even after adjustment for age, gender, arterial hypertension, diabetes, glomerular filtration rate, atrial fibrillation and medical therapy. Moreover, strong positive correlations between serum uric acid level and probability of overall mortality ( p uric acid levels predict mortality and adverse cardiovascular outcome in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization and/or cardiac valve surgery even after the adjustment for age, gender, arterial hypertension, diabetes, glomerular filtration rate and medical therapy.

  7. Systematic reviews of adverse effects: framework for a structured approach

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    Herxheimer Andrew

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background As every healthcare intervention carries some risk of harm, clinical decision making needs to be supported by a systematic assessment of the balance of benefit to harm. A systematic review that considers only the favourable outcomes of an intervention, without also assessing the adverse effects, can mislead by introducing a bias favouring the intervention. Much of the current guidance on systematic reviews is directed towards the evaluation of effectiveness; but this differs in important ways from the methods used in assessing the safety and tolerability of an intervention. A detailed discussion of why, how and when to include adverse effects in a systematic review, is required. Methods This discussion paper, which presupposes a basic knowledge of systematic review methodology, was developed by consensus among experienced reviewers, members of the Adverse Effects Subgroup of The Cochrane Collaboration, and supplemented by a consultation of content experts in reviews methodology, as well as those working in drug safety. Results A logical framework for making decisions in reviews that incorporate adverse effects is provided. We explore situations where a comprehensive investigation of adverse effects is warranted and suggest strategies to identify practicable and clinically useful outcomes. The advantages and disadvantages of including observational and experimental study designs are reviewed. The consequences of including separate studies for intended and unintended effects are explained. Detailed advice is given on designing electronic searches for studies with adverse effects data. Reviewers of adverse effects are given general guidance on the assessment of study bias, data collection, analysis, presentation and the interpretation of harms in a systematic review. Conclusion Readers need to be able to recognize how strategic choices made in the review process determine what harms are found, and how the findings may affect

  8. Facility-level association of preoperative stress testing and postoperative adverse cardiac events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valle, Javier A; Graham, Laura; Thiruvoipati, Thejasvi; Grunwald, Gary; Armstrong, Ehrin J; Maddox, Thomas M; Hawn, Mary T; Bradley, Steven M

    2018-06-22

    Despite limited indications, preoperative stress testing is often used prior to non-cardiac surgery. Patient-level analyses of stress testing and outcomes are limited by case mix and selection bias. Therefore, we sought to describe facility-level rates of preoperative stress testing for non-cardiac surgery, and to determine the association between facility-level preoperative stress testing and postoperative major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We identified patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery within 2 years of percutaneous coronary intervention in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, from 2004 to 2011, facility-level rates of preoperative stress testing and postoperative MACE (death, myocardial infarction (MI) or revascularisation within 30 days). We determined risk-standardised facility-level rates of stress testing and postoperative MACE, and the relationship between facility-level preoperative stress testing and postoperative MACE. Among 29 937 patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery at 131 VA facilities, the median facility rate of preoperative stress testing was 13.2% (IQR 9.7%-15.9%; range 6.0%-21.5%), and 30-day postoperative MACE was 4.0% (IQR 2.4%-5.4%). After risk standardisation, the median facility-level rate of stress testing was 12.7% (IQR 8.4%-17.4%) and postoperative MACE was 3.8% (IQR 2.3%-5.6%). There was no correlation between risk-standardised stress testing and composite MACE at the facility level (r=0.022, p=0.81), or with individual outcomes of death, MI or revascularisation. In a national cohort of veterans undergoing non-cardiac surgery, we observed substantial variation in facility-level rates of preoperative stress testing. Facilities with higher rates of preoperative stress testing were not associated with better postoperative outcomes. These findings suggest an opportunity to reduce variation in preoperative stress testing without sacrificing patient outcomes. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise

  9. Toxicological evaluation of 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL) sodium salt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurung, Rit Bahadur; Kim, Dae Hee; Kim, Lila; Lee, Albert W; Wang, Zhenhua; Gao, Yonglin

    2018-06-01

    We performed a series of toxicity studies on the safety of 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL) sodium salt as a food ingredient. 6'-SL sodium salt, up to a maximum dose of 5000 μg/plate, did not increase the number of revertant colonies in five strains of Salmonella typhimurium in the presence or absence of S9 metabolic activation. A chromosomal aberration assay (using Chinese hamster lung cells) found no clastogenic effects at any concentration of 6'-SL sodium salt in the presence or absence of S9 metabolic activation. An in vivo bone marrow micronucleus test in Kunming mice showed no clastogenic activities with 6'-SL sodium salt doses up to 2000 mg/kg body weight (bw). In an acute toxicity study, the mean lethal dose of 6'-SL sodium salt was greater than 20 g/kg bw in rats. In a 13-week subchronic toxicity investigation, no effects were found at doses up to 5.0 g/kg bw of 6'-SL sodium salt in food consumption, body weight, clinical signs, blood biochemistry and hematology, urinalysis, or ophthalmic and histological macroscopic examination of organs. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was 5.0 g/kg bw/day in rats. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. 40 CFR 350.21 - Adverse health effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Adverse health effects. 350.21 Section... § 350.21 Adverse health effects. The Governor or State emergency response commission shall identify the adverse health effects associated with each of the chemicals claimed as trade secret and shall make this...

  11. Mechanisms and assessment of statin-related muscular adverse effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moßhammer, Dirk; Schaeffeler, Elke; Schwab, Matthias; Mörike, Klaus

    2014-01-01

    Statin-associated muscular adverse effects cover a wide range of symptoms, including asymptomatic increase of creatine kinase serum activity and life-threatening rhabdomyolysis. Different underlying pathomechanisms have been proposed. However, a unifying concept of the pathogenesis of statin-related muscular adverse effects has not emerged so far. In this review, we attempt to categorize these mechanisms along three levels. Firstly, among pharmacokinetic factors, it has been shown for some statins that inhibition of cytochrome P450-mediated hepatic biotransformation and hepatic uptake by transporter proteins contribute to an increase of systemic statin concentrations. Secondly, at the myocyte membrane level, cell membrane uptake transporters affect intracellular statin concentrations. Thirdly, at the intracellular level, inhibition of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase results in decreased intracellular concentrations of downstream metabolites (e.g. selenoproteins, ubiquinone, cholesterol) and alteration of gene expression (e.g. ryanodine receptor 3, glycine amidinotransferase). We also review current recommendations for prescribers. PMID:25069381

  12. 20 CFR 655.207 - Adverse effect rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Adverse effect rates. 655.207 Section 655.207... Agricultural Employment § 655.207 Adverse effect rates. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the adverse effect rates for all agricultural and logging employment shall be the prevailing wage rates in the...

  13. Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) dietary exposure to PCDD/DF in the Tittabawassee River floodplain in Midland, Michigan, USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coefield, Sarah J; Zwiernik, Matthew J; Fredricks, Timothy B; Seston, Rita M; Nadeau, Michael W; Tazelaar, Dustin L; Moore, Jeremy N; Kay, Denise P; Roark, Shaun A; Giesy, John P

    2010-10-01

    Soils and sediments in the floodplain of the Tittabawassee River downstream of Midland, Michigan, USA contain elevated concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD). As a long-lived, resident top predator, the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus; GHO) has the potential to be exposed to bioaccumulative compounds such as PCDD/DF. Site-specific components of the GHO diet were collected along 115 km of the Tittabawassee, Pine, Chippewa, and Saginaw Rivers during 2005 and 2006. The site-specific GHO biomass-based diet was dominated by cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus). Incidental soil ingestion and cottontail rabbits were the primary contributors of PCDD/DF to the GHO diet. The great horned owl daily dietary exposure estimates were greater in the study area (SA) (3.3 to 5.0 ng 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (TEQ(WHO-avian))/kg body wt/d) than the reference area (RA) (0.07 ng TEQ(WHO-Avian)/kg body wt/d). Hazard quotients (HQs) based on central tendency estimates of the average daily dose and no-observable-adverse effect level (NOAEL) for the screech owl and uncertainty factors were <1.0 for both the RA and the SA. Hazard quotients based on upper end estimates of the average daily dose and NOAEL were <1.0 in the RA and up to 3.4 in the SA. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2350-2362. © 2010 SETAC.

  14. The current state of knowledge on the use of the benchmark dose concept in risk assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sand, Salomon; Victorin, Katarina; Filipsson, Agneta Falk

    2008-05-01

    This review deals with the current state of knowledge on the use of the benchmark dose (BMD) concept in health risk assessment of chemicals. The BMD method is an alternative to the traditional no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and has been presented as a methodological improvement in the field of risk assessment. The BMD method has mostly been employed in the USA but is presently given higher attention also in Europe. The review presents a number of arguments in favor of the BMD, relative to the NOAEL. In addition, it gives a detailed overview of the several procedures that have been suggested and applied for BMD analysis, for quantal as well as continuous data. For quantal data the BMD is generally defined as corresponding to an additional or extra risk of 5% or 10%. For continuous endpoints it is suggested that the BMD is defined as corresponding to a percentage change in response relative to background or relative to the dynamic range of response. Under such definitions, a 5% or 10% change can be considered as default. Besides how to define the BMD and its lower bound, the BMDL, the question of how to select the dose-response model to be used in the BMD and BMDL determination is highlighted. Issues of study design and comparison of dose-response curves and BMDs are also covered. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Toxic effects of a horseradish extract and allyl isothiocyanate in the urinary bladder after 13-week administration in drinking water to F344 rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasumura, Mai; Imai, Toshio; Cho, Young-Man; Ueda, Makoto; Hirose, Masao; Nishikawa, Akiyoshi; Ogawa, Kumiko

    2011-01-01

    Subchronic toxicity of a horseradish extract (HRE), consisting mainly of a mixture of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and other isothiocyanates, was investigated with administration at concentrations of 0, 0.0125, 0.025 and 0.05% of HRE in drinking water for 13 weeks to male and female F344 rats. For comparison, treatment with 0.0425% of AITC was similarly performed. Body weight gain was reduced in the 0.05% HRE and AITC males as compared to the 0% controls, and the cause was considered at least partly related to decreased water consumption due to the acrid smell of the test substance and decreased food consumption. Serum biochemistry demonstrated increased urea nitrogen in 0.025 and 0.05% HRE and AITC males and 0.0125-0.05% HRE and AITC females, along with decreased total cholesterol in 0.0125-0.05% HRE females. On histopathological assessment, papillary/nodular hyperplasia of bladder mucosa was observed in 0.05% HRE and AITC males and females, in addition to simple mucosal hyperplasia found in all treated groups. Based on the above findings, no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) were estimated to be below 0.0125% of HRE for both males and females, corresponding to 9.4 and 8.0 mg/kg body weight/day, respectively, and there appeared to be comparable toxicological properties of HRE to AITC, such as the inductive effect of significant proliferative lesions in the urinary bladder.

  16. Safety assessment of freeze-dried powdered Tenebrio molitor larvae (yellow mealworm) as novel food source: Evaluation of 90-day toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, So-Ri; Lee, Byoung-Seok; Jung, Kyung-Jin; Yu, Hee-Jin; Yun, Eun-Young; Hwang, Jae Sam; Moon, Kyoung-Sik

    2016-06-01

    Worldwide demand for novel food source has grown and edible insects are a promising food sources for humans. Tenebrio molitor, as known as yellow mealworm, has advantages of being rich in protein, and easy to raise as a novel food source. The objective of this study was to evaluate subchronic toxicity, including potential hypersensitivity, of freeze-dried powdered T. molitor larvae (fdTML) in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The fdTML was administered orally once daily at dose levels of 0, 300, 1000 and 3000 mg/kg/day for 90 days. A toxicological assessment was performed, which included mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum chemistry, gross findings, histopathologic examination and allergic reaction. There were no fdTML- related findings in clinical signs, urinalysis, hematology and serum chemistry, gross examination, histopathologic examination or allergic reaction. In conclusion, the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) for fdTML was determined to be in excess of 3000 mg/kg/day in both sexes of rats under the experimental conditions of this study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Nonclinical safety of mavrilimumab, an anti-GMCSF receptor alpha monoclonal antibody, in cynomolgus monkeys: Relevance for human safety

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryan, Patricia C., E-mail: ryanp@medimmune.com [MedImmune, LLC, Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Sleeman, Matthew A. [MedImmune, LLC, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Rebelatto, Marlon [MedImmune, LLC, Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Wang, Bing; Lu, Hong [MedImmune, LLC, Moutain View, CA (United States); Chen, Xiaomin [Novartis, East Hanover, NJ (United States); Wu, Chi-Yuan [MedImmune, LLC, Moutain View, CA (United States); Hinrichs, Mary Jane; Roskos, Lorin [MedImmune, LLC, Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Towers, Heidi [MedImmune, LLC, Cambridge (United Kingdom); McKeever, Kathleen; Dixit, Rakesh [MedImmune, LLC, Gaithersburg, MD (United States)

    2014-09-01

    Mavrilimumab (CAM-3001) is an investigational human IgG4 monoclonal antibody (MAb) targeting GM-CSF receptor alpha which is currently being developed for the treatment of RA. GM-CSF plays a central role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through the activation, differentiation, and survival of macrophages and neutrophils. To support clinical development, the nonclinical safety of mavrilimumab was evaluated in several studies with cynomolgus monkeys as the pharmacologically relevant species. Comprehensive toxicity parameters were assessed in each study, and treatment duration ranged from 4 to 26 weeks. Mavrilimumab has an acceptable safety profile in monkeys with no changes in any parameters other than microscopic findings in lung. In several studies, minimal accumulation of foamy alveolar macrophages was observed. This finding was only seen in studies of at least 11 weeks duration, was reversible following a dose-free recovery period and was considered non-adverse. At higher dose levels (≥ 30 mg/kg/week), in a 26-week repeat-IV dose study, the presence of lung foreign material, cholesterol clefts, and granulomatous inflammation was also observed in a few animals and was considered adverse. The dose- and time-related accumulation of foamy macrophages in lung following exposure to mavrilimumab observed in several NHP studies was expected based upon the known role of GM-CSFRα signaling in the function of alveolar macrophages. Overall, a clean no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) without any effects in lung was established and provided adequate clinical safety margins. In clinical studies in RA patients, mavrilimumab has demonstrated good clinical activity with adequate safety to support further clinical development. A Phase 2b study of mavrilimumab in subjects with RA is in progress. - Highlights: • Mavrilimumab is a MAB targeting GM-CSFRα being developed for RA therapy. • Mavrilimumab has an acceptable safety profile in cynomolgus monkeys.

  18. Nonclinical safety of mavrilimumab, an anti-GMCSF receptor alpha monoclonal antibody, in cynomolgus monkeys: Relevance for human safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryan, Patricia C.; Sleeman, Matthew A.; Rebelatto, Marlon; Wang, Bing; Lu, Hong; Chen, Xiaomin; Wu, Chi-Yuan; Hinrichs, Mary Jane; Roskos, Lorin; Towers, Heidi; McKeever, Kathleen; Dixit, Rakesh

    2014-01-01

    Mavrilimumab (CAM-3001) is an investigational human IgG4 monoclonal antibody (MAb) targeting GM-CSF receptor alpha which is currently being developed for the treatment of RA. GM-CSF plays a central role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through the activation, differentiation, and survival of macrophages and neutrophils. To support clinical development, the nonclinical safety of mavrilimumab was evaluated in several studies with cynomolgus monkeys as the pharmacologically relevant species. Comprehensive toxicity parameters were assessed in each study, and treatment duration ranged from 4 to 26 weeks. Mavrilimumab has an acceptable safety profile in monkeys with no changes in any parameters other than microscopic findings in lung. In several studies, minimal accumulation of foamy alveolar macrophages was observed. This finding was only seen in studies of at least 11 weeks duration, was reversible following a dose-free recovery period and was considered non-adverse. At higher dose levels (≥ 30 mg/kg/week), in a 26-week repeat-IV dose study, the presence of lung foreign material, cholesterol clefts, and granulomatous inflammation was also observed in a few animals and was considered adverse. The dose- and time-related accumulation of foamy macrophages in lung following exposure to mavrilimumab observed in several NHP studies was expected based upon the known role of GM-CSFRα signaling in the function of alveolar macrophages. Overall, a clean no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) without any effects in lung was established and provided adequate clinical safety margins. In clinical studies in RA patients, mavrilimumab has demonstrated good clinical activity with adequate safety to support further clinical development. A Phase 2b study of mavrilimumab in subjects with RA is in progress. - Highlights: • Mavrilimumab is a MAB targeting GM-CSFRα being developed for RA therapy. • Mavrilimumab has an acceptable safety profile in cynomolgus monkeys.

  19. Approaches for establishing human health no effect levels for engineered nanomaterials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aschberger, K; Christensen, F M

    2011-01-01

    Current Technical Guidance Documents for preparing risk assessments, like the guidance for the implementation of REACH, have limited focus on chemical substances in the particulate form and generally do not focus on substances in the nanoform. Within the ENRHES project a comprehensive and critical scientific review of publicly available health and safety information on four types of nanoparticles was performed. Based on the identified exposure and hazard data, basic human health risk assessment appraisals were carried out for fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nano-silver and nano-titanium dioxide. These risk assessment appraisals followed the structure of a regulatory risk assessment and if possible and relevant, it was attempted to derive indicative human no-effect levels from key studies by applying assessment factors as suggested in the technical guidance document for REACH. These assessment factors address differences and uncertainty related to exposure features between test animals and humans (time, respiratory volume), other interspecies and intraspecies differences and factors for extrapolation to chronic duration. If required, the severity of effects and the quality of the database can be addressed by additional factors. Recently other procedures for deriving human no-effect levels have been published and these are compared to the ENRHES basic risk assessment appraisals. The main differences were observed in relation to evaluating the differences in animal and human exposure situations and interspecies differences, and in applying assessment factors for intraspecies differences for local effects. The applicability of the REACH guidance for nanomaterials is currently being investigated for possible adaptations, considering the specific behaviour and mode of action of nanomaterials.

  20. Approaches for establishing human health no effect levels for engineered nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aschberger, K.; Christensen, F. M.

    2011-07-01

    Current Technical Guidance Documents for preparing risk assessments, like the guidance for the implementation of REACH, have limited focus on chemical substances in the particulate form and generally do not focus on substances in the nanoform. Within the ENRHES project a comprehensive and critical scientific review of publicly available health and safety information on four types of nanoparticles was performed. Based on the identified exposure and hazard data, basic human health risk assessment appraisals were carried out for fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nano-silver and nano-titanium dioxide. These risk assessment appraisals followed the structure of a regulatory risk assessment and if possible and relevant, it was attempted to derive indicative human no-effect levels from key studies by applying assessment factors as suggested in the technical guidance document for REACH. These assessment factors address differences and uncertainty related to exposure features between test animals and humans (time, respiratory volume), other interspecies and intraspecies differences and factors for extrapolation to chronic duration. If required, the severity of effects and the quality of the database can be addressed by additional factors. Recently other procedures for deriving human no-effect levels have been published and these are compared to the ENRHES basic risk assessment appraisals. The main differences were observed in relation to evaluating the differences in animal and human exposure situations and interspecies differences, and in applying assessment factors for intraspecies differences for local effects. The applicability of the REACH guidance for nanomaterials is currently being investigated for possible adaptations, considering the specific behaviour and mode of action of nanomaterials.

  1. Cognition- and Dementia-Related Adverse Effects With Sacubitril-Valsartan: Analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Report System Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perlman, Amichai; Hirsh Raccah, Bruria; Matok, Ilan; Muszkat, Mordechai

    2018-05-07

    Because neprilysin is involved in the degradation of amyloid-beta, there is concern that the angiotensin-neprilysin inhibitor sacubitril-valsartan could increase the risk for dementia. We analyzed adverse event cases submitted to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Report System from July 2015 to March 2017. Cognition- and dementia-related adverse event cases were defined with the use of broad and narrow structured medical queries. During the period evaluated, 9,004 adverse event reports (out of a total of 2,249,479) involved the use of sacubitril-valsartan. Based on the broad definition, sacubitril-valsartan was associated with cognition- and dementia-related adverse events in 459 reports (5.1%), but this was lower than the proportion of these reports among other medications (6.6%, reporting odds ratio [ROR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65-0.79). Restricting the comparison to cases with age >60 years and with the use of a comparator group with heart failure resulted in no association between sacubitril-valsartan and dementia-related adverse events, with the use of both the broad and the narrow definitions (ROR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76-1.02, and ROR 1.06, 95% CI 0.4-3.16, respectively). Sacubitril-valsartan is not associated with a disproportionately high rate of short-term dementia-related adverse effect reports. Long-term studies assessing cognitive outcomes are required to better establish the medication's cognition effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. THE PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON CUTANEOUS ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS TO CHEMOTHERAPY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prakash Mani

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION There are a wide spectrum of adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDRs varying from transient maculopapular rash to fatal toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN. With the advent of newer and targeted therapy in the field of dermatology, the pattern of cutaneous adverse drug eruptions and the drugs responsible for them keep changing every year. Hence, this study was undertaken to ascertain the clinical spectrum of ACDRs and the causative drugs, in a tertiary care centre in South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was a prospective, observational study conducted in Department of Medical Oncology, Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai Medical College, Madurai during the period of March 2015 - August 2015 (6 months. Severity of the reaction was assessed using CTCAE (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events scale version 4.1. Causality of the drug was assessed using Naranjo Causality Assessment Scale. The scale was calculated first for the regimen and then for individual drugs separately. The adverse events with score of 6 or more (probable and definite adverse events were taken for the study. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The overall incidence of ACDRs found in this study was 85%. Alopecia was the commonest ACDR occurring in 51.6% of patients. Nail pigmentation and supravenous pigmentation were the next common ACDRs, recorded in 35% and 16% of patients respectively. Imatinib caused generalised hypopigmentation in 40% of patients. Bleomycin induced, flagellate erythema and pigmentation in 17% of patients and stomatitis was seen in 11% of patients. Acneiform eruptions were recorded with erlotinib and gefitinib therapy. Supravenous pigmentation was common with 5-fluorouracil and docetaxel, occurring in 53% & 48% respectively. Newer targeted therapies like EGFR (Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors recorded low incidence of ACDRs like alopecia as against conventional antineoplastic agents. The cancer chemotherapeutic drugs are associated

  3. The effect of an adverse psychological environment on salivary cortisol levels in the elderly differs by 5-HTTLPR genotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ancelin, Marie-Laure; Scali, Jacqueline; Norton, Joanna; Ritchie, Karen; Dupuy, Anne-Marie; Chaudieu, Isabelle; Ryan, Joanne

    2017-12-01

    An adverse psychological environment (e.g. stressful events or depression) has been shown to influence basal cortisol levels and cortisol response to stress. This differs depending on the adverse stimuli, but also varies across individuals and may be influenced by genetic predisposition. An insertion/deletion polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene ( 5-HTTLPR ) is a strong candidate in this regard. To investigate how stressful life events and depression are associated with diurnal cortisol levels in community-dwelling elderly and determine whether this varies according to genetic variability in the 5-HTTLPR . This population-based study included 334 subjects aged 65 and older (mean (SD) = 76.5 (6.3)). Diurnal cortisol was measured on two separate days, under quiet (basal) and stressful conditions. The number of recent major stressful events experienced during the past year was assessed from a 12-item validated questionnaire as an index of cumulative recent stressful events. Lifetime trauma was evaluated using the validated Watson's PTSD inventory, which evaluates the most severe traumatic or frightening experience according to DSM criteria. Depression was defined as having a Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) diagnosis of current major depressive disorder or high levels of depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale ≥16). 5-HTTLPR genotyping was performed on blood samples. Exposure to stressful life events was associated with lower basal evening cortisol levels overall, and in the participants with the 5-HTTLPR L allele but not the SS genotype. The greatest effects (over 50% decrease, p traumas. Participants with the L allele also had higher evening cortisol stress response. Conversely, depression tended to be associated with a 42% higher basal morning cortisol in the SS participants specifically, but did not modify the association between stressful events and cortisol levels. An adverse psychological

  4. Maternal low thyroxin levels are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in a Chinese population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Zhang

    Full Text Available Although thyroid dysfunction in early pregnancy may have adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes, few studies have examined the relationship between maternal low free thyroxin (FT4 levels in both first and third trimesters of pregnancy and the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. We hypothesized that low FT4 levels in either first or third trimesters of pregnancy may have different effects on pregnancy outcomes. The study included 6,031 mothers who provided both first and third pregnancy serum samples for analyses of thyroid function. Adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, were diagnosed using the oral glucose tolerance test, blood pressure and urine protein test. Serum metabolites like adenosine and its analogues were identified using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS. The incidence of hypothyroidism in pregnant women tended to increase with age and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI. The incidence of GDM was negatively correlated with maternal FT4 levels during early pregnancy while the incidence of preeclampsia was negatively correlated with maternal FT4 levels during late pregnancy. The incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension was not significantly correlated with maternal FT4 levels. The women who had isolated maternal hypothyroxemia (IMH in the third trimester of pregnancy had an increased risk of developing preeclampsia. Some metabolites like adenosine and its analogues in the serum were significantly changed in pregnant mothers with IMH. In conclusion, low FT4 levels during pregnancy are a risk factor for GDM and preeclampsia. Adenosine and its analogues may be important bridges between IMH and preeclampsia.

  5. Evaluation of Genotoxicity and 28-day Oral Dose Toxicity on Freeze-dried Powder of Tenebrio molitor Larvae (Yellow Mealworm).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, So-Ri; Yun, Eun-Young; Kim, Ji-Young; Hwang, Jae Sam; Jeong, Eun Ju; Moon, Kyoung-Sik

    2014-06-01

    The larval form of Tenebrio molitor (T. molitor) has been eaten in many countries and provides benefits as a new food source of protein for humans. However, no information exists regarding its safety for humans. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genotoxicity and repeated dose oral toxicity of the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae. The genotoxic potential was evaluated by a standard battery testing: bacterial reverse mutation test, in vitro chromosome aberration test, and in vivo micronucleus test. To assess the repeated dose toxicity, the powder was administered once daily by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at dose levels of 0, 300, 1000 and 3000 mg/kg/day for 28 days. The parameters which were applied to the study were mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum chemistry, gross findings and histopathologic examination. The freezedried powder of T. molitor larvae was not mutagenic or clastogenic based on results of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays. Furthermore, no treatment-related changes or findings were observed in any parameters in rats after 28 days oral administration. In conclusion, the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae was considered to be non-genotoxic and the NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) was determined to be 3000 mg/kg/day in both sexes of SD rats under our experimental conditions.

  6. 15 CFR 971.602 - Significant adverse environmental effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Environmental Effects § 971.602 Significant adverse environmental effects. (a) Determination of significant adverse environmental effects. The Administrator will determine the potential for or the occurrence of any significant adverse environmental effect or impact (for the purposes of sections 103(a)(2)(D), 105(a)(4), 106...

  7. A 14-day repeated-dose oral toxicological evaluation of an isothiocyanate-enriched hydro-alcoholic extract from Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Youjin; Jaja-Chimedza, Asha; Merrill, Daniel; Mendes, Odete; Raskin, Ilya

    2018-01-01

    A 14-d short-term oral toxicity study in rats evaluated the safety of moringa isothiocyanate-1 (MIC-1)-enriched hydro-alcoholic moringa seeds extract (MSE). Rats (5 males/5 females per group) were gavaged daily for 14 d with the vehicle control or MSE, at 78 (low), 257 (mid-low), 772 (mid-high), or 2571 (high) mg/kg bw/d, standardized to MIC-1 (30, 100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg bw/d, respectively). Toxicological endpoints included body weight and weight gain, food consumption and feed efficiency, clinical observations, hematology, gross necropsy and histopathology, and relative organ weights. Mortality was only observed in the high dose group animals, both male and female, representing decreases in body weight/weight gain and food consumption/feed efficiency. Irregular respiratory patterns and piloerection were major clinical observations found primarily in the mid-high and high dose group animals. In the high dose group, gastrointestinal distention and stomach discoloration were observed in non-surviving males and females, and degeneration and necrosis of the testicular germinal cells and epididymal cells were also observed in a non-surviving male. Increased liver weights were found in females in the mid-high and high dose groups. Animals in the low and mid-low groups did not exhibit adverse effects of MSE (100 mg/kg bw/d MIC-1). A no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of the standardized MSE was determined as 257 mg/kg bw/d providing 100 mg/kg bw/d MIC-1.

  8. Are adverse effects incorporated in economic models? An initial review of current practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, D; McDaid, C; Fonseca, T; Stock, C; Duffy, S; Woolacott, N

    2009-12-01

    , 30% of the models that included adverse effects used withdrawals related to drug toxicity and therefore might be interpreted as using withdrawals to capture adverse effects, but this was explicitly stated in only three reports. Of the 37 models that did not include adverse effects, 18 provided justification for this omission, most commonly lack of data; 19 appeared to make no explicit consideration of adverse effects in the model. There is an implicit assumption within modelling guidance that adverse effects are very important but there is a lack of clarity regarding how they should be dealt with and considered in modelling. In many cases a lack of clear reporting in the HTAs made it extremely difficult to ascertain what had actually been carried out in consideration of adverse effects. The main recommendation is for much clearer and explicit reporting of adverse effects, or their exclusion, in decision models and for explicit recognition in future guidelines that 'all relevant outcomes' should include some consideration of adverse events.

  9. Adverse effects of plant food supplements and botanical preparations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Di Lorenzo, Chiara; Ceschi, Alessandro; Kupferschmidt, Hugo

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this review was to collect available data on the following: (i) adverse effects observed in humans from the intake of plant food supplements or botanical preparations; (ii) the misidentification of poisonous plants; and (iii) interactions between plant food supplements...... evaluated according to the World Health Organization Guidelines for causality assessment. Data were obtained for 66 plants that are common ingredients of plant food supplements; of the 492 papers selected, 402 (81.7%) dealt with adverse effects directly associated with the botanical and 89 (18.1%) concerned......) the number of severe clinical reactions was very limited, but some fatal cases have been described. Data presented in this review were assessed for quality in order to make the results maximally useful for clinicians in identifying or excluding deleterious effects of botanicals....

  10. "No level up!": no effects of video game specialization and expertise on cognitive performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gobet, Fernand; Johnston, Stephen J; Ferrufino, Gabriella; Johnston, Matthew; Jones, Michael B; Molyneux, Antonia; Terzis, Argyrios; Weeden, Luke

    2014-01-01

    Previous research into the effects of action video gaming on cognition has suggested that long term exposure to this type of game might lead to an enhancement of cognitive skills that transfer to non-gaming cognitive tasks. However, these results have been controversial. The aim of the current study was to test the presence of positive cognitive transfer from action video games to two cognitive tasks. More specifically, this study investigated the effects that participants' expertise and genre specialization have on cognitive improvements in one task unrelated to video gaming (a flanker task) and one related task (change detection task with both control and genre-specific images). This study was unique in three ways. Firstly, it analyzed a continuum of expertise levels, which has yet to be investigated in research into the cognitive benefits of video gaming. Secondly, it explored genre-specific skill developments on these tasks by comparing Action and Strategy video game players (VGPs). Thirdly, it used a very tight experiment design, including the experimenter being blind to expertise level and genre specialization of the participant. Ninety-two university students aged between 18 and 30 (M = 21.25) were recruited through opportunistic sampling and were grouped by video game specialization and expertise level. While the results of the flanker task were consistent with previous research (i.e., effect of congruence), there was no effect of expertise, and the action gamers failed to outperform the strategy gamers. Additionally, contrary to expectation, there was no interaction between genre specialization and image type in the change detection task, again demonstrating no expertise effect. The lack of effects for game specialization and expertise goes against previous research on the positive effects of action video gaming on other cognitive tasks.

  11. Area-level risk factors for adverse birth outcomes: trends in urban and rural settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kent, Shia T; McClure, Leslie A; Zaitchik, Ben F; Gohlke, Julia M

    2013-06-10

    Significant and persistent racial and income disparities in birth outcomes exist in the US. The analyses in this manuscript examine whether adverse birth outcome time trends and associations between area-level variables and adverse birth outcomes differ by urban-rural status. Alabama births records were merged with ZIP code-level census measures of race, poverty, and rurality. B-splines were used to determine long-term preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) trends by rurality. Logistic regression models were used to examine differences in the relationships between ZIP code-level percent poverty or percent African-American with either PTB or LBW. Interactions with rurality were examined. Population dense areas had higher adverse birth outcome rates compared to other regions. For LBW, the disparity between population dense and other regions increased during the 1991-2005 time period, and the magnitude of the disparity was maintained through 2010. Overall PTB and LBW rates have decreased since 2006, except within isolated rural regions. The addition of individual-level socioeconomic or race risk factors greatly attenuated these geographical disparities, but isolated rural regions maintained increased odds of adverse birth outcomes. ZIP code-level percent poverty and percent African American both had significant relationships with adverse birth outcomes. Poverty associations remained significant in the most population-dense regions when models were adjusted for individual-level risk factors. Population dense urban areas have heightened rates of adverse birth outcomes. High-poverty African American areas have higher odds of adverse birth outcomes in urban versus rural regions. These results suggest there are urban-specific social or environmental factors increasing risk for adverse birth outcomes in underserved communities. On the other hand, trends in PTBs and LBWs suggest interventions that have decreased adverse birth outcomes elsewhere may not be reaching

  12. Estrogen-dependent changes in serum iron levels as a translator of the adverse effects of estrogen during infection: a conceptual framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamad, Mawieh; Awadallah, Samir

    2013-12-01

    Elevated levels of estrogen often associate with increased susceptibility to infection. This has been attributed to the ability of estrogen to concomitantly enhance the growth and virulence of pathogens and suppress host immunity. But the exact mechanism of how estrogen mediates such effects, especially in cases where the pathogen and/or the immune components in question do not express estrogen receptors, has yet to be elucidated. Here we propose that translating the adverse effects of estrogen during infection is dependent to a significant degree upon its ability to manipulate iron homeostasis. For elevated levels of estrogen alter the synthesis and/or activity of several factors involved in iron metabolism including hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and hepcidin among others. This leads to the inhibition of hepcidin synthesis in hepatocytes and the maintenance of ferroportin (FPN) integrity on the surface of iron-releasing duodenal enterocytes, hepatocytes, and macrophages. Intact FPN permits the continuous efflux of dietary and stored iron into the circulation, which further enhances pathogen growth and virulence on the one hand and suppresses host immunity on the other. This new conceptual framework may help explain a multitude of disparate clinical and experimental observations pertinent to the relationship between estrogen and infection. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Non-hemorrhage-related adverse effects of rivaroxaban

    OpenAIRE

    Christopoulou, Eliza C.; Filippatos, Theodosios D.; Elisaf, Moses S.

    2017-01-01

    The direct oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban is useful in various indications that include venous deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis/treatment after knee/hip replacement surgery and prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Its mechanism of action has been mostly associated with hemorrhage-related adverse effects; thus a number of non-hemorrhage-related adverse effects of the drug have received less attention or go unrecognized. These adverse effects mainly include li...

  14. No Effect of Added Sugar Consumed at Median American Intake Level on Glucose Tolerance or Insulin Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowndes, Joshua; Sinnett, Stephanie S; Rippe, James M

    2015-10-23

    Excess sugar consumption may promote adverse changes in hepatic and total body insulin resistance. Debate continues over the effects of sugars at more typically consumed levels and whether the identity of the sugar consumed is important. In the present study participants (20-60 years old) were randomly assigned to one of five groups, three that consumed low fat milk with added fructose containing sugars in amounts equivalent to the 50th percentile of fructose consumption (US), one which consumed low-fat milk sweetened with glucose, and one unsweetened low-fat milk control group. The intervention lasted ten weeks. In the entire study population there was less than 1 kg increase in weight (73.6 ±13.0 vs. 74.5 ± 13.3 kg, p 0.05). There were no changes in fasting glucose (49 ± 0.4 vs. 5.0 ± 0.5 mmol/L), insulin (56.9 ± 38.9 vs. 61.8 ± 50.0 pmol/L), or insulin resistance, as measured by the Homeostasis Model Assessment method (1.8 ± 1.3 vs. 2.0 ± 1.5, all p > 0.05). These data suggest that added sugar consumed at the median American intake level does not produce changes in measures of insulin sensitivity or glucose tolerance and that no sugar has more deleterious effects than others.

  15. Oral toxicity evaluation of kefir-isolated Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens M1 in Sprague-Dawley rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owaga, E E; Chen, M J; Chen, W Y; Chen, C W; Hsieh, R H

    2014-08-01

    Lactobacilli kefiranofaciens M1 has shown novel immunomodulation and anti-allergy probiotic attributes in cell and animal models. An acute oral toxicity assessment of L. kefiranofaciens M1 was evaluated in Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were randomly assigned to four groups (12 rats/sex/group): the low dose group was orally gavaged with L. kefiranofaciens M1 at 3.0×10(8)cfu/kg bw while the medium dose and high dose groups received 9.0×10(9)cfu/kg bw and 1.8×10(10)cfu/kg bw, respectively, for 28days. The control group received phosphate buffer saline. The body weights were measured weekly while blood samples were collected for haematology and serum biochemistry tests. Histopathology of the organs (heart, liver, kidney, adrenal glands, spleen, ovary, testis), and urinalysis were conducted on study termination. The body weight gain of the L. kefiranofaciens M1 and control groups were comparable during the administration period. Overall, L. kefiranofaciens M1 did not induce adverse effects on haematology, serum biochemistry, and urinalysis parameters. Gross and microscopic histopathology of the organs revealed no toxicity effect of L. kefiranofaciens M1. In conclusion, 1.8×10(10)cfu/kg bw of L. kefiranofaciens M1 was considered as the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL), which was the highest dose tested in the present study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Adverse effects of methylmercury (MeHg) on life parameters, antioxidant systems, and MAPK signaling pathways in the rotifer Brachionus koreanus and the copepod Paracyclopina nana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Young Hwan; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Kang, Hye-Min; Wang, Minghua; Jeong, Chang-Bum; Lee, Jae-Seong

    2017-09-01

    To evaluate the adverse effects of MeHg on the rotifer Brachionus koreanus and the copepod Paracyclopina nana, we assessed the effects of MeHg toxicity on life parameters (e.g. growth retardation and fecundity), antioxidant systems, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways at various concentrations (1ng/L, 10ng/L, 100ng/L, 500ng/L, and 1000ng/L). MeHg exposure resulted in the growth retardation with the increased ROS levels but decreased glutathione (GSH) levels in a dose-dependent manner in both B. koreanus and P. nana. Antioxidant enzymatic activities (e.g. glutathione S-transferase [GST], glutathione reductase [GR], and glutathione peroxidase [GPx]) in B. koreanus showed more positive responses compared the control but in P. nana, those antioxidant enzymatic activities showed subtle changes due to different no observed effect concentration (NOEC) values among the two species. Expression of antioxidant genes (e.g. superoxide dismutase [SOD], GSTs, glutathione peroxidase [GPx], and catalase [CAT]) also demonstrated similar effects as shown in antioxidant enzymatic activities. In B. koreanus, the level of p-ERK was decreased in the presence of 1000ng/L MeHg, while the levels of p-ERK and p-p38 in P. nana were reduced in the presence of 10ng/L MeHg. However, p-JNK levels were not altered by MeHg in B. koreanus and P. nana, compared to the corresponding controls. In summary, life parameters (e.g. reduced fecundity and survival rate) were closely associated with effects on the antioxidant system in response to MeHg. These observations provide a better understanding on the adverse effects of MeHg on in vivo life parameters and molecular defense mechanisms in B. koreanus and P. nana. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Compliance with the annual NO 2 air quality standard in Athens. Required NO x levels and expected health implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaloulakou, A.; Mavroidis, I.; Gavriil, I.

    Recent risk assessment studies have shown that high outdoor NO 2 levels observed in residential areas contribute to increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and mortality. Detailed information on present NO 2 levels as well as predictions of NO 2 concentrations corresponding to reduced NO x levels in urban areas are very useful to decision and policy makers in order to protect the public health. In the present paper, monitoring stations of the Athens network are initially classified into two main groups, traffic affected and urban background, using effectively a criterion based on the ratio of annual mean NO:NO 2 concentrations. Two empirical methodologies are then considered and compared for assessing the effect of different NO x levels on the attainment of the annual NO 2 air quality standard at urban-background locations in the Athens area. An interesting finding is that these two methodologies, one more general and one both year and site dependent, give similar results for the specific study area and can be applied alternatively based on the length of available concentration time series. The results show that in order to meet the EU annual mean NO 2 objective at all the urban-background locations of the Athens area, annual NO x concentrations should be reduced to approximately 60 μg m -3, requiring NO x emission reductions of up to 30%. An analysis of the health implications of the currently observed NO 2 levels is conducted, based on a dose-response relationship, and is coupled with available health-related data for the Athens area. This analysis suggests that if NO 2 concentrations were reduced to the levels of the annual EU air quality standard, then a decrease of hospital admissions of up to 2.6% would be observed, depending on the levels of NO 2 measured at different monitoring sites of the Athens conurbation.

  18. Effect of edaravone on T lymphocyte subsets and oxidative stress level in patients with cardiogenic cerebral embolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Guo

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To explore the effect of edaravone on T lymphocyte subsets and oxidative stress level in patients with cardiogenic cerebral embolism. Methods: A total of 100 patients with cardiogenic cerebral embolism who were admitted in our hospital from June, 2013 to June, 2015 were included in the study and randomized into the observation group and the control group. The patients in the observation group were given edaravone, while the patients in the control group were given the conventional treatments. CD4, CD8, GSH-Px, and ROS levels, the occurrence of adverse reactions, and the clinical efficacy after treatment in the two groups were observed and compared. Results: The comparison of CD4 and CD8 levels before treatment between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05. After treatment, CD4 level was significantly elevated, while CD8 level was significantly reduced when compared with before treatment (P0.05. After treatment, GSH-Px level was significantly elevated, while ROS level was significantly reduced when compared with before treatment (P<0.05. The improvement of GSH-Px and ROS levels after treatment in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group (P<0.05. The occurrence rate of adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group, while the treatment effective rate was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05. Conclusions: Edaravone in the treatment of cardiogenic cerebral embolism can effectively correct the imbalance of T lymphocyte subsets, and reduce the oxidative stress level, with less adverse reactions and significant therapeutic effect.

  19. Efeitos adversos no pós-operatório de cirurgias ginecológicas e mamárias Adverse postoperative effects in minor gynaecological and breast surgeries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Cássia Paiva Santos

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: Analisar a ocorrência de efeitos adversos no período de 24 horas da evolução pós-anestésica e pós-cirúrgica em mulheres submetidas a intervenções cirúrgicas ginecológicas e mamárias de pequeno porte e identificar os principais fatores associados. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de estudo tipo corte transversal que incluiu 159 mulheres submetidas a intervenções cirúrgicas ginecológicas e mamárias consideradas de pequeno porte. As mulheres foram internadas no dia anterior à intervenção cirúrgica e permaneceram no hospital por pelo menos 24 horas após o término do procedimento. As técnicas anestésicas realizadas foram bloqueio intercostal, bloqueio espinhal e anestesia geral. RESULTADOS: Os eventos adversos mais freqüentes foram vômitos, náuseas e dor, e ocorreram em 40,3% das mulheres. Destes, 60% foram observados nas primeiras quatro horas e 80% em até seis horas, após a intervenção cirúrgica. As mulheres submetidas ao bloqueio intercostal apresentaram alta mais precoce da recuperação anestésica; o bloqueio espinhal esteve associado mais freqüentemente à dor no período pós-operatório, porém houve menor incidência de náuseas e vômitos em relação à anestesia geral e bloqueio intercostal. Antecedente de tabagismo contribuiu para ocorrência de dor. CONCLUSÃO: O período de seis horas de observação mostrou-se adequado para a avaliação da maioria das complicações e efeitos adversos que ocorrem após intervenções cirúrgicas, ginecológicas e mamárias, de pequeno porte.OBJECTIVES: To analyze the occurrence of adverse effects in the first 24-hour postoperative/postanesthetic period in women undergoing minor gynecologic or minor breast surgeries and to identify main associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 159 women who underwent minor gynecologic or breast surgeries. The women were admitted to the hospital one day before surgery and remained hospitalized for at least

  20. Adverse effects of concentrated green tea extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schönthal, Axel H

    2011-06-01

    A myriad of health claims are being made in favor of the consumption of green tea. However, mostly due to the easy availability and greater than ever popularity of highly concentrated green tea extracts, sometimes combined with an attitude of more-is-better, certain health risks of green tea consumption have begun to emerge. Among such risks are the possibility of liver damage, the potential to interact with prescription drugs to alter their therapeutic efficacy, and the chance to cause harm when combined with other highly popular herbal remedies. This review will summarize documented examples of adverse effects of green tea in humans, and will discuss risks of copious consumption of highly concentrated green tea extracts as indicated by studies in animals. While there is no intention to minimize any of the scientifically established benefits of the use of green tea, the purpose of this review is to focus primarily on the potential for adverse effects and raise awareness of the rare, yet under-appreciated risks. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Effects of different types of anaesthesia (regional vs general) on serum NO and TNF-α levels in surgical patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Hong

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To study the effect of anesthesia on changes of serum NO and TNF-α levels in surgical patients. Methods: Serum NO (with biochemical method) and TNF-α (with RIA) levels were determined for 3 times in 31 patients operated under regional anesthesia and 31 patients operated under general anesthesia (both for benign gastric ulcer). The levels were measured before induction of anesthesia, at the beginning of operation, and 1 hr later. Results: In patients under regional anesthesia, both the NO and TNF-α levels increased significantly at the beginning of operation and, 1 hr later, though dropped, remained significantly higher than the levels before induction (P<0.05). NO significant changes of the levels were observed in patients under general anesthesia throughout the operation, and the levels were, as a whole, significantly lower than the levels under regional anesthesia (P<0.05). Conclusion: General anesthesia (combined intravenous and inhalation) could abolish the increase of serum NO and TNF-α levels duning operation. (authors)

  2. Adverse health effects of non-medical cannabis use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Wayne; Degenhardt, Louisa

    2009-10-17

    For over two decades, cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, has been the most widely used illicit drug by young people in high-income countries, and has recently become popular on a global scale. Epidemiological research during the past 10 years suggests that regular use of cannabis during adolescence and into adulthood can have adverse effects. Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory studies have established an association between cannabis use and adverse outcomes. We focus on adverse health effects of greatest potential public health interest-that is, those that are most likely to occur and to affect a large number of cannabis users. The most probable adverse effects include a dependence syndrome, increased risk of motor vehicle crashes, impaired respiratory function, cardiovascular disease, and adverse effects of regular use on adolescent psychosocial development and mental health.

  3. Assessment of oral toxicity and safety of pentamethylchromanol (PMCol), a potential chemopreventative agent, in rats and dogs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindeblad, Matthew; Kapetanovic, Izet M.; Kabirov, Kasim K.; Detrisac, Carol J.; Dinger, Nancy; Mankovskaya, Irina; Zakharov, Alexander; Lyubimov, Alexander V.

    2010-01-01

    2,2,5,7,8-Pentamethyl-6-chromanol (PMCol) was administered by gavage in rats for 28 days at dose levels of 0, 100, 500, and 2000 mg/kg/day. PMCol administration induced decreases in body weight gains and food consumption, hepatotoxicity (increased TBILI, ALB, ALT, TP; increased relative liver weights; increased T4 and TSH), nephrotoxicity (increased BUN and BUN/CREAT, histopathology lesions), effect on lipid metabolism (increased CHOL), anemia, increase in WBC counts (total and differential), coagulation (FBGN↑and PT↓) and hyperkeratosis of the nonglandular stomach in the 2000 mg/kg/day dose group (in one or both sexes). In the 500 mg/kg/day dose group, toxicity was seen to a lesser extent. In the 100 mg/kg/day dose group, only increased CHOL (females) was observed. To assess the toxicity of PMCol in male dogs it was administered orally by capsule administration for 28 days at dose levels of 0, 50, 200 and 800 mg/kg/day (four male dogs/dose group). PMCol treatment at 800 mg/kg/day resulted in pronounced toxicity to the male dogs. Target organs of toxicity were liver and thymus. Treatment at 200 mg/kg/day resulted in toxicity consistent with slight adverse effect on the liver only. The results of the safety pharmacology study indicate that doses of 0, 50, 200 and 800 mg/kg administered orally did not have an effect on the QT interval, blood pressures and body temperatures following dosing over a 24-h recording period. Under the conditions of this study, the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) for daily oral administration of PMCol by gavage for 28 days to male rats was 100 mg/kg/day and 50 mg/kg in male dogs. In female rats, the NOAEL was not established due to statistically significant and biologically meaningful increases in CHOL level seen in the 100 mg/kg/day dose group. The results of these studies indicated that administration of PMCol at higher dose levels resulted in severe toxicity in dogs and moderate toxicity in rats, however, administration at

  4. Thirteen-week oral toxicity study of L-arginine in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsubuku, Shoji; Hatayama, Kazuhisa; Mawatari, Kazunori; Smriga, Miro; Kimura, Takeshi

    2004-01-01

    The amino acid L-arginine (Arg) has been used extensively in dietary and pharmacological products. This study evaluated toxicological and behavioral effects of Arg produced by Ajinomoto Co. (Tokyo, Japan) during a dosing study with male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The amino acid was incorporated into a standard diet at doses equal to 1.25%, 2.5%, and 5.0% (w/w). A control group of rats received only a standard diet. All diets were administered ad libitum for 13 continuous weeks. To examine recoverability of any potential effects, the administration period was followed by a 5-week-long recovery, during which only a standard diet was provided. In male and female rats in each concentration group, treatment-related changes were not observed for clinical signs, body weights, diet consumption, ophthalmology, gross pathology, organ weight, or histopathology. An elevated level of plasma glucose was detected in some male rats (5.0%, w/w) during the analysis conducted in the fifth week of administration; however, the degree of the change was within the physiological range, and no changes were observed at the end of the administration period. In the same group, an increase in hemoglobin, together with a tendency toward an increase in the red blood cell counts, was found, but the change was considered toxicologically insignificant. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for Arg was estimated at 5.0% (w/w) for both genders (males, 3.3 +/- 0.1 g/kg/day; females, 3.9 +/- 0.2 g/kg/day).

  5. Safety evaluation of Whole Algalin Protein (WAP) from Chlorella protothecoides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabo, Nancy J; Matulka, Ray A; Chan, Teresa

    2013-09-01

    Microalgae such as Chlorella spp., were once consumed as traditional human foods; now they are being developed as ingredients for modern diets. Whole Algalin Protein (WAP) from dried milled Chlorella protothecoides was evaluated for dietary safety in a 13-week feeding trial in rodents with genotoxic potential evaluated using in vitro and in vivo assays and the likelihood of food allergy potential evaluated via human repeat-insult patch test (HRIPT). In the subchronic study, rats consumed feed containing 0, 25,000, 50,000 or 100,000 ppm WAP for 92-93 days. No treatment-related mortalities or effects in general condition, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, clinical chemistry, gross pathology, organ weights, and histopathology occurred. Several endpoints exhibited statistically significant effects, but none was dose-related. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was based on the highest WAP concentration consumed by the rats and was equivalent to 4805 mg/kg/day in males and 5518 mg/kg/day in females. No mutagenicity occurred in Salmonella typhimurium or Escherichia coli tester strains (≤5000 μg/plate WAP) with or without mutagenic activation. No clastogenic response occurred in bone marrow from mice administered a single oral dose (2000 mg/kg WAP). Skin sensitization was not induced by WAP via HRIPT, indicating little potential for food allergy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Developmental toxicity evaluation of inhaled tertiary amyl methyl ether in mice and rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welsch, Frank; Elswick, Barbara; James, R Arden; Marr, Melissa C; Myers, Christina B; Tyl, Rochelle W

    2003-01-01

    This evaluation was part of a much more comprehensive testing program to characterize the mammalian toxicity potential of the gasoline oxygenator additive tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME), and was initiated upon a regulatory agency mandate. A developmental toxicity hazard identification study was conducted by TAME vapor inhalation exposure in two pregnant rodent species. Timed-pregnant CD(Sprague-Dawley) rats and CD-1 mice, 25 animals per group, inhaled TAME vapors containing 0, 250, 1500 or 3500 ppm for 6 h a day on gestational days 6-16 (mice) or 6-19 (rats). The developmental toxicity hazard potential was evaluated following the study design draft guidelines and end points proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Based on maternal body weight changes during pregnancy, the no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was 250 ppm for maternal toxicity in rats and 1500 ppm for developmental toxicity in rats using the criterion of near-term fetal body weights. In mice, more profound developmental toxicity was present than in rats, at both 1500 and 3500 ppm. At the highest concentration, mouse litters revealed more late fetal deaths, significantly reduced fetal body weights per litter and increased incidences of cleft palate (classified as an external malformation), as well as enlarged lateral ventricles of the cerebrum (a visceral variation). At 1500 ppm, mouse fetuses also exhibited an increased incidence of cleft palate and the dam body weights were reduced. Therefore, the NOAEL for the mouse maternal and developmental toxicity was 250 ppm under the conditions of this study. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. No Effect of Added Sugar Consumed at Median American Intake Level on Glucose Tolerance or Insulin Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua Lowndes

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Excess sugar consumption may promote adverse changes in hepatic and total body insulin resistance. Debate continues over the effects of sugars at more typically consumed levels and whether the identity of the sugar consumed is important. In the present study participants (20–60 years old were randomly assigned to one of five groups, three that consumed low fat milk with added fructose containing sugars in amounts equivalent to the 50th percentile of fructose consumption (US, one which consumed low-fat milk sweetened with glucose, and one unsweetened low-fat milk control group. The intervention lasted ten weeks. In the entire study population there was less than 1 kg increase in weight (73.6 ±13.0 vs. 74.5 ± 13.3 kg, p < 0.001, but the change in weight was comparable among groups (p > 0.05. There were no changes in fasting glucose (49 ± 0.4 vs. 5.0 ± 0.5 mmol/L, insulin (56.9 ± 38.9 vs. 61.8 ± 50.0 pmol/L, or insulin resistance, as measured by the Homeostasis Model Assessment method (1.8 ± 1.3 vs. 2.0 ± 1.5, all p > 0.05. These data suggest that added sugar consumed at the median American intake level does not produce changes in measures of insulin sensitivity or glucose tolerance and that no sugar has more deleterious effects than others.

  8. Adverse Effects of Antidepressants for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carina Riediger

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundAntidepressants are widely used in the treatment of chronic pain. Applied doses are lower than those needed to unfold an antidepressive effect. While efficacy of antidepressants for chronic pain has been reported in large randomized-controlled trials (RCT, there is inconsistent data on adverse effects and tolerability. We aimed at synthesizing data from RCT to explore adverse effect profiles and tolerability of antidepressants for treatment of chronic pain.MethodsSystematic literature research and meta-analyses were performed regarding side effects and safety of different antidepressants in the treatment of chronic pain according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The National Center for Biotechnology Information library and MEDLINE were searched. Randomized placebo-controlled trials were included in quantitative data synthesis.ResultsOut of 1,975 screened articles, 33 papers published between 1995 and 2015 were included in our review and 23 studies were included in the meta-analyses. A higher risk for adverse effects compared to placebo was observed in all antidepressants included in our analyses, except nortriptyline. The most prevalent adverse effects were dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, headache, and constipation. Amitriptyline, mirtazapine, desipramine, venlafaxine, fluoxetine, and nortriptyline showed the highest placebo effect-adjusted risk of adverse effects. Risk for withdrawal due to adverse effects was highest in desipramine (risk ratio: 4.09, 95%-confidence interval [1.31; 12.82] followed by milnacipran, venlafaxine, and duloxetine. The most common adverse effects under treatment with antidepressants were dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, headache, and constipation followed by palpitations, sweating, and drowsiness. However, overall tolerability was high. Each antidepressant showed distinct risk profiles of adverse effects.ConclusionOur synthesized data analysis confirmed overall

  9. Prevalence of Adverse Effects Post-Brachytherapy on Women with Uterine Cervix Cancer in Durango, Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrera, Higmar; Yanez, Elvia; Deras, Diana C.; Reyes, Francianella

    2010-01-01

    This work aimed at determining the local prevalence of adverse effects on women with CaCu that recieved LDR brachytherapy treatment at CECAN. The data was extracted from the patient's and medical physics' departement records. Non Gaussian statistics was used due to dose distribution characteristics. A total of 103 patients were studied with average age of 55±13 years and Ia-IV FIGO clinical clasification. The observed prevalence is higher than that reported by other studies. It was observed that patients with proctitis were prescribed a slightly higher dose than those without adverse effects (90% confidence). Patients with proctitis also presented higher age (95% confidence) when compared with the mean of the studied population. The inverse applies to the group with other adverse effects, its average age is lower than the mean (90% confidence).

  10. Adverse effect of outdoor air pollution on cardiorespiratory fitness in Chinese children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yang; Chan, Emily Y. Y.; Zhu, Yingjia; Wong, Tze Wai

    2013-01-01

    Little is known about the health impact of air pollution on children's cardiovascular health. A cross-sectional study was conducted and data was analysed in 2048 Chinese schoolchildren (aged 8-10 years) in three districts of Hong Kong to examine the association between exposure to outdoor air pollution and cardiorespiratory fitness. Annual means of ambient PM10, SO2, NO2 and O3 from 1996 to 2003 were used to estimate individual exposure of the subjects. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), predicted by the multistage fitness test (MFT). Height and weight were measured and other potential confounders were collected with questionnaires. Analysis of covariance was performed to estimate the impact of air pollution on complete speed in the MFT and predicted VO2max. The results showed that children in high-pollution district had significantly lower complete speed and predicted VO2max compared to those in low- and moderate-pollution districts. Complete speed and predicted VO2max was estimated to reduce 0.327 km h-1 and 1.53 ml kg-1 min-1 per 10 μg m-3 increase in PM10 annual mean respectively, with those in girls being greater than in boys. Being physically active could not significantly result in improved cardiorespiratory fitness in polluted districts. The adverse effect seems to be independent of short-term exposure to air pollution. We concluded that long-term exposure to higher outdoor air pollution levels was negatively associated with cardiorespiratory fitness in Chinese schoolchildren, especially for girls. PM10 is the most relevant pollutant of the adverse effect. Elevated cardiorespiratory fitness observed in physically activate children could be negated by increased amount of inhaled pollutants during exercise.

  11. Exogenous glucocorticoids and adverse cerebral effects in children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damsted, Sara K.; Born, A P; Paulson, Olaf B

    2011-01-01

    of the glucocorticoid receptor, which is associated with unfavorable cellular outcomes. Prenatal treatment with glucocorticoids can compromise brain growth and is associated with periventricular leukomalacia, attentions deficits and poorer cognitive performance. In the neonatal period exposure to glucocorticoids....... Glucocortioids affect several cellular structures and functions, which may explain the observed adverse effects. Glucocorticoids can impair neuronal glucose uptake, decrease excitability, cause atrophy of dendrites, compromise development of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes and disturb important cellular...

  12. Rare and very rare adverse effects of clozapine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Fazio P

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Pasquale De Fazio,1 Raffaele Gaetano,1 Mariarita Caroleo,1 Gregorio Cerminara,1 Francesca Maida,2 Antonio Bruno,3 Maria Rosaria Muscatello,3 Maria Jose Jaén Moreno,4 Emilio Russo,2 Cristina Segura-García1 1Department of Health Sciences, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, 2Department of Health Sciences, School of Specialization in Pharmacology, University “Magna Graecia”, Catanzaro, 3Department of Neurosciences, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Messina, Messina, Italy; 4Department of Social Health Sciences, Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain Abstract: Clozapine (CLZ is the drug of choice for the treatment of resistant schizophrenia; however, its suitable use is limited by the complex adverse effects’ profile. The best-described adverse effects in the literature are represented by agranulocytosis, myocarditis, sedation, weight gain, hypotension, and drooling; nevertheless, there are other known adverse effects that psychiatrists should readily recognize and manage. This review covers the “rare” and “very rare” known adverse effects of CLZ, which have been accurately described in literature. An extensive search on the basis of predefined criteria was made using CLZ and its combination with adverse effects as keywords in electronic databases. Data show the association between the use of CLZ and uncommon adverse effects, including ischemic colitis, paralytic ileus, hematemesis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, priapism, urinary incontinence, pityriasis rosea, intertriginous erythema, pulmonary thromboembolism, pseudo-pheochromocytoma, periorbital edema, and parotitis, which are influenced by other variables including age, early diagnosis, and previous/current pharmacological therapies. Some of these adverse effects, although unpredictable, are often manageable if promptly recognized and treated. Others are serious and potentially life-threatening. However, an adequate

  13. Beneficial effects of low alcohol exposure, but adverse effects of high alcohol intake on glymphatic function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundgaard, Iben; Wang, Wei; Eberhardt, Allison; Vinitsky, Hanna Sophia; Reeves, Benjamin Cameron; Peng, Sisi; Lou, Nanhong; Hussain, Rashad; Nedergaard, Maiken

    2018-02-02

    Prolonged intake of excessive amounts of ethanol is known to have adverse effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Here we investigated the effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal from chronic ethanol exposure on glymphatic function, which is a brain-wide metabolite clearance system connected to the peripheral lymphatic system. Acute and chronic exposure to 1.5 g/kg (binge level) ethanol dramatically suppressed glymphatic function in awake mice. Chronic exposure to 1.5 g/kg ethanol increased GFAP expression and induced mislocation of the astrocyte-specific water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4), but decreased the levels of several cytokines. Surprisingly, glymphatic function increased in mice treated with 0.5 g/kg (low dose) ethanol following acute exposure, as well as after one month of chronic exposure. Low doses of chronic ethanol intake were associated with a significant decrease in GFAP expression, with little change in the cytokine profile compared with the saline group. These observations suggest that ethanol has a J-shaped effect on the glymphatic system whereby low doses of ethanol increase glymphatic function. Conversely, chronic 1.5 g/kg ethanol intake induced reactive gliosis and perturbed glymphatic function, which possibly may contribute to the higher risk of dementia observed in heavy drinkers.

  14. Toxicological evaluation of a novel umami flavour compound: 2-(((3-(2,3-Dimethoxyphenyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylthiomethylpyridine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donald S. Karanewsky

    Full Text Available A toxicological evaluation of a umami flavour compound, 2-(((3-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylthiomethylpyridine (S3643; CAS 902136-79-2, was completed for the purpose of assessing its safety for use in food and beverage applications. S3643 undergoes extensive oxidative metabolism in vitro with rat microsomes producing the S3643-sulfoxide and 4′-hydroxy-S3643 as the major metabolites. In incubations with human microsomes, the O-demethyl-S3643 and S3643-sulfoxide were produced as the major metabolites. In pharmacokinetic studies in rats, the S3643-sulfoxide represents the dominant biotransformation product. S3643 was not found to be mutagenic or clastogenic in vitro, and did not induce micronuclei in CHO-WBL cells. In subchronic oral toxicity studies in rats, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL for S3643 was 100 mg/kg bw/day (highest dose tested when administered in the diet for 90 consecutive days. Keywords: Umami flavour, S3643, FEMA GRAS, Subchronic toxicological evaluation, Genetic toxicological evaluation

  15. [Monograph on di-2-propylheptyl phthalate (DPHP) - human biomonitoring (HBM) values for the sum of metabolites oxo-mono-propylheptyl phthalate (oxo-MPHP) and hydroxy-mono-propylheptyl phthalate (OH MPHP) in adult and child urine. Opinion of the Commission "Human Biomonitoring" of the Federal Environment Agency, Germany].

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-07-01

    1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-propylheptyl)ester (bis(2-propylheptyl)phthalate, DPHP) is used as plasticizer for the manufacture of plastics, i.e. mainly polyvinylchloride (PVC). A subchronic feeding study with rats revealed a NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) of 40 mg/(kg bw · d), which can be used as a point of departure (POD) for the derivation of an HBM-I value. Application of a total assessment factor of 200 leads to an estimation of 200 µg/kg bw as a tolerable daily intake of DPHP. On the basis of the results of metabolism studies with humans it is possible to calculate from the tolerable daily intake of DPHP to the tolerable concentration of specific metabolites in urine. Thus an HBM-I value of 1 mg/L morning urine for children and 1.5 mg/L morning urine for adults was derived for the sum of the oxidized monoesters oxo-MPHP and OH-MPHP, which were identified as robust and conclusive biomarkers for DPHP.

  16. Contribution of new technologies to characterization and prediction of adverse effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rouquié, David; Heneweer, Marjoke; Botham, Jane; Ketelslegers, Hans; Markell, Lauren; Pfister, Thomas; Steiling, Winfried; Strauss, Volker; Hennes, Christa

    2015-02-01

    Identification of the potential hazards of chemicals has traditionally relied on studies in laboratory animals where changes in clinical pathology and histopathology compared to untreated controls defined an adverse effect. In the past decades, increased consistency in the definition of adversity with chemically-induced effects in laboratory animals, as well as in the assessment of human relevance has been reached. More recently, a paradigm shift in toxicity testing has been proposed, mainly driven by concerns over animal welfare but also thanks to the development of new methods. Currently, in vitro approaches, toxicogenomic technologies and computational tools, are available to provide mechanistic insight in toxicological Mode of Action (MOA) of the adverse effects observed in laboratory animals. The vision described as Tox21c (Toxicity Testing in the 21st century) aims at predicting in vivo toxicity using a bottom-up-approach, starting with understanding of MOA based on in vitro data to ultimately predict adverse effects in humans. At present, a practical application of the Tox21c vision is still far away. While moving towards toxicity prediction based on in vitro data, a stepwise reduction of in vivo testing is foreseen by combining in vitro with in vivo tests. Furthermore, newly developed methods will also be increasingly applied, in conjunction with established methods in order to gain trust in these new methods. This confidence is based on a critical scientific prerequisite: the establishment of a causal link between data obtained with new technologies and adverse effects manifested in repeated-dose in vivo toxicity studies. It is proposed to apply the principles described in the WHO/IPCS framework of MOA to obtain this link. Finally, an international database of known MOAs obtained in laboratory animals using data-rich chemicals will facilitate regulatory acceptance and could further help in the validation of the toxicity pathway and adverse outcome pathway

  17. Adult dogs are capable of regulating calcium balance, with no adverse effects on health, when fed a high-calcium diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stockman, Jonathan; Watson, Phillip; Gilham, Matthew; Allaway, David; Atwal, Jujhar; Haydock, Richard; Colyer, Alison; Renfrew, Helen; Morris, Penelope J

    2017-05-01

    Although the implications of long-term high Ca intakes have been well documented in growing dogs, the health consequences of Ca excess in adult dogs remain to be established. To evaluate the impact of feeding a diet containing 7·1 g/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) Ca for 40 weeks on Ca balance and health parameters in adult dogs, eighteen neutered adult Labrador Retrievers, (nine males and nine females) aged 2·5-7·4 years were randomised to one of two customised diets for 40 weeks. The diets were manufactured according to similar nutritional specifications, with the exception of Ca and P levels. The diets provided 1·7 and 7·1 g/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) (200(SD26) and 881(SD145) mg/kg body weight0·75 per d, respectively) Ca, respectively, with a Ca:P ratio of 1·6. Clinical examinations, ultrasound scans, radiographs, health parameters, metabolic effects and mineral balance were recorded at baseline and at 8-week intervals throughout the study. Dogs in both groups were healthy throughout the trial without evidence of urinary, renal or orthopaedic disease. In addition, there were no clinically relevant changes in any of the measures made in either group (all P>0·05). The high-Ca diet resulted in a 3·3-fold increase in faecal Ca excretion (P0·05). Ca intakes of up to 7·1 g/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) are well tolerated over a period of 40 weeks, with no adverse effects that could be attributed to the diet or to a high mineral intake.

  18. Evaluation of Genotoxicity and 28-day Oral Dose Toxicity on Freeze-dried Powder of Tenebrio molitor Larvae (Yellow Mealworm)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, So-Ri; Yun, Eun-Young; Kim, Ji-Young; Hwang, Jae Sam; Jeong, Eun Ju

    2014-01-01

    The larval form of Tenebrio molitor (T. molitor) has been eaten in many countries and provides benefits as a new food source of protein for humans. However, no information exists regarding its safety for humans. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genotoxicity and repeated dose oral toxicity of the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae. The genotoxic potential was evaluated by a standard battery testing: bacterial reverse mutation test, in vitro chromosome aberration test, and in vivo micronucleus test. To assess the repeated dose toxicity, the powder was administered once daily by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at dose levels of 0, 300, 1000 and 3000 mg/kg/day for 28 days. The parameters which were applied to the study were mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum chemistry, gross findings and histopathologic examination. The freezedried powder of T. molitor larvae was not mutagenic or clastogenic based on results of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays. Furthermore, no treatment-related changes or findings were observed in any parameters in rats after 28 days oral administration. In conclusion, the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae was considered to be non-genotoxic and the NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) was determined to be 3000 mg/kg/day in both sexes of SD rats under our experimental conditions. PMID:25071922

  19. SAFETY AND PREVENTION OF FEBRILE SEIZURES IN PEDIATRICS, IDENITIFY NEW SYMPTOMS, ADVERSE EFFECTS, SIDE EFFECTS, LIFE STYLE MODIFICATIONS, PATIENT COUNCELLING , OBSERVING, MONITORING BY INVOLVING DOCTOR OF PHARMACY

    OpenAIRE

    Dr. Gangadhar Rao Gundapu; M. Bhavani; Myle Akshay Kiran; Naveen Kumar Bathula; Dr. Ashok kumar

    2017-01-01

    To observe the management and treatment of febrile seizures in children that is to prevent the condition from becoming worse and to prevent it from causing other complications. A Perform was designed to collect data related to the patient’s treatment . when patients are administration of drugs then we(Doctor of pharmacy) identified new adverse drug reactions like drowsiness, vomiting etc. and also identified new side effects due to antiepiliptic drugs in piadiatric patients with seizures li...

  20. Acute and subchronic oral toxicity studies in rats with nanoscale and pigment grade titanium dioxide particles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warheit, D B; Brown, S C; Donner, E M

    2015-10-01

    Data generated using standardized testing protocols for toxicity studies generally provide reproducible and reliable results for establishing safe levels and formulating risk assessments. The findings of three OECD guideline-type oral toxicity studies of different duration in rats are summarized in this publication; each study evaluated different titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles of varying sizes and surface coatings. Moreover, each study finding demonstrated an absence of any TiO2 -related hazards. To briefly summarize the findings: 1) In a subchronic 90-day study (OECD TG 408), groups of young adult male and female rats were dosed with rutile-type, surface-coated pigment-grade TiO2 test particles (d50 = 145 nm - 21% nanoparticles by particle number criteria) by oral gavage for 90 days. The no-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for both male and female rats in this study was 1000 mg/kg bw/day, the highest dose tested. The NOAEL was determined based on a lack of TiO2 particle-related adverse effects on any in-life, clinical pathology, or anatomic/microscopic pathology parameters; 2) In a 28-day repeated-dose oral toxicity study (OECD TG 407), groups of young adult male rats were administered daily doses of two rutile-type, uncoated, pigment-grade TiO2 test particles (d50 = 173 nm by number) by daily oral gavage at a dose of 24,000 mg/kg bw/day. There were no adverse effects measured during or following the end of the exposure period; and the NOAEL was determined to be 24,000 mg/kg bw/day; 3) In an acute oral toxicity study (OECD TG 425), female rats were administered a single oral exposure of surface-treated rutile/anatase nanoscale TiO2 particles (d50 = 73 nm by number) with doses up to 5000 mg/kg and evaluated over a 14-day post-exposure period. Under the conditions of this study, the oral LD50 for the test substance was >5000 mg/kg bw. In summary, the results from these three toxicity studies - each with different TiO2 particulate-types, demonstrated an absence of

  1. First grade classroom-level adversity: Associations with teaching practices, academic skills, and executive functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abry, Tashia; Granger, Kristen L; Bryce, Crystal I; Taylor, Michelle; Swanson, Jodi; Bradley, Robert H

    2018-05-24

    Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and a model-building approach, the authors examined direct and indirect associations between first-grade (G1) classroom-level adversity (CLA), G1 teaching practices, and student (N = 1,073; M = 6.64 years; 49% girls; 82% White) academic skills and executive functioning in G1 and third grades (G3). Teachers reported the prevalence of adversity among their students (e.g., poor home/family life, poor academic/social readiness). Observers rated G1 teaching practices: teachers' classroom management, controlling instruction, and amount of academic instruction (classroom observation system). Children completed literacy and math assessments at 54 months, G1, and G3 (Woodcock Johnson Letter-Word Identification and Applied Problems), and executive functioning at G1 and G3 (Tower of Hanoi). Direct associations emerged between CLA and controlling instruction (positive), classroom management, and academic instruction (both negative). In addition, CLA was related to G1 literacy (but not math) directly and indirectly via classroom management (negatively) and controlling instruction (positively). The addition of G3 outcomes revealed a negative direct longitudinal association between CLA and G3 executive functioning, and indirect associations with G3 literacy and math through G1 teaching practices and literacy. Results support the notion that collective student characteristics influence student outcomes in part through teaching practices and suggest that teachers and students may benefit from the diffusion of high-adversity classroom compositions when possible. Moreover, in high-adversity classrooms teachers and students may benefit from supports targeting classroom management and foundational student competencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Does industry take the susceptible subpopulation of asthmatic individuals into consideration when setting derived no‐effect levels?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Mia K. V.; Johanson, Gunnar; Öberg, Mattias

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, can be aggravated by exposure to certain chemical irritants. The objectives were first to investigate the extent to which experimental observations on asthmatic subjects are taken into consideration in connection with the registration process under the EU REACH regulation, and second, to determine whether asthmatics are provided adequate protection by the derived no‐effect levels (DNELs) for acute inhalation exposure. We identified substances for which experimental data on the pulmonary functions of asthmatics exposed to chemicals under controlled conditions are available. The effect concentrations were then compared with DNELs and other guideline and limit values. As of April 2015, only 2.6% of 269 classified irritants had available experimental data on asthmatics. Fourteen of the 22 identified substances with available data were fully registered under REACH and we retrieved 114 reliable studies related to these. Sixty‐three of these studies, involving nine of the 14 substances, were cited by the REACH registrants. However, only 17 of the 114 studies, involving four substances, were regarded as key studies. Furthermore, many of the DNELs for acute inhalation were higher than estimated effect levels for asthmatics, i.e., lowest observed adverse effect concentrations or no‐observed adverse effect concentrations, indicating low or no safety margin. We conclude that REACH registrants tend to disregard findings on asthmatics when deriving these DNELs. In addition, we found examples of DNELs, particularly among those derived for workers, which likely do not provide adequate protection for asthmatics. Copyright © 2016 The Authors Journal of Applied Toxicology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:27283874

  3. Adverse Influence of Radio Frequency Background on Trembling Aspen Seedlings: Preliminary Observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katie Haggerty

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Numerous incidents of aspen decline have been recorded in North America over the past half century, and incidents of very rapid mortality of aspen clones have been observed in Colorado since 2004. The radio frequency (RF environment of the earth has undergone major changes in the past two centuries due to the development and use of electricity in power and communications applications, and the anthropogenic RF background continues to increase in intensity and complexity. This study suggests that the RF background may have strong adverse effects on growth rate and fall anthocyanin production in aspen, and may be an underlying factor in aspen decline.

  4. Structure-based thresholds of toxicological concern-guidance for application to substances present at low levels in the diet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renwick, A.G.

    2005-01-01

    Health-based guidance values, such as the ADI, use chemical-specific data to determine the highest intake that would be without significant adverse health effects. A threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) is a level of intake predicted to be without adverse effects based on the toxicity of structurally related compounds. The main advantage of the use of TTCs is that the risk of low exposures can be evaluated without the need for chemical-specific animal toxicity data. TTCs have been used for many years for screening the safety of packaging migrants by the FDA in the USA, and of flavoring substances, by the JECFA. A recent reassessment of the use of TTCs, organized by ILSI Europe, has developed a decision tree which allows a systematic approach to the evaluation of low levels of diverse chemicals in food. The decision tree incorporates a series of increasing TTC values into a step-wise approach. Potentially genotoxic carcinogens are considered first, based on the presence of known structural alerts. Aflatoxin-like, azoxy- and nitroso-compounds are removed from consideration because they are the most potent, and a practical TTC could not be established. Other compounds with structural alerts for genotoxicity are allocated a TTC of 0.15 μg/person per day. Compounds without structural alerts for genotoxicity are evaluated based on chemical structure and intake using a series of TTC values derived by the application of a 100-fold uncertainty factor to the 5th percentile of the distribution of NOAELs from chronic studies on compounds sharing similar structural characteristics

  5. 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol as an antagonist of adverse corticosteroid effects on phosphate and calcium metabolism in man.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuti, R; Vattimo, A; Turchetti, V; Righi, G

    1984-10-01

    The present study was performed in 30 patients who needed steroid therapy: courses of triamcinolone or DTM 8-15 given orally lasted 30 days. In 15 of these patients glucoactive corticosteroids were administered in combination with 5 micrograms/day of 25OH-vitamin D3 (25OHD3). 47Calcium oral test and 99mTc-MDP kinetics, as an index of bone turnover, were performed at the beginning of the therapy and after 30 days. At the end of treatment a significant improvement of intestinal radiocalcium transport together with a decrease in bone turnover in the group of patients treated with 25OHD3 was observed. As it concerns plasma calcium level, inorganic phosphate, the urinary excretion of calcium, phosphate and hydroxyproline no significant difference between the two groups examined were noticed. These results indicate that the adverse effects of glucoactive corticosteroids on intestinal calcium transport and bone turnover may be counteracted by the combined administration of physiological doses of 25OHD3.

  6. No Level Up!’: No effects of video game specialization and expertise on cognitive performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernand eGobet

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Previous research into the effects of action video gaming on cognition has suggested that long term exposure to this type of game might lead to an enhancement of cognitive skills that transfer to non-gaming cognitive tasks. However, these results have been controversial. The aim of the current study was to test the presence of positive cognitive transfer from action video games to two cognitive tasks. More specifically, this study investigated the effects that participants’ expertise and genre specialisation have on cognitive improvements in one task unrelated to video gaming (a flanker task and one related task (change detection task with both control and genre-specific images. This study was unique in three ways. Firstly, it analysed a continuum of expertise levels, which has yet to be investigated in research into the cognitive benefits of video gaming. Secondly, it explored genre-specific skill developments on these tasks by comparing Action and Strategy video game players. Thirdly, it used a very tight experiment design, including the experimenter being blind to expertise level and genre specialisation of the participant. Ninety-two university students aged between 18 and 30 (M = 21.25 were recruited through opportunistic sampling and were grouped by video game specialization and expertise level. While the results of the flanker task were consistent with previous research (i.e. effect of congruence, there was no effect of expertise, and the action gamers failed to outperform the strategy gamers. Additionally, contrary to expectation, there was no interaction between genre specialisation and image type in the change detection task, again demonstrating no expertise effect. The lack of effects for game specialization and expertise goes against previous research on the positive effects of action video gaming on other cognitive tasks.

  7. Inhalation exposure to chloramine T induces DNA damage and inflammation in lung of Sprague-Dawley rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Ilseob; Seo, Gyun-Baek; Oh, Eunha; Lee, Mimi; Kwon, Jung-Taek; Sul, Donggeun; Lee, Byung-Woo; Yoon, Byung-Il; Kim, Pilje; Choi, Kyunghee; Kim, Hyun-Mi

    2013-01-01

    Chloramine T has been widely used as a disinfectant in many areas such as kitchens, laboratories and hospitals. It has been also used as a biocide in air fresheners and deodorants which are consumer products; however, little is known about its toxic effects by inhalation route. This study was performed to identify the subacute inhalation toxicity of chloramine T under whole-body inhalation exposure conditions. Male and female groups of rats were exposed to chloramine T at concentrations of 0.2, 0.9 and 4.0 mg/m³ for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week during 4 weeks. After 28-day repeated inhalation of chloramine T, there were dose-dependently significant DNA damage in the rat tissues evaluated and inflammation was histopathologically noted around the terminal airways of the lung in both genders. As a result of the expression of three types of antioxidant enzymes (SOD-2, GPx-1, PRX-1) in rat's lung after exposure, there was no significant change of all antioxidant enzymes in the male and female rats. The results showed that no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was 0.2 mg/m³ in male rats and 0.9 mg/m³ in female rats under the present experimental condition.

  8. Confounding and Statistical Significance of Indirect Effects: Childhood Adversity, Education, Smoking, and Anxious and Depressive Symptomatology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mashhood Ahmed Sheikh

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The life course perspective, the risky families model, and stress-and-coping models provide the rationale for assessing the role of smoking as a mediator in the association between childhood adversity and anxious and depressive symptomatology (ADS in adulthood. However, no previous study has assessed the independent mediating role of smoking in the association between childhood adversity and ADS in adulthood. Moreover, the importance of mediator-response confounding variables has rarely been demonstrated empirically in social and psychiatric epidemiology. The aim of this paper was to (i assess the mediating role of smoking in adulthood in the association between childhood adversity and ADS in adulthood, and (ii assess the change in estimates due to different mediator-response confounding factors (education, alcohol intake, and social support. The present analysis used data collected from 1994 to 2008 within the framework of the Tromsø Study (N = 4,530, a representative prospective cohort study of men and women. Seven childhood adversities (low mother's education, low father's education, low financial conditions, exposure to passive smoke, psychological abuse, physical abuse, and substance abuse distress were used to create a childhood adversity score. Smoking status was measured at a mean age of 54.7 years (Tromsø IV, and ADS in adulthood was measured at a mean age of 61.7 years (Tromsø V. Mediation analysis was used to assess the indirect effect and the proportion of mediated effect (% of childhood adversity on ADS in adulthood via smoking in adulthood. The test-retest reliability of smoking was good (Kappa: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.63; 0.71 in this sample. Childhood adversity was associated with a 10% increased risk of smoking in adulthood (Relative risk: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03; 1.18, and both childhood adversity and smoking in adulthood were associated with greater levels of ADS in adulthood (p < 0.001. Smoking in adulthood did not significantly

  9. Modeling risks: effects of area deprivation, family socio-economic disadvantage and adverse life events on young children's psychopathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flouri, Eirini; Mavroveli, Stella; Tzavidis, Nikos

    2010-06-01

    The effects of contextual risk on young children's behavior are not appropriately modeled. To model the effects of area and family contextual risk on young children's psychopathology. The final study sample consisted of 4,618 Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) children, who were 3 years old, clustered in lower layer super output areas in nine strata in the UK. Contextual risk was measured by socio-economic disadvantage (SED) at both area and family level, and by distal and proximal adverse life events at family level. Multivariate response multilevel models that allowed for correlated residuals at both individual and area level, and univariate multilevel models estimated the effect of contextual risk on specific and broad psychopathology measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The area SED/broad psychopathology association remained significant after family SED was controlled, but not after maternal qualifications and family adverse life events were added to the model. Adverse life events predicted psychopathology in all models. Family SED did not predict emotional symptoms or hyperactivity after child characteristics were added to the model with the family-level controls. Area-level SED predicts child psychopathology via family characteristics; family-level SED predicts psychopathology largely by its impact on development; and adverse life events predict psychopathology independently of earlier adversity, SED and child characteristics, as well as maternal psychopathology, parenting and education.

  10. Adverse effects of iodine thyroid blocking: A systematic review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spallek, L.; Krille, L.; Reiners, C.; Schneider, R.; Yamashita, S.; Zeeb, H.

    2008-01-01

    131 I, when released in a radiological or nuclear accident as happened recently in Fukushima (Japan)), may cause thyroid cancer as a long-term consequence. Iodine thyroid blocking (ITB) is known to reduce the risk of developing thyroid cancer. Potential adverse effects of ITB have not been systematically investigated so far. This article summarises the results of a review on adverse effects of ITB based on a systematic literature search in scientific medical databases. A meta-analysis was not performed as identified studies displayed major heterogeneity. The search resulted in 14 articles relevant to the topic, reporting mostly on surveys, ecological and intervention studies. Only one study from Poland focused on effects (both desired and adverse) of an ITB intervention following the Chernobyl accident. All other studies reported on iodine administration in a different context. Overall, the studies did not reveal severe adverse reactions to potassium iodide in the general public. Since ITB is a protective measure only applied in very specific circumstances, scientifically sound studies of adverse effects are scarce and consequently the evidence base is weak. The assessment of adverse effects of ITB relies on indirect evidence from related areas. This study may contribute to ongoing developments in pharmaco-epidemiology aiming to better quantify adverse effects of medications and health care interventions including ITB. All rights reserved. (authors)

  11. In vivo safety evaluation of UP780, a standardized composition of aloe chromone aloesin formulated with an Aloe vera inner leaf fillet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yimam, Mesfin; Brownell, Lidia; Jia, Qi

    2014-08-01

    Safety profiles of the aloe chromone aloesin or Aloe vera inner leaf fillet (Qmatrix) as a well tolerated entity have been reported separately. UP780, a standardized composition of aloe chromone formulated with an Aloe vera inner leaf fillet, has shown a significant beneficial effect in lowering blood glucose and improving insulin resistance in human. Here we evaluate the safety of UP780 after a repeated 14 and 90-day oral administration in CD-1 mice. UP780 was given at doses of 100mg/kg/day, 500mg/kg/day and 1000mg/kg/day to groups of 10 male and 10 female for 90days or administered by oral gavage at a dose of 2g/kg/day to groups of 5 male and 5 female for 14days. Body weight, feed consumption, hematology, clinical chemistry and histopathologic evaluation were performed. UP780 at a dose of 1000mg/kg/day or at 2000mg/kg/day produced no treatment-related toxicity or mortality. Body weight gain or feed consumption was similar between groups. There was no test article-related microscopic change. Spontaneously occurring minor changes in clinical chemistry and hematology were observed. However, these changes were limited to one sex or were not dose correlated. UP780 was well tolerated in this strain. A dose of 2000mg/kg/day was identified as the NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect-level). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simoni, Marzia; Baldacci, Sandra; Maio, Sara; Cerrai, Sonia; Sarno, Giuseppe; Viegi, Giovanni

    2015-01-01

    With fewer newborns and people living longer, older people are making up an increasing fraction of the total population. Epidemiological evidence shows that older-age-related health problems affect a wide and expanding proportion of the world population. One of the major epidemiological trends of this century is the rise of chronic diseases that affect more elderly than younger people. A total of 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 are attributable to outdoor air pollution; the susceptibility to adverse effects of air pollution is expected to differ widely between people and within the same person, and also over time. Frailty history, a measure of multi-system decline, modifies cumulative associations between air pollution and lung function. Moreover, pre-existing diseases may determine susceptibility. In the elderly, due to comorbidity, exposure to air pollutants may even be fatal. Rapid and not-well-planned urbanization is associated with high level of ambient air pollution, mainly caused by vehicular exhausts. In general, there is sufficient evidence of the adverse effects related to short-term exposure, while fewer studies have addressed the longer-term health effects. Increased pollution exposures have been associated with increased mortality, hospital admissions/emergency-room visits, mainly due to exacerbations of chronic diseases or to respiratory tract infections (e.g., pneumonia). These effects may also be modulated by ambient temperature and many studies show that the elderly are mostly vulnerable to heat waves. The association between heat and mortality in the elderly is well-documented, while less is known regarding the associations with hospital admissions. Chronic exposure to elevated levels of air pollution has been related to the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis (CB), asthma, and emphysema. There is also growing evidence suggesting adverse effects on lung function related to long-term exposure

  13. Silicon alleviates the adverse effects of salinity and drought stress on growth and endogenous plant growth hormones of soybean (glycine max L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamzyun, M.; Sohn, Eun-Young; Khan, A.L.; Lee, In-Jung

    2010-01-01

    Agricultural industry is subjected to enormous environmental constraints, particularly due to salinity and drought. We evaluated the role of silicon (Si) in alleviating salinity and drought induced physio-hormonal changes in soybean grown in perlite. The plant growth attributes i.e., shoot length, plant fresh weight and dry weight parameters of soybean improved with elevated Si nutrition, while they decreased with NaCl and polyethylene glycol (PEG) application. The adverse effects of NaCl and PEG on plant growth were alleviated by adding 100 mg L/sup -1/ and 200 mg L/sup -1/ Si to salt and drought stressed treatments. It was observed that Si effectively mitigated the adverse effects of NaCl on soybean than that of PEG. The chlorophyll contents were found to be least affected as an insignificant increase was observed with Si application. Bioactive GA1 and GA4 contents of soybean leaves increased, when Si was added to control or stressed plants. Jasmonic acid (JA) contents sharply increased under salinity and drought stress but declined when the plants were supplemented with Si. Similarly, free salicylic acid (SA) level also increased with NaCl and PEG application. However, free SA level further increased with the addition of Si to salt treated plants, but decreased when Si was given to PEG treated plants. It was concluded that Si improves physio-hormonal attributes of soybean and mitigate adverse effects of salt and drought stress. (author)

  14. Adverse effects of methotrexate in three psoriatic arthritis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maejima, Hideki; Watarai, Akira; Nakano, Toshiaki; Katayama, Chieko; Nishiyama, Hiromi; Katsuoka, Kensei

    2014-04-01

    Methotrexate, a folic acid analogue with anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects, is commonly used to treat patients with severe destructive psoriatic arthritis and has considerable efficacy. Combined anti-tumor necrosis factor and MTX therapy result in less treatment discontinuation due to adverse events. Despite its efficacy, MTX may result in adverse effects including hepatic, pulmonary, and renal toxicity as well as lymphoproliferative disorders and predisposition to infection. We herein report rare adverse effects of MTX treatment, specifically asymptomatic pulmonary tuberculosis, renal cell carcinoma, and lateral uveitis, in three psoriatic arthritis patients treated with MTX. MTX is an important drug for the treatment for psoriatic arthritis patient, but an awareness of the possible adverse effects is needed.

  15. Adverse effects of ultraviolet irradiation in atopic dermatitis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ten Berge, O.

    2010-01-01

    The overall aim of this thesis was to evaluate adverse effects of ultraviolet irradiation (UV) in atopic dermatitis (AD). We focused on the two important adverse effects of UV: photosensitivity and skin cancer risk associated with calcineurin inhibitor treatment. In chapter 2 and 3 we found that

  16. 12 CFR 987.5 - Obligations of the Banks and the Office of Finance; no Adverse Claims.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Obligations of the Banks and the Office of Finance; no Adverse Claims. 987.5 Section 987.5 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD OFFICE OF FINANCE BOOK-ENTRY PROCEDURE FOR CONSOLIDATED OBLIGATIONS § 987.5 Obligations of the Banks and the Office of Finance; no Adverse Claims. (a) Except...

  17. Health assessment of gasoline and fuel oxygenate vapors: reproductive toxicity assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Thomas M; Steup, David; Roberts, Linda G; O'Callaghan, James P; Hoffman, Gary; Schreiner, Ceinwen A; Clark, Charles R

    2014-11-01

    Vapor condensates of baseline gasoline (BGVC), or gasoline-blended with methyl tertiary butyl ether (G/MTBE), ethyl t-butyl ether (G/ETBE), t-amyl methyl ether (G/TAME), diisopropyl ether (G/DIPE), ethanol (G/EtOH), or t-butyl alcohol (G/TBA) were evaluated for reproductive toxicity in rats at target concentrations of 2000, 10,000, or 20,000mg/m(3), 6h/day, 7days/week. BGVC and G/MTBE were assessed over two generations, the others for one generation. BGVC and G/MTBE F1 offspring were evaluated for neuropathology and changes in regional brain glial fibrillary acidic protein content. No neurotoxicity was observed. Male kidney weight was increased consistent with light hydrocarbon nephropathy. In adult rats, decreased body weight gain and increased liver weight were seen. Spleen weight decreased in adults and pups exposed to G/TBA. No pathological changes to reproductive organs occurred in any study. Decreased food consumption was seen in G/TAME lactating females. Transient decreases in G/TAME offspring weights were observed during lactation. Except for a minor increase in time to mating in G/TBA which did not affect other reproductive parameters, there were no adverse reproductive findings. The NOAEL for reproductive and offspring parameters was 20,000mg/m(3) for all vapor condensates except for lower offspring NOAELs of 10,000mg/m(3) for G/TBA and 2000mg/m(3) for G/TAME. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. No adverse lung effects of 7- and 28-day inhalation exposure of rats to emissions from petrodiesel fuel containing 20% rapeseed methyl esters (B20) with and without particulate filter - the FuelHealth project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnusson, Pål; Oczkowski, Michał; Øvrevik, Johan; Gajewska, Malgorzata; Wilczak, Jacek; Biedrzycki, Jacek; Dziendzikowska, Katarzyna; Kamola, Dariusz; Królikowski, Tomasz; Kruszewski, Marcin; Lankoff, Anna; Mruk, Remigiusz; Brunborg, Gunnar; Instanes, Christine; Gromadzka-Ostrowska, Joanna; Myhre, Oddvar

    2017-04-01

    Increased use of biofuels raises concerns about health effects of new emissions. We analyzed relative lung health effects, on Fisher 344 rats, of diesel engine exhausts emissions (DEE) from a Euro 5-classified diesel engine running on petrodiesel fuel containing 20% rapeseed methyl esters (B20) with and without diesel particulate filter (DPF). One group of animals was exposed to DEE for 7 days (6 h/day), and another group for 28 days (6 h/day, 5 days/week), both with and without DPF. The animals (n = 7/treatment) were exposed in whole body exposure chambers. Animals breathing clean air were used as controls. Genotoxic effects of the lungs by the Comet assay, histological examination of lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) markers of pulmonary injury, and mRNA markers of inflammation and oxidative stress were analyzed. Our results showed that a minor number of genes related to inflammation were slightly differently expressed in the exposed animals compared to control. Histological analysis also revealed only minor effects on inflammatory tissue markers in the lungs, and this was supported by flow cytometry and ELISA analysis of cytokines in BALF. No exposure-related indications of genotoxicity were observed. Overall, exposure to DEE with or without DPF technology produced no adverse effects in the endpoints analyzed in the rat lung tissue or the BALF. Overall, exposure to DEE from a modern Euro 5 light vehicle engine run on B20 fuel with or without DPF technology produced no adverse effects in the endpoints analyzed in the rat lung tissue or the BALF.

  19. Consumer exposure. Basic considerations for regulatory exposure estimations; Exposition des Verbrauchers. Grundlegende Ueberlegungen fuer die Expositionsabschaetzung im regulatorischen Bereich

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heinemeyer, G. [Bundesinstitut fuer Risikobewertung, Berlin (Germany)

    2003-05-01

    The assessment of consumer exposure covers all sources and pathways that lead to contact with chemical substances by persons in their private residential environments. Consumers are not only those using consumer products themselves, but also all persons having secondary contact with substances (secondary exposure), e.g., family members. Consumer exposure can be measured or modeled, both approaches having advantages and disadvantages. Measuring exposure refers predominantly to an individual exposure scenario and cannot be extrapolated to general conditions in any case. Modeling exposure describes more general conditions and may be used to describe scenarios which characterize the exposure of populations. Measurements of exposure may be performed for quantification of sources that lead to undesirable exposures. Modeling may be used for systematic assessments of risks. For exposure assessment, three parts should be differentiated. First of all, the source and use of, e.g., a household chemical, including a description of the modalities of its use such as frequency and duration, must be characterized. An important task of this part is to characterize the amount of the substance. Secondly, the time-related course of the substance in the contact media, particularly in air and on skin, as well as in materials that can lead to oral uptake should be described. Thirdly, exposure is limited by the behavior of people. This part of the evaluation covers the description of contact times, but also of specific behavior, e.g., related to certain populations. For example, in children it is assumed that mouthing behavior may play a significant role leading to an increased oral uptake of substances that contaminate the hands while crawling on the floor or playing with pets that were treated against pests. Risk characterization follows the principle of comparing concentration levels or doses of exposure with those characterizing hazards, e.g., NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level

  20. Effect of monthly vitamin D3 supplementation in healthy adults on adverse effects of earthquakes: randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slow, Sandy; Florkowski, Christopher M; Chambers, Stephen T; Priest, Patricia C; Stewart, Alistair W; Jennings, Lance C; Livesey, John H; Camargo, Carlos A; Scragg, Robert; Murdoch, David R

    2014-12-15

    To determine whether supplementation with vitamin D improves resilience to the adverse effects of earthquakes. Opportunistic addition to an established randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. Christchurch, New Zealand, where a prolonged series of catastrophic earthquakes beginning on 4 September 2010 occurred, which caused widespread destruction, fatalities, and extensive psychological damage. 322 healthy adults (241 women; 81 men) aged 18-67 who were already participating in the vitamin D and acute respiratory infections study (VIDARIS) between February 2010 and November 2011. Participants were randomised to receive an oral dose of either 200,000 IU vitamin D3 monthly for two months then 100,000 IU monthly (n=161) or placebo (n=161) for a total of 18 months. This is a post hoc analysis from the previously published VIDARIS trial. The primary endpoint in the current analysis was the self reported effects and overall adverse impact of the Christchurch earthquakes as assessed by questionnaire four months after the most destructive earthquake on 22 February 2011, which was used as the index event. The secondary end point was the number of "psychological" adverse events that participants reported at their usual monthly appointments as part of the original VIDARIS trial. 308 participants completed the earthquake impact questionnaire (n=152 in the vitamin D group and 156 in the placebo group). There was no significant difference in the number of self reported adverse effects between those receiving vitamin D supplementation and those receiving placebo. There was also no difference in the overall adverse impact score between treatment groups (χ(2) P=0.44). The exception was that those in the vitamin D group experienced more adverse effects on family relationships (22% v 13%; χ(2) P=0.03). The number of psychological adverse events-such as fatigue, stress, anxiety, and insomnia-that participants reported at their usual monthly appointments was significantly

  1. Supervised exercise training counterbalances the adverse effects of insulin therapy in overweight/obese subjects with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balducci, Stefano; Zanuso, Silvano; Cardelli, Patrizia; Salerno, Gerardo; Fallucca, Sara; Nicolucci, Antonio; Pugliese, Giuseppe

    2012-01-01

    To examine the effect of supervised exercise on traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors in sedentary, overweight/obese insulin-treated subjects with type 2 diabetes from the Italian Diabetes Exercise Study (IDES). The study randomized 73 insulin-treated patients to twice weekly supervised aerobic and resistance training plus structured exercise counseling (EXE) or to counseling alone (CON) for 12 months. Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. The volume of physical activity was significantly higher in the EXE versus the CON group. Values for hemoglobin A(1c), BMI, waist circumference, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and the coronary heart disease risk score were significantly reduced only in the EXE group. No major adverse events were observed. In insulin-treated subjects with type 2 diabetes, supervised exercise is safe and effective in improving glycemic control and markers of adiposity and inflammation, thus counterbalancing the adverse effects of insulin on these parameters.

  2. The Adverse Events and Hemodynamic Effects of Adenosine-Based Cardiac MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voigtlander, Thomas; Magedanz, Annett; Schmermund, Axel; Bramlage, Peter; Elsaesser, Amelie; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Mohrs, Oliver K.

    2011-01-01

    We wanted to prospectively assess the adverse events and hemodynamic effects associated with an intravenous adenosine infusion in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease and who were undergoing cardiac MRI. One hundred and sixty-eight patients (64 ± 9 years) received adenosine (140 μg/kg/min) during cardiac MRI. Before and during the administration, the heart rate, systemic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation were monitored using a MRI-compatible system. We documented any signs and symptoms of potential adverse events. In total, 47 out of 168 patients (28%) experienced adverse effects, which were mostly mild or moderate. In 13 patients (8%), the adenosine infusion was discontinued due to intolerable dyspnea or chest pain. No high grade atrioventricular block, bronchospasm or other life-threatening adverse events occurred. The hemodynamic measurements showed a significant increase in the heart rate during adenosine infusion (69.3 ± 11.7 versus 82.4 ± 13.0 beats/min, respectively; p < 0.001). A significant but clinically irrelevant increase in oxygen saturation occurred during adenosine infusion (96 ± 1.9% versus 97 ± 1.3%, respectively; p < 0.001). The blood pressure did not significantly change during adenosine infusion (systolic: 142.8 ± 24.0 versus 140.9 ± 25.7 mmHg; diastolic: 80.2 ± 12.5 mmHg versus 78.9 ± 15.6, respectively). This study confirms the safety of adenosine infusion during cardiac MRI. A considerable proportion of all patients will experience minor adverse effects and some patients will not tolerate adenosine infusion. However, all adverse events can be successfully managed by a radiologist. The increased heart rate during adenosine infusion highlights the need to individually adjust the settings according to the patient, e.g., the number of slices of myocardial perfusion imaging.

  3. Safety evaluation of transgenic low-gliadin wheat in Sprague Dawley rats: An alternative to the gluten free diet with no subchronic adverse effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozuna, Carmen Victoria; Barro, Francisco

    2017-09-01

    Gluten-associated pathologies have increased in recent years and there is a greater demand for low or gluten-free products. Transgenic low-gliadin wheat lines showed low T-cell response, good bread-making properties, and excellent sensory assets. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of the whole-wheat flour from one transgenic low-gliadin line (named E82) in a 90-day feeding study. In this study males (n = 50) and females (n = 50) SD rats were used. They were fed with doses of 1.42, 2.83 and 5.67 g/kg/day of the transgenic E82 line, 5.67 g/kg/day of the WT and a blank group. We found that there were no significant differences in the development of animals. Biochemistry for liver and kidney function were similar for males and females of all groups. Other haematological and metabolic blood parameters, as well as organ weight did not show significant differences in the five groups of animals. In the histopathological study performed for the higher dose of transgenic E82 line, WT and blank group no abnormalities were observed. The whole-wheat flour of E82 line administered to rats at tested doses for 90 days did not have any adverse effects and there was no difference with the rats which ate WT wheat. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Association of acute adverse effects with high local SAR induced in the brain from prolonged RF head and neck hyperthermia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adibzadeh, F; Verhaart, R F; Rijnen, Z; Franckena, M; Van Rhoon, G C; Paulides, M M; Verduijn, G M; Fortunati, V

    2015-01-01

    To provide an adequate level of protection for humans from exposure to radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) and to assure that any adverse health effects are avoided. The basic restrictions in terms of the specific energy absorption rate (SAR) were prescribed by IEEE and ICNIRP. An example of a therapeutic application of non-ionizing EMF is hyperthermia (HT), in which intense RF energy is focused at a target region. Deep HT in the head and neck (H and N) region involves inducing energy at 434 MHz for 60 min on target. Still, stray exposure of the brain is considerable, but to date only very limited side-effects were observed. The objective of this study is to investigate the stringency of the current basic restrictions by relating the induced EM dose in the brain of patients treated with deep head and neck (H and N) HT to the scored acute health effects. We performed a simulation study to calculate the induced peak 10 g spatial-averaged SAR (psSAR 10g ) in the brains of 16 selected H and N patients who received the highest SAR exposure in the brain, i.e. who had the minimum brain-target distance and received high forwarded power during treatment. The results show that the maximum induced SAR in the brain of the patients can exceed the current basic restrictions (IEEE and ICNIRP) on psSAR 10g for occupational environments by 14 times. Even considering the high local SAR in the brain, evaluation of acute effects by the common toxicity criteria (CTC) scores revealed no indication of a serious acute neurological effect. In addition, this study provides pioneering quantitative human data on the association between maximum brain SAR level and acute adverse effects when brains are exposed to prolonged RF EMF. (paper)

  5. Effects of diet on growth and survival of rats fed toxic levels of tartrazine (FD & C Yellow No. 5) and sunset yellow FCF (FD & C Yellow No. 6).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ershoff, B H

    1977-05-01

    Tests were conducted on the effects of diet on the response of immature male rats to massive doses of tartrazine (FD&C Yellow No.5) and Sunset Yellow FCF (FD&C Yellow No. 6). When incorporated at a 5% level in a stock diet, tartrazine and Sunset Yellow FCF had no grossly observable toxic effects. When fed with a purified diet, however, both tartrazine and Sunset Yellow FCF at 5% level in the diet resulted in a marked retardation in growth, an unthrifty appearance of the fur and death of 50% or more of the rats within an experimental period of 14 days. The toxic effects obtained by feeding the latter diets were counteracted by the concurrent feeding of blond psyllium seed powder, carrot root powder, alfalfa leaf meal and wheat bran. Supplements of the known nutrients had little if any protective effect. Supplements of purified cellulose were without protective effect for the rats fed tartrazine but had a moderate protective effect for those fed Sunset Yellow FCF.

  6. Nonclinical Profile of BLZ-100, a Tumor-Targeting Fluorescent Imaging Agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrish-Novak, Julia; Byrnes-Blake, Kelly; Lalayeva, Narine; Burleson, Stefanie; Fidel, Janean; Gilmore, Rhonda; Gayheart-Walsten, Pamela; Bricker, Gregory A; Crumb, William J; Tarlo, K S; Hansen, Stacey; Wiss, Valorie; Malta, Errol; Dernell, William S; Olson, James M; Miller, Dennis M

    BLZ-100 is a single intravenous use, fluorescent imaging agent that labels tumor tissue to enable more complete and precise surgical resection. It is composed of a chlorotoxin peptide covalently bound to the near-infrared fluorophore indocyanine green. BLZ-100 is in clinical development for intraoperative visualization of human tumors. The nonclinical safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of BLZ-100 was evaluated in mice, rats, canines, and nonhuman primates (NHP). Single bolus intravenous administration of BLZ-100 was well tolerated, and no adverse changes were observed in cardiovascular safety pharmacology, PK, and toxicology studies in rats and NHP. The single-dose no-observed-adverse-effect-levels (NOAELs) were 7 mg (28 mg/kg) in rats and 60 mg (20 mg/kg) in NHP, corresponding to peak concentration values of 89 400 and 436 000 ng/mL and area-under-the-curve exposure values of 130 000 and 1 240 000 h·ng/mL, respectively. Based on a human imaging dose of 3 mg, dose safety margins are >100 for rat and monkey. BLZ-100 produced hypersensitivity reactions in canine imaging studies (lethargy, pruritus, swollen muzzle, etc). The severity of the reactions was not dose related. In a follow-up study in dogs, plasma histamine concentrations were increased 5 to 60 minutes after BLZ-100 injection; this coincided with signs of hypersensitivity, supporting the conclusion that the reactions were histamine based. Hypersensitivity reactions were not observed in other species or in BLZ-100 human clinical studies conducted to date. The combined imaging, safety pharmacology, PK, and toxicology studies contributed to an extensive initial nonclinical profile for BLZ-100, supporting first-in-human clinical trials.

  7. Statin-associated muscle-related adverse effects: a case series of 354 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cham, Stephanie; Evans, Marcella A; Denenberg, Julie O; Golomb, Beatrice A

    2010-06-01

    To characterize the properties and natural history of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (statin)-associated muscle-related adverse effects (MAEs). Patient-targeted postmarketing adverse-effect surveillance approach coupling survey design with an open-ended narrative. University-affiliated health care system. Three hundred fifty-four patients (age range 34-86 yrs) who self-reported muscle-related problems associated with statin therapy. Patients with perceived statin-associated MAEs completed a survey assessing statin drugs and dosages; characteristics of the MAEs; time course of onset, resolution, or recurrence; and impact on quality of life (QOL). Cases were assessed for putative drug adverse-effect causality by using the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale criteria and were evaluated for inclusion in groups for which mortality benefit with statins has been shown. Patients reported muscle pain (93%), fatigue (88%), and weakness (85%). Three hundred patients (85%) met literature criteria for probable or definite drug adverse-effect causality. Ninety-four percent of atorvastatin usages (240/255) generated MAEs versus 61% of lovastatin usages (38/62, pstatins reproduced MAEs in 100% of 39 rechallenges versus 73% (29/40) with lower potency rechallenges (pstatin initiation varied (median 14 wks); some MAEs occurred after long-term symptom-free use. Recurrence with rechallenge had a significantly shorter latency to onset (median 2 wks). The MAEs adversely affected all assessed functional and QOL domains. Most patients with probable or definite MAEs were in categories for which available randomized controlled trial evidence shows no trend to all-cause mortality benefit with statin therapy. This study complements available information on the properties and natural history of statin-associated MAEs, affirming dose dependence and strong QOL impact. The data indicating a dose-dependent relationship between MAE risk and recurrence suggest

  8. Exogenous glucocorticoids and adverse cerebral effects in children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damsted, Sara K.; Born, A P; Paulson, Olaf B

    2011-01-01

    of the glucocorticoid receptor, which is associated with unfavorable cellular outcomes. Prenatal treatment with glucocorticoids can compromise brain growth and is associated with periventricular leukomalacia, attentions deficits and poorer cognitive performance. In the neonatal period exposure to glucocorticoids...... reduces neurogenesis and cerebral volume, impairs memory and increases the incidence of cerebral palsy. Cerebral effects of glucocorticoids in later childhood have been less thoroughly studied, but apparent brain atrophy, reduced size of limbic structures and neuropsychiatric symptoms have been reported....... Glucocortioids affect several cellular structures and functions, which may explain the observed adverse effects. Glucocorticoids can impair neuronal glucose uptake, decrease excitability, cause atrophy of dendrites, compromise development of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes and disturb important cellular...

  9. Area-level risk factors for adverse birth outcomes: trends in urban and rural settings

    OpenAIRE

    Kent, Shia T; McClure, Leslie A; Zaitchik, Ben F; Gohlke, Julia M

    2013-01-01

    Background Significant and persistent racial and income disparities in birth outcomes exist in the US. The analyses in this manuscript examine whether adverse birth outcome time trends and associations between area-level variables and adverse birth outcomes differ by urban?rural status. Methods Alabama births records were merged with ZIP code-level census measures of race, poverty, and rurality. B-splines were used to determine long-term preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) trends b...

  10. A toxicity profile of osteoprotegerin in the cynomolgus monkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Brenda B; Cosenza, Mary Ellen; Mancini, Audrey; Dunstan, Colin; Gregson, Richard; Martin, Steven W; Smith, Susan Y; Davis, Harold

    2003-01-01

    inhibitor. The no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of OPG was 15 mg/kg.

  11. Modelling the adverse effects associated with ecstasy use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisk, John E; Murphy, Philip N; Montgomery, Catharine; Hadjiefthyvoulou, Florentia

    2011-04-01

    Ecstasy, the street name for 3,4-meththylenedioxymethamphetamine, has been associated with a range of psychiatric symptoms and impaired psychological health in both problem and recreational users. The purpose of the present paper is to determine how these impairments are related to the history of polydrug use, and the conditions under which individuals ingest ecstasy. Associations between the variables of interest were investigated utilizing negative binomial regression. Liverpool and Preston in the North West of England. A convenience sample of 159 recreational ecstasy/polydrug users (80 males, 79 females). The sample was composed primarily of undergraduates. The dependent variable was the number of reported ecstasy-related adverse effects. Independent variables included quantitative aspects of ecstasy and other drug use, and the various beliefs and behaviours associated with ecstasy use. The number of adverse effects was associated positively with life-time exposure to ecstasy and negatively with period of abstinence from the drug. Adverse effects were more common among those who consumed ecstasy and alcohol concurrently, but were unrelated to other aspects of polydrug use. They were unaffected by whether the user took precautions when using the drug, and only weakly related to prior beliefs concerning the effects of ecstasy. Greater life-time exposure to ecstasy and consuming the drug concurrently with alcohol increase the likelihood of experiencing adverse effects, including paranoia, poor general health, irritability, confusion and moodiness. Adverse effects decrease with the period of abstinence from the drug. © 2010 The Authors, Addiction © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  12. Evaluation of the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard: Effect on Adverse Psychosocial Work Factors and Psychological Distress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Letellier, Marie-Claude; Duchaine, Caroline S; Aubé, Karine; Talbot, Denis; Mantha-Bélisle, Marie-Michèle; Sultan-Taïeb, Hélène; St-Hilaire, France; Biron, Caroline; Vézina, Michel; Brisson, Chantal

    2018-02-28

    Adverse psychosocial work factors are recognized as a significant source of psychological distress, resulting in a considerable socioeconomic burden. The impact of occupational health standards that aim to reduce these adverse work factors, such as the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard (QHES), is of great interest for public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of QHES interventions targeting adverse psychosocial work factors on the prevalence of these factors and of psychological distress among ten Quebec organizations. These outcomes were assessed by questionnaire using validated instruments before (T1, n = 2849) and 2-3 years following (T2, n = 2560) QHES implementation. Beneficial effects of interventions were observed for two adverse psychosocial work factors: low rewards (ratio of prevalence ratios (PRs) = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.66-0.91) and low social support at work (ratio of PRs = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.77-1.03). Moreover, beneficial effects of interventions were also observed on the prevalence of high psychological distress (ratio of PRs = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.75-0.998). Psychosocial interventions implemented in the context of this standard improved the psychosocial work environment and had beneficial effects on workers' mental health.

  13. Evaluation of the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard: Effect on Adverse Psychosocial Work Factors and Psychological Distress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie-Claude Letellier

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Adverse psychosocial work factors are recognized as a significant source of psychological distress, resulting in a considerable socioeconomic burden. The impact of occupational health standards that aim to reduce these adverse work factors, such as the Quebec Healthy Enterprise Standard (QHES, is of great interest for public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of QHES interventions targeting adverse psychosocial work factors on the prevalence of these factors and of psychological distress among ten Quebec organizations. These outcomes were assessed by questionnaire using validated instruments before (T1, n = 2849 and 2–3 years following (T2, n = 2560 QHES implementation. Beneficial effects of interventions were observed for two adverse psychosocial work factors: low rewards (ratio of prevalence ratios (PRs = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.66–0.91 and low social support at work (ratio of PRs = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.77–1.03. Moreover, beneficial effects of interventions were also observed on the prevalence of high psychological distress (ratio of PRs = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.75–0.998. Psychosocial interventions implemented in the context of this standard improved the psychosocial work environment and had beneficial effects on workers’ mental health.

  14. Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldacci, Sandra; Maio, Sara; Cerrai, Sonia; Sarno, Giuseppe; Viegi, Giovanni

    2015-01-01

    With fewer newborns and people living longer, older people are making up an increasing fraction of the total population. Epidemiological evidence shows that older-age-related health problems affect a wide and expanding proportion of the world population. One of the major epidemiological trends of this century is the rise of chronic diseases that affect more elderly than younger people. A total of 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 are attributable to outdoor air pollution; the susceptibility to adverse effects of air pollution is expected to differ widely between people and within the same person, and also over time. Frailty history, a measure of multi-system decline, modifies cumulative associations between air pollution and lung function. Moreover, pre-existing diseases may determine susceptibility. In the elderly, due to comorbidity, exposure to air pollutants may even be fatal. Rapid and not-well-planned urbanization is associated with high level of ambient air pollution, mainly caused by vehicular exhausts. In general, there is sufficient evidence of the adverse effects related to short-term exposure, while fewer studies have addressed the longer-term health effects. Increased pollution exposures have been associated with increased mortality, hospital admissions/emergency-room visits, mainly due to exacerbations of chronic diseases or to respiratory tract infections (e.g., pneumonia). These effects may also be modulated by ambient temperature and many studies show that the elderly are mostly vulnerable to heat waves. The association between heat and mortality in the elderly is well-documented, while less is known regarding the associations with hospital admissions. Chronic exposure to elevated levels of air pollution has been related to the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis (CB), asthma, and emphysema. There is also growing evidence suggesting adverse effects on lung function related to long-term exposure

  15. Koumine exhibits anxiolytic properties without inducing adverse neurological effects on functional observation battery, open-field and Vogel conflict tests in rodents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chao-Jie; Zhong, Zhi-Feng; Xin, Zhi-Ming; Hong, Long-Hui; Su, Yan-Ping; Yu, Chang-Xi

    2017-04-01

    Koumine, an active alkaloid of neurotoxic plant Gelsemium, has been focused on its therapeutic uses, especially in central nervous system. Nevertheless, less is known about the neurological effects of koumine, which hampers its potential therapeutic exploitation. Moreover, as the anxiolytic potential of Gelsemium has raised many critical issues, its active principles on the anxiolytic and other neurological effects need to be further investigated. Here, we used functional observation battery (FOB) of mice to systematically measure the neurological effects of koumine at the effective doses, and then further confirmed its anxiolytic properties in open-field test (OFT) of mice and Vogel conflict test (VCT) of rats. Koumine exhibited anxiolytic-like activities but did not affect other autonomic, neurological and physical functions in FOB. Furthermore, koumine released anxiolytic responses and anti-punishment action in a manner similar to diazepam in OFT and VCT, respectively. The results constitutes solid set of fundamental data further demonstrating anxiolytic properties of koumine at the therapeutic doses without inducing adverse neurological effects, which supports the perspectives for the development of safe and effective koumine medicine against pathological anxiety.

  16. Toxicology of a Peruvian botanical remedy to support healthy liver function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semple, Hugh A; Sloley, B Duff; Cabanillas, José; Chiu, Andrea; Aung, Steven K H; Green, Francis H Y

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of these studies was to determine the safety of a botanical treatment for supporting healthy liver function developed in Peru. The formulation, A4+, contains extracts of Curcuma longa L. rhizome (A4R), Cordia lutea Lam. flower (A4F) and Annona muricata L. leaf (A4L). The tests were used to support an application for a non-traditional Natural Health Product Licence from the Natural Health Product Directorate of Health Canada and future clinical trials. Besides reviewing the scientific and clinical information from Peru on the ingredients and conducting an initial Ames test for mutagenicity, we analysed A4+ for its chemical profile and tested genotoxicity (micronucleus test) and general toxicity (28-day repeated dose). A4+ and extracts from the three plants provided distinctive chemical fingerprints. A4L contained acetogenins, requiring a second chromatographic method to produce a specific fingerprint. The Ames test proved positive at the highest concentration (5,000 μg/mL) but A4+ showed no evidence of genotoxicity in the more specific mouse micronucleus test. The 28-day repeated dose (general toxicity) study in rats showed no toxicity at 2,000 mg/kg. We conclude that under the conditions of these studies, A4+ shows no evidence of toxicity at the levels indicated. A no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 2,000 mg/kg was assigned.

  17. Potential adverse effects of oseltamivir in rats: males are more vulnerable than females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Sayed, Wael M; Al-Kahtani, Mohamed Ali

    2011-09-01

    Oseltamivir is the most widely used antiviral drug for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza. However, not much is known about its adverse effects. The potential side effects were investigated in male and female rats (140-170 g). Oseltamivir was administered at 2.2 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) for 5 days. For both genders, treatment with oseltamivir resulted in significant reductions in the hepatic activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase. Also for both genders, oseltamivir produced modest reductions in the hepatic activities of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, quinone oxidoreductase, thioredoxin reductase, CYP1A1/2, and CYP3A, as well as hepatic glutathione content. For both genders, neither the kidney functions nor protein profile was affected by oseltamivir. Oseltamivir also caused significant elevation in serum levels of both triacylglycerols and LDL-cholesterol and in the activity of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, in both genders. For male animals only, oseltamivir treatment elevated the serum level of total cholesterol as well as the activity of serum alanine aminotransferase, and reduced the hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Oseltamivir caused oxidative stress and acute toxicity in the liver, and disrupted the cholesterol and lipid metabolism but was less likely to cause serious drug interactions. There was a sexual differentiation in these adverse effects, with adverse effects being more evident in male rats.

  18. Acute, reproductive toxicity and two-generation teratology studies of a standardized quassinoid-rich extract of Eurycoma longifolia Jack in Sprague-Dawley rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Bin-Seng; Das, Prashanta Kumar; Chan, Kit-Lam

    2014-07-01

    The roots of Eurycoma longifolia Jack are popularly sought as herbal medicinal supplements to improve libido and general health amongst the local ethnic population. The major quassinoids of E. longifolia improved spermatogenesis and fertility but toxicity studies have not been well documented. The reproductive toxicity, two generation of foetus teratology and the up-and-down acute toxicity were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats orally treated with quassinoid-rich E. longifolia extract (TAF273). The results showed that the median lethal dose (LD50 ) of TAF273 for female and male rats was 1293 and >2000 mg/kg, respectively. Fertility index and litter size of the TAF273 treated were significantly increased when compared with those of the non-treated animals. The TAF273-treated dams decreased in percentage of pre-implantation loss, post-implantation loss and late resorption. No toxic symptoms were observed on the TAF273-treated pregnant female rats and their foetuses were normal. The no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) obtained from reproductive toxicity and teratology studies of TAF273 in rats was 100 mg/kg body weight/day, being more than 10-fold lower than the LD50 value. Thus, any human dose derived from converting the rat doses of 100 mg/kg and below may be considered as safe for further clinical studies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Health effects following subacute exposure to geogenic dust collected from active drainage surfaces (Nellis Dunes Recreation Area, Las Vegas, NV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamie C. DeWitt

    Full Text Available The specific health effects of direct inhalation of fine minerogenic dusts generated by natural soil surfaces remain poorly known and relatively little researched. To learn more about this exposure and its contribution to human health effects, we surveyed surface sediment and characterized dust from the Nellis Dunes Recreation Area (NDRA in Clark County, Nevada, a popular off-road vehicle (ORV recreational site. Dry drainage systems at NDRA are commonly used as natural trail systems for ORV recreation; these surfaces also are characterized by high concentrations of heavy metals. Geogenic dust with a median diameter of 4.05 μm, collected from drainage surfaces at NDRA contained a total elemental concentration of aluminum (79,651 μg/g, vanadium (100 μg/g, chromium (54 μg/g, manganese (753 μg/g, iron (33,266 μg/g, cobalt (14 μg/g, copper (37 μg/g zinc (135 μg/g, arsenic (71 μg/g, strontium (666 μg/g, cesium (15 μg/g, lead (34 μg/g, and uranium (54.9 μg/g. Adult female B6C3F1 mice exposed via oropharyngeal aspiration to 0.01–100 mg dust/kg body weight, four times, a week apart, for 28-days, were evaluated for immuno- and neurotoxicological outcomes 24 h after the last exposure. Antigen-specific IgM responses were dose-responsively suppressed at 0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 mg/kg. Splenic lymphocytic subpopulations, hematological and clinical chemistry parameters were affected. In brain tissue, antibodies against NF-68, and GFAP were not affected, whereas IgM antibodies against MBP were reduced by 26.6% only in the highest dose group. A lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL of 0.1 mg/kg/day and a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL of 0.01 mg/kg/day were derived based on the antigen primary IgM responses after subacute exposure to this geogenic dust. Keywords: Geogenic dust, Heavy metals, Minerals, Lung exposure, Immunotoxicity, Neurotoxicity

  20. Assessing long-term and rare adverse effects of medicines

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duijnhoven, R.G.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/357218574

    2016-01-01

    Clinical studies in the development of new medicines are primarily designed to investigate efficacy. Knowledge of adverse effects is therefore limited at the time of approval of new medicines. In this thesis several studies were conducted to investigate long-term and rare adverse effects of

  1. The Threshold of Toxicological Concern for prenatal developmental toxicity in rats and rabbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Ravenzwaay, B.; Jiang, X.; Luechtefeld, T.; Hartung, T.

    2018-01-01

    The Threshold Toxicological Concern (TTC) is based on the concept that in absence of experimental data reasonable assurance of safety can be given if exposure is sufficiently low. Using the REACH database the low 5th percentile of the NO(A)EL distribution, for prenatal developmental toxicity (OECD guideline 414) was determined. For rats, (434 NO(A)ELs values) for maternal toxicity, this value was 10 mg/kg-bw/day. For developmental toxicity (469 NO(A)ELs): 13 mg/kg-bw/day. For rabbits, (100 NO(A)ELs), the value for maternal toxicity was 4 mg/kg-bw/day, for developmental toxicity, (112 NO(A)EL values): 10 mg/kg-bw/day. The maternal organism may thus be slightly more sensitive than the fetus. Combining REACH- (industrial chemicals) and published BASF-data (mostly agrochemicals), 537 unique compounds with NO(A)EL values for developmental toxicity in rats and 150 in rabbits were evaluated. The low 5th percentile NO(A)EL for developmental toxicity in rats was 10 mg/kg-bw/day and 9.5 mg/kg-bw/day for rabbits. Using an assessment factor of 100, a TTC value for developmental toxicity of 100 µg/kg-bw/day for rats and 95 µg/kg-bw/day for rabbits is calculated. These values could serve as guidance whether or not to perform an animal experiment, if exposure is sufficiently low. In emergency situations this value may be useful for a first tier risk assessment. PMID:28645885

  2. Late intestinal adverse effects of radiotherapy for uterine cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsukada, Seiji; Yamamoto, Yasuaki; Kaneko, Toru; Maruhashi, Toshihiro; Takahashi, Takeshi

    1993-01-01

    We investigated the incidence and clinical appearance of late adverse intestinal effects in 88 patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy and 46 patients treated with radiotherapy alone for uterine cervical cancer. In the postoperative radiotherapy group, colitis, ileus and bowel fistules were seen in 13 patients (14.8%), 8 (9.1%), and 3 (3.4%) of the patients, respectively. Of these patients, 11 (12.5%) needed to have surgical therapy for these adverse effects. In the radiation alone group, 18 patients (39.1%) had colitis and 2 (4.3%) had ileus; of them, 2 patients (4.3%) needed to have surgical therapy. The higher incidence of so severe adverse effects as to require surgical therapy in the postoperative radiotherapy group indicates that adhesion caused by operation might have caused the occurrence of these adverse effects. Four of a total of 134 patients died of causes which might be attributable to irradiation. In 61 patients treated by radical hysterectomy without postoperative radiotherapy, intestinal adverse effects were not found. These results indicate that late intestinal adverse effects after radiotherapy are likely to occur in some cases very severely; therefore, careful consideration is necessary in the decision to use radiotherpay for uterine cervical cancer. (J.P.N.)

  3. The Impact of Perceived Adverse Effects on Medication Changes in Heart Failure Patients

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Smedt, Ruth H. E.; Jaarsma, Tiny; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M.; Denig, Petra

    Background: Given the importance of patient safety and well-being, we quantified the likelihood and type of medication changes observed after 5 possible adverse effects (AE) perceived by heart failure (HF) patients. Methods and Results: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using 18 months

  4. New perspectives on the cancer risks of trichloroethylene, its metabolites, and chlorination by-products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bogen, K.T. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Slone, T.; Gold, L.S.; Manley, N.; Revzan, K. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

    1994-12-08

    Scientific developments in the 1990`s have important implications for the assessment of cancer risks posed by exposures to trichloroethylene (TCE). These new developments include: epidemiological studies; experimental studies of TCE carcinogenicity, metabolism and metabolite carcinogenicity; applications of new physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for TCE; and new pharmacodynamic data obtained for TCE and its rhetabolites. Following a review of previous assessments of TCE carcinogenicity, each of these new sets of developments is summarized. The new epidemiological data do not provide evidence of TCE carcinogenicity in humans, and the new pharmacodynamic data support the hypothesis that TCE carcinogenicity is caused by TCE-induced cytotoxicity. Based on this information, PBPK-based estimates for likely no-adverse effect levels (NOAELs) for human exposures to TCE are calculated to be 16 ppb for TCE in air respired 24 hr/day, and 210 ppb for TCE in drinking water. Cancer risks of zero are predicted for TCE exposures below these calculated NOAELs. For comparison, hypothetical cancer risks posed by lifetime ingestive and multiroute household exposures to TCE in drinking water, at the currently enforced Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) concentration of 5 ppb are extrapolated from animal bioassay data using a conservative, linear dose-response model. These TCE-related risks are compared to corresponding ones associated with concentrations of chlorination by-products (CBP) in household water. It is shown that, from the standpoint of comparative hypothetical cancer risks, based on conservative linear dose-response extrapolations, there would likely be no health benefit, and more likely a possible health detriment, associated with any switch from a household water supply containing <375 ppb TCE to one containing CBP at levels corresponding to the currently proposed 80-ppb MCL for total trihalomethanes.

  5. Are there more adverse effects with lingual orthodontics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madurantakam, Parthasarathy; Kumar, Satish

    2017-12-22

    Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and LILACS database, review of references cited in included articles and a manual search of leading orthodontic journals. No language restrictions were imposed in the search. Study authors were contacted when necessary.Study selectionRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) in healthy patients that directly compared the adverse effects following treatment using buccal and lingual appliances. Studies involving single arch or dual arch appliances were considered. Studies on patients with systemic diseases, animal studies and in vitro studies were excluded. The primary outcomes of interest to the authors were a list of adverse effects: pain, caries, eating and speech difficulties and oral hygiene.Data extraction and synthesisTwo authors reviewed the titles and abstracts of all studies identified through the search without blinding to names of authors or publication dates. Selected articles from searches were evaluated independently by two authors against established inclusion criteria, disagreements were resolved by consensus or by consulting a third author. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool (randomised trials) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for non-randomised studies. The level of agreement between the authors was assessed using the Cohen kappa statistic. A meta-analysis was performed to provide pooled effect estimate (expressed as odds ratio) as well as 95% confidence interval. The outcomes of interest were pain, caries, eating difficulties, speech difficulties and deficient oral hygiene. Heterogeneity was quantified using I2 statistic and potential causes explored. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot.ResultsEight articles were included; three RCTs and five CCTs. One RCT was considered to be at high risk of bias, one moderate risk and one low risk. Of the non-randomised studies, four were low risk and one was high risk

  6. Neurological Adverse Effects of Antipsychotics in Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Amador, Margarita; Merchán-Naranjo, Jessica; Tapia, Cecilia; Moreno, Carmen; Castro-Fornieles, Josefina; Baeza, Inmaculada; de la Serna, Elena; Alda, José A; Muñoz, Daniel; Andrés Nestares, Patricia; Cantarero, Carmen Martínez; Arango, Celso

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate demographic, clinical, and treatment factors that may impact on neurological adverse effects in naive and quasi-naive children and adolescents treated with antipsychotics. This was a 1-year, multicenter, observational study of a naive and quasi-naive pediatric population receiving antipsychotic treatment. Two subanalyses were run using the subsample of subjects taking the 3 most used antipsychotics and the subsample of antipsychotic-naive subjects. Total dyskinesia score (DyskinesiaS) and total Parkinson score (ParkinsonS) were calculated from the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center Involuntary Movement Scale, total UKU-Cognition score was calculated from the UKU Side Effect Rating Scale. Risk factors for tardive dyskinesias (TDs) defined after Schooler-Kaine criteria were studied using a logistic regression. Two hundred sixty-five subjects (mean age, 14.4 [SD, 2.9] years) with different Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis I disorders were recruited. DyskinesiaS (P < 0.001) and ParkinsonS (P < 0.001) increased at 1-year follow-up. Risperidone was associated with higher increases in DyskinesiaS compared with quetiapine (P < 0.001). Higher increases in ParkinsonS were found with risperidone (P < 0.001) and olanzapine (P = 0.02) compared with quetiapine. Total UKU-Cognition Score decreased at follow-up. Findings were also significant when analyzing antipsychotic-naive subjects. Fifteen subjects (5.8%) fulfilled Schooler-Kane criteria for TD at follow-up. Younger age, history of psychotic symptoms, and higher cumulative exposure time were associated with TD at follow-up. Antipsychotics increased neurological adverse effects in a naive and quasi-naive pediatric population and should be carefully monitored. Risperidone presented higher scores in symptoms of dyskinesia and parkinsonism. Quetiapine was the antipsychotic with less neurological adverse effects. Younger subjects, psychosis, and

  7. Adverse Effects with Ambulatory Intravenous Immunoglobulin Administration in Adult Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen Alicia Rodríguez-Mireles

    2014-06-01

    /or antihistamine administration, without having to stop the IVIg infusion. In the renal function study 19 patients were included (12 women and 7 men, average age 36 years, average weigh 58.74 kg and average height 1.60 m, evaluated from January 2009 to October 2013. Average serum creatinine was 0.76 ± 0.18 mg/dL, average serum urea was 28.6 ± 7.6 mg/dL, none patient presenting acute renal failure. Glomerular ltration rate was determined with CKD-EPI formula, and the average was 116 ± 34 mL/min/1.73 m2, nding chronic renal failure in 4 patients. Average 24 hours creatinine clearance was 98.64 ± 22 mL/min/1.73 m2, with chronic renal failure data in 6 patients. Conclusions: There were no severe adverse effects with this ambulatory IVIg scheme (anaphylaxis, acute renal failure. We did not nd data of acute renal failure secondary to IVIg administration in this popula- tion, but we did nd data of chronic renal failure secondary to IVIg administration through 24 hours creatinine clearance in 6 patients. No relation was found between accumulated IVIg dose in the last 5 years and decreased glomerular ltration rate. Another bene t worth of mentioning with this scheme is the reduction in costs for the health institution and to the patient.

  8. Using observation-level random effects to model overdispersion in count data in ecology and evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xavier A. Harrison

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Overdispersion is common in models of count data in ecology and evolutionary biology, and can occur due to missing covariates, non-independent (aggregated data, or an excess frequency of zeroes (zero-inflation. Accounting for overdispersion in such models is vital, as failing to do so can lead to biased parameter estimates, and false conclusions regarding hypotheses of interest. Observation-level random effects (OLRE, where each data point receives a unique level of a random effect that models the extra-Poisson variation present in the data, are commonly employed to cope with overdispersion in count data. However studies investigating the efficacy of observation-level random effects as a means to deal with overdispersion are scarce. Here I use simulations to show that in cases where overdispersion is caused by random extra-Poisson noise, or aggregation in the count data, observation-level random effects yield more accurate parameter estimates compared to when overdispersion is simply ignored. Conversely, OLRE fail to reduce bias in zero-inflated data, and in some cases increase bias at high levels of overdispersion. There was a positive relationship between the magnitude of overdispersion and the degree of bias in parameter estimates. Critically, the simulations reveal that failing to account for overdispersion in mixed models can erroneously inflate measures of explained variance (r2, which may lead to researchers overestimating the predictive power of variables of interest. This work suggests use of observation-level random effects provides a simple and robust means to account for overdispersion in count data, but also that their ability to minimise bias is not uniform across all types of overdispersion and must be applied judiciously.

  9. Potential exposure to clothianidin and risk assessment of manual users of treated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, JingXia; Tao, ChuanJiang; Zhang, LiYing; Ning, Jun; Mei, XiangDong; She, DongMei

    2017-09-01

    Treated soil is the second most prevalent application technique for all registered pesticides in China. Some developing countries also adopt this method. However, the safety of this scenario has not been reported in the literature. Experiments were therefore conducted to assess exposure using standard whole-body dosimetry and air sampling methodologies. Dermal deposition was the main route of exposure in this scenario. The total dermal unit exposure (UE) of operators to clothianidin-treated soil was 51.7 mg kg -1 AI handled (SD = 20.59, n = 16), and hands accounted for 36%. Inhalation UE was 0.04 mg kg -1 AI handled (SD = 0.02, n = 4), negligible compared with dermal exposure. Using an NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) of 10 mg kg -1 day -1 , the margin of exposure was 773, i.e. greater than 100. For the first time, the scenario of treated soil exposure was assessed and was found to pose less risk than conventional pesticide application. These results can be used as a reference in pesticide management. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  10. Effects of Didecyldimethylammonium Chloride (DDAC) on Sprague-Dawley Rats after 13 Weeks of Inhalation Exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yong-Soon; Lee, Sung-Bae; Lim, Cheol-Hong

    2017-01-01

    Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) is used in many types of biocidal products including tableware, carpets, humidifiers, and swimming pools, etc. In spite of increased chances of DDAC exposure through inhalation, studies on the inhalation toxicity of DDAC are not common even though the toxicity of DDAC might be significantly higher if it were to be administered through routes other than the respiratory system. DDAC aerosols were exposed to Sprague-Dawley rats in whole body exposure chambers for a duration of 13 weeks. The Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameters of the DDAC aerosol were 0.63 μm, 0.81 μm, and 1.65 μm, and the geometric standard deviations were 1.62, 1.65, and 1.65 in the low (0.11 ± 0.06 mg/m 3 ), the middle (0.36 ± 0.20 mg/m 3 ) and the high (1.41 ± 0.71 mg/m 3 ) exposure groups, respectively. Body weight was confirmed to be clearly influenced by exposure to DDAC and mean body weight was approximately 35% lower in the high (1.41 ± 0.71 mg/m 3 ) male group and 15% lower in the high (1.41 ± 0.71 mg/m 3 ) female group compared to that of the control group. In the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid assay, the levels of albumin and lactate dehydrogenase had no effect on DDAC exposure. The lung weight increased for the middle (0.36 ± 0.20 mg/m 3 ) and the high (1.41 ± 0.71 mg/m 3 ) concentrations of the DDAC exposure group, and inflammatory cell infiltration and interstitial pneumonia were partially observed in the lungs of the middle (0.36 ± 0.20 mg/m 3 ) and the high (1.41 ± 0.71 mg/m 3 ) exposure groups. However, severe histopathological symptoms, including proteinosis and/or fibrosis, were not found. Based on the results of the changes in the body weight and lung weight, it is considered that the NOAEL (no-observed adverse effect) level for the 13-week exposure duration is 0.11 mg/m 3 .

  11. Blood carbon dioxide levels and adverse outcome in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Nadeem, Montasser

    2012-01-31

    We investigated pCO(2) patterns and the relationship between pCO(2) levels and neurodevelopmental outcome in term infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Blood gases during the first 72 hours of life were collected from 52 infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Moderate hypocapnia (pCO(2) <3.3 kPa), severe hypocapnia (pCO(2) <2.6 kPa), and hypercapnia (pCO(2) >6.6 kPa) were correlated to neurodevelopmental outcome at 24 months. Normocapnia was documented in 416\\/551 (75.5%) of samples and was present during the entire 72 hours in only 6 out of 52 infants. Mean (standard deviation) pCO(2) values did not differ between infants with normal and abnormal outcomes: 5.43 (2.4) and 5.41 (2.03), respectively. There was no significant association between moderate hypocapnia, severe hypocapnia, or hypercapnia and adverse outcome (odds ratio [OR] = 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.49 to 6.89; OR = 3.16, CI = 0.14 to 28.45; and OR = 1.07, CI = 0.24 to 5.45, respectively). In conclusion, only one in nine newborns had normocapnia throughout the first 72 hours. Severe hypocapnia was rare and occurred only in ventilated babies. Hypercapnia and hypocapnia in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy during the first 72 hours of life were not associated with adverse outcome.

  12. Dose–response assessment of nephrotoxicity from a twenty-eight-day combined-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid in F344 rats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gamboa da Costa, Gonçalo, E-mail: goncalo.gamboa@fda.hhs.gov [Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR 72079 (United States); Jacob, Cristina C.; Von Tungeln, Linda S. [Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR 72079 (United States); Hasbrouck, Nicholas R. [Center for Veterinary Medicine, Laurel, MD 20708 (United States); Olson, Greg R. [Toxicologic Pathology Associates, Jefferson, AR 72079 (United States); Hattan, David G. [Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD 20740 (United States); Reimschuessel, Renate [Center for Veterinary Medicine, Laurel, MD 20708 (United States); Beland, Frederick A. [Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR 72079 (United States)

    2012-07-15

    The adulteration of pet food with melamine and derivatives, including cyanuric acid, has been implicated in the kidney failure and death of cats and dogs in the USA and other countries. In a previous 7-day dietary study in F344 rats, we established a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for a co-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid of 8.6 mg/kg bw/day of each compound, and a benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) of 8.4–10.9 mg/kg bw/day of each compound. To ascertain the role played by the duration of exposure, we treated F344 rats for 28 days. Groups of male and female rats were fed diet containing 0 (control), 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, or 360 ppm of both melamine and cyanuric acid. The lowest dose that produced histopathological alterations in the kidney was 120 ppm, versus 229 ppm in the 7-day study. Wet-mount analysis of kidney sections demonstrated the formation of melamine cyanurate spherulites in one male and two female rats at the 60 ppm dose and in one female rat at the 30 ppm dose, establishing a NOAEL of 2.1 mg/kg bw/day for males and < 2.6 mg/kg bw/day for females, and BMDL values as low as 1.6 mg/kg bw/day for both sexes. These data demonstrate that the length of exposure is an important component in the threshold of toxicity from a co-exposure to these compounds and suggest that the current risk assessments based on exposures to melamine alone may not reflect sufficiently the risk of a co-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid. -- Highlights: ► A 28-day dietary co-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid was conducted in F344 rats. ► The NOAELs were 2.1 mg/kg bw/day for males and < 2.6 mg/kg bw/day for females. ► BMDL values as low as 1.6 mg/kg bw/day for both sexes were determined. ► The length of exposure plays an important role in the threshold of toxicity. ► Current assessments may underestimate the risk of melamine and cyanuric acid.

  13. Dose–response assessment of nephrotoxicity from a twenty-eight-day combined-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid in F344 rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gamboa da Costa, Gonçalo; Jacob, Cristina C.; Von Tungeln, Linda S.; Hasbrouck, Nicholas R.; Olson, Greg R.; Hattan, David G.; Reimschuessel, Renate; Beland, Frederick A.

    2012-01-01

    The adulteration of pet food with melamine and derivatives, including cyanuric acid, has been implicated in the kidney failure and death of cats and dogs in the USA and other countries. In a previous 7-day dietary study in F344 rats, we established a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for a co-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid of 8.6 mg/kg bw/day of each compound, and a benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) of 8.4–10.9 mg/kg bw/day of each compound. To ascertain the role played by the duration of exposure, we treated F344 rats for 28 days. Groups of male and female rats were fed diet containing 0 (control), 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, or 360 ppm of both melamine and cyanuric acid. The lowest dose that produced histopathological alterations in the kidney was 120 ppm, versus 229 ppm in the 7-day study. Wet-mount analysis of kidney sections demonstrated the formation of melamine cyanurate spherulites in one male and two female rats at the 60 ppm dose and in one female rat at the 30 ppm dose, establishing a NOAEL of 2.1 mg/kg bw/day for males and < 2.6 mg/kg bw/day for females, and BMDL values as low as 1.6 mg/kg bw/day for both sexes. These data demonstrate that the length of exposure is an important component in the threshold of toxicity from a co-exposure to these compounds and suggest that the current risk assessments based on exposures to melamine alone may not reflect sufficiently the risk of a co-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid. -- Highlights: ► A 28-day dietary co-exposure to melamine and cyanuric acid was conducted in F344 rats. ► The NOAELs were 2.1 mg/kg bw/day for males and < 2.6 mg/kg bw/day for females. ► BMDL values as low as 1.6 mg/kg bw/day for both sexes were determined. ► The length of exposure plays an important role in the threshold of toxicity. ► Current assessments may underestimate the risk of melamine and cyanuric acid.

  14. The Development of Countermeasures for Space Radiation Induced Adverse Health Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Ann

    The Development of Countermeasures for Space Radiation Induced Adverse Health Effects Ann R. Kennedy Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 195 John Morgan Building, 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, United States 19104-6072 The development of countermeasures for radiation induced adverse health effects is a lengthy process, particularly when the countermeasure/drug has not yet been evaluated in human trials. One example of a drug developed from the bench to the clinic is the soybean-derived Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI), which has been developed as a countermeasure for radiation induced cancer. It was originally identified as a compound/drug that could prevent the radiation induced carcinogenic process in an in vitro assay system in 1975. The first observation that BBI could inhibit carcinogenesis in animals was in 1985. BBI received Investigational New Drug (IND) Status with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992 (after several years of negotiation with the FDA about the potential IND status of the drug), and human trials began at that time. Phase I, II and III human trials utilizing BBI have been performed under several INDs with the FDA, and an ongoing Phase III trial will be ending in the very near future. Thus, the drug has been in development for 35 years at this point, and it is still not a prescription drug on the market which is available for human use. A somewhat less time-consuming process is to evaluate compounds that are on the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) list. These compounds would include some over-the-counter medications, such as antioxidant vitamins utilized in human trials at the levels for which Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) have been established. To determine whether GRAS substances are able to have beneficial effects on radiation induced adverse health effects, it is still likely to be a lengthy process involving many years to potentially decades of human trial work. The

  15. Preclinical animal acute toxicity studies of new developed MRI contrast agent based on gadolinium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nam, I. F.; Zhuk, V. V.

    2015-04-01

    Acute toxicity test of new developed MRI contrast agent based on disodium salt of gadopentetic acid complex were carried out on Mus musculus and Sprague Dawley rats according to guidelines of preclinical studies [1]. Groups of six animals each were selected for experiment. Death and clinical symptoms of animals were recorded during 14 days. As a result the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for female mice is 2.8 mM/kg of body weight, male mice - 1.4 mM/kg, female rats - 2.8 mM/kg, male rats - 5.6 mM/kg of body weight. No Observed Adverse Effect Dose (NOAEL) for female mice is 1.4 mM/kg, male mice - 0.7 mM/kg, male and female rats - 0.7 mM/kg. According to experimental data new developed MRI contrast agent based on Gd-DTPA complex is low-toxic.

  16. N-acetylcysteine prevents ketamine-induced adverse effects on development, heart rate and monoaminergic neurons in zebrafish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Bonnie; Dumas, Melanie; Gu, Qiang; Kanungo, Jyotshna

    2018-06-08

    N-acetylcysteine, a precursor molecule of glutathione, is an antioxidant. Ketamine, a pediatric anesthetic, has been implicated in cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity including modulation of monoaminergic systems in mammals and zebrafish. Here, we show that N-acetylcysteine prevents ketamine's adverse effects on development and monoaminergic neurons in zebrafish embryos. The effects of ketamine and N-acetylcysteine alone or in combination were measured on the heart rate, body length, brain serotonergic neurons and tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-IR) neurons. In the absence of N-acetylcysteine, a concentration of ketamine that produces an internal embryo exposure level comparable to human anesthetic plasma concentrations significantly reduced heart rate and body length and those effects were prevented by N-acetylcysteine co-treatment. Ketamine also reduced the areas occupied by serotonergic neurons in the brain, whereas N-acetylcysteine co-exposure counteracted this effect. TH-IR neurons in the embryo brain and TH-IR cells in the trunk were significantly reduced with ketamine treatment, but not in the presence of N-acetylcysteine. In our continued search for compounds that can prevent ketamine toxicity, this study using specific endpoints of developmental toxicity, cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity, demonstrates protective effects of N-acetylcysteine against ketamine's adverse effects. This is the first study that shows the protective effects of N-acetylcysteine on ketamine-induced developmental defects of monoaminergic neurons as observed in a whole organism. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Violent crime exposure classification and adverse birth outcomes: a geographically-defined cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herring Amy

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Area-level socioeconomic disparities have long been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Crime is an important element of the neighborhood environment inadequately investigated in the reproductive and public health literature. When crime has been used in research, it has been variably defined, resulting in non-comparable associations across studies. Methods Using geocoded linked birth record, crime and census data in multilevel models, this paper explored the relevance of four spatial violent crime exposures: two proximal violent crime categorizations (count of violent crime within a one-half mile radius of maternal residence and distance from maternal residence to nearest violent crime and two area-level crime categorizations (count of violent crimes within a block group and block group rate of violent crimes for adverse birth events among women in living in the city of Raleigh NC crime report area in 1999–2001. Models were adjusted for maternal age and education and area-level deprivation. Results In black and white non-Hispanic race-stratified models, crime characterized as a proximal exposure was not able to distinguish between women experiencing adverse and women experiencing normal birth outcomes. Violent crime characterized as a neighborhood attribute was positively associated with preterm birth and low birth weight among non-Hispanic white and black women. No statistically significant interaction between area-deprivation and violent crime category was observed. Conclusion Crime is variably categorized in the literature, with little rationale provided for crime type or categorization employed. This research represents the first time multiple crime categorizations have been directly compared in association with health outcomes. Finding an effect of area-level violent crime suggests crime may best be characterized as a neighborhood attribute with important implication for adverse birth outcomes.

  18. The applicability of animal health surveillance systems for post-market monitoring of potential adverse effects of genetically modified (GM) feed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vince, L; Kleter, G A; Kostov, K; Pfeiffer, D U; Guitian, J

    2018-04-20

    A facultative post market monitoring of potential health impacts of genetically modified (GM) feedstuffs on livestock consuming these feeds after pre-market risk assessment is under ongoing consideration. Within the IPAFEED database, scientific studies on health effects beyond performance in livestock and the results of a systematic search for evidence of outcome effects due to GM feed are consolidated. These outcomes were reviewed and checked for consistency in order to identify plausible syndromes suitable for conducting surveillance. The 24 selected studies showed no consistent changes in any health parameter. There were no repeated studies in any species by GM crop type and animal species. As such, there is insufficient evidence to inform the design of surveillance systems for detecting known adverse effects. Animal health surveillance systems have been proposed for the post market monitoring of potential adverse effects in animals. Such systems were evaluated for their applicability to the detection of hypothetical adverse effects and their strengths and weaknesses to detect syndromes of concern are presented. For known adverse effects, applied controlled post-market studies may yield conclusive and high-quality evidence. For detecting unknown adverse effects, the use of existing surveillance systems may still be of interest. A simulation tool developed within the project can be adapted and applied to existing surveillance systems to explore their applicability to the detection of potential adverse effects of GM feed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. The oral adverse effects of isotretinoin treatment in acne vulgaris ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Isotretinoin is the most effective therapy to treat severe acne vulgaris and its systemic adverse effects have been well documented, but little is known on dental side effects over the course of treatment. Objectives: This prospective case-control study aimed to evaluate the oral adverse effects of isotretinoin in ...

  20. Effects of human chorionic gonadotropin combined with clomiphene on Serum E2, FSH, LH and PRL levels in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yonggang, Huang; Xiaosheng, Lu; Zhaoxia, Huang; Yilu, Chen; Jiqiang, Lv; Huina, Zhang

    2017-02-01

    Effects of human chorionic gonadotropin combined with clomiphene on serum E 2 , FSH, LH and PRL levels in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome were analyzed. 90 patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome treated from January 2015 to March 2016 were randomly and evenly divided into control group and observation group. Patients in the control group were only treated with clomiphene. On the basis of the treatment in control group, human chorionic gonadotropin was added in the treatment of observation group. The changes of E 2 , FSH, LH, PRL levels were compared between two groups before and after the treatment. Clinical curative effects of patients in the two groups was evaluated. Adverse reactions during treatment in two groups were observed and recorded. The incidence of adverse reactions was calculated. Serum E 2 , FSH, LH and PRL levels in the two groups decreased significantly after treatment compared with that before treatment. The difference is statistical significant ( P   0.05). Combined use of human chorionic gonadotropin can significantly reduce serum E 2 , FSH, LH and PRL levels, improve clinical curative effects and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions. Human chorionic gonadotropin has high application value on the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.

  1. Adverse effects of aromatherapy: a systematic review of case reports and case series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posadzki, Paul; Alotaibi, Amani; Ernst, Edzard

    2012-01-01

    This systematic review was aimed at critically evaluating the evidence regarding the adverse effects associated with aromatherapy. Five electronic databases were searched to identify all relevant case reports and case series. Forty two primary reports met our inclusion criteria. In total, 71 patients experienced adverse effects of aromatherapy. Adverse effects ranged from mild to severe and included one fatality. The most common adverse effect was dermatitis. Lavender, peppermint, tea tree oil and ylang-ylang were the most common essential oils responsible for adverse effects. Aromatherapy has the potential to cause adverse effects some of which are serious. Their frequency remains unknown. Lack of sufficiently convincing evidence regarding the effectiveness of aromatherapy combined with its potential to cause adverse effects questions the usefulness of this modality in any condition.

  2. Toxicity and toxicokinetics of metformin in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quaile, Michael P.; Melich, David H.; Jordan, Holly L.; Nold, James B.; Chism, Jack P.; Polli, Joseph W.; Smith, Glenn A.; Rhodes, Melissa C.

    2010-01-01

    Metformin is a first-line drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is often prescribed in combination with other drugs to control a patient's blood glucose level and achieve their HbA1c goal. New treatment options for T2D will likely include fixed dose combinations with metformin, which may require preclinical combination toxicology studies. To date, there are few published reports evaluating the toxicity of metformin alone to aid in the design of these studies. Therefore, to understand the toxicity of metformin alone, Crl:CD(SD) rats were administered metformin at 0, 200, 600, 900 or 1200 mg/kg/day by oral gavage for 13 weeks. Administration of ≥ 900 mg/kg/day resulted in moribundity/mortality and clinical signs of toxicity. Other adverse findings included increased incidence of minimal necrosis with minimal to slight inflammation of the parotid salivary gland for males given 1200 mg/kg/day, body weight loss and clinical signs in rats given ≥ 600 mg/kg/day. Metformin was also associated with evidence of minimal metabolic acidosis (increased serum lactate and beta-hydroxybutyric acid and decreased serum bicarbonate and urine pH) at doses ≥ 600 mg/kg/day. There were no significant sex differences in mean AUC 0-24 or C max nor were there significant differences in mean AUC 0-24 or C max following repeated dosing compared to a single dose. The no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) was 200 mg/kg/day (mean AUC 0-24 = 41.1 μg h/mL; mean C max = 10.3 μg/mL based on gender average week 13 values). These effects should be taken into consideration when assessing potential toxicities of metformin in fixed dose combinations.

  3. Electroacupuncture Modulates Reproductive Hormone Levels in Patients with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Results from a Prospective Observational Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kehua Zhou

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA on serum FSH, E2, and LH levels, women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI were treated with EA once a day, five times a week for the first four weeks and once every other day, three times a week, for the following two months, and then were followed up for three months. Serum E2, FSH, and LH levels were measured at baseline, at the end of treatment, and during followup. A total of 11 women with POI were included in this prospective consecutive case series study. Compared with baseline, patients’ serum E2 increased, FSH decreased, and LH decreased (P=0.002, 0.001, and 0.002, resp. after EA treatment, and these effects persisted during followup. With treatment, 10 patients resumed menstruation (10/11, 90.91%, whereas one patient remained amenorrhea. During followup, two patients, including the one with amenorrhea during treatment, reported absence of menstruation. Temporary pain occurred occasionally, and no other adverse events were found during treatment. The results suggest that EA could decrease serum FSH and LH levels and increase serum E2 level in women with POI with little or no side effects; however, further randomized control trials are needed.

  4. Adverse health effects associated with Islamic fasting -A literature review

    OpenAIRE

    Nania Mohamed Pakkir Maideen; Aََََbdurazak Jumale; Rajkapoor Balasubramaniam

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Millions of Muslims across the world observe Islamic fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, as well as the other specific dates in the lunar calendar year. While fasting during this month, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk. Islamic fasting is similar to alternate day fasting (ADF) since it incorporates an average of 12 hours of fasting and 12 hours of feasting periods. This present review study is aimed to find out the common adverse health effects ass...

  5. Toxicological assessment of nattokinase derived from Bacillus subtilis var. natto.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lampe, Bradley J; English, J Caroline

    2016-02-01

    Subtilisin NAT, commonly known as "nattokinase," is a fibrinolytic enzyme produced by the bacterial strain B. subtilis var. natto, which plays a central role in the fermentation of soybeans into the popular Japanese food natto. Recent studies have reported on the potential anticoagulatory and antihypertensive effects of nattokinase administration in humans, with no indication of adverse effects. To evaluate the safety of nattokinase in a more comprehensive manner, several GLP-compliant studies in rodents and human volunteers have been conducted with the enzyme product, NSK-SD (Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd., Japan). Nattokinase was non-mutagenic and non-clastogenic in vitro, and no adverse effects were observed in 28-day and 90-day subchronic toxicity studies conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats at doses up to 167 mg/kg-day and 1000 mg/kg-day, respectively. Mice inoculated with 7.55 × 10(8) CFU of the enzyme-producing bacterial strain showed no signs of toxicity or residual tissue concentrations of viable bacteria. Additionally consumption of 10 mg/kg-day nattokinase for 4 weeks was well tolerated in healthy human volunteers. These findings suggest that the oral consumption of nattokinase is of low toxicological concern. The 90-day oral subchronic NOAEL for nattokinase in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats is 1000 mg/kg-day, the highest dose tested. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. Misuse of topical corticosteroids: A clinical study of adverse effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivek Kumar Dey

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Misuse of topical corticosteroids is a widespread phenomenon among young people in India, especially women. The practice is associated with significant adverse effects and poor awareness of these effects among the general public. Aim: This study was conducted to examine the misuse and adverse effects of topical corticosteroids among the people in Bastar region in Chhattisgarh state of India. Materials and Methods: Data collected from patients presenting with at least one of the adverse effects of topical corticosteroids as the chief complaint, from November 2010 to October 2011. Results: Out of the 6723 new patients, 379 (5.63% had presented with misuse and adverse effects of topical corticosteroids, of whom 78.89% were females. More than 65% of the patients were in the age group 10-29 years. The main reason for using the topical corticosteroids was to lighten skin colour and treat melasma and suntan. Acne (37.99% and telangiectasia (18.99% were the most common adverse effects noted. Conclusions: Misuse of topical corticosteroids has a huge impact on dermatological practice, leading to a significant proportion of visits to the dermatologist. This hydra-headed problem needs multi-dimensional interventions, involving educational, legal and managerial approaches with cooperation from different sectors of society.

  7. Volatile oils of Chinese crude medicines exhibit antiparasitic activity against human Demodex with no adverse effects in vivo

    OpenAIRE

    LIU, JI-XIN; SUN, YAN-HONG; LI, CHAO-PIN

    2015-01-01

    Demodex is a type of permanent obligatory parasite, which can be found on the human body surface. Currently, drugs targeting Demodex usually result in adverse effects and have a poor therapeutic effect. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the use of Chinese crude medicine volatile oils for targeting and inhibiting Demodex in vitro. The volatile oils of six Chinese crude medicines were investigated, including clove, orange fruit, Manchurian wildginger, cinnamon bark, Rhizome ...

  8. Industrial wind turbines and adverse health effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffery, Roy D; Krogh, Carmen M E; Horner, Brett

    2014-01-01

    Some people living in the environs of industrial wind turbines (IWTs) report experiencing adverse health and socioeconomic effects. This review considers the hypothesis that annoyance from audible IWTs is the cause of these adverse health effects. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for articles published since 2000 that included the terms "wind turbine health," "wind turbine infrasound," "wind turbine annoyance," "noise annoyance" or "low frequency noise" in the title or abstract. Industrial wind turbines produce sound that is perceived to be more annoying than other sources of sound. Reported effects from exposure to IWTs are consistent with well-known stress effects from persistent unwanted sound. If placed too close to residents, IWTs can negatively affect the physical, mental and social well-being of people. There is sufficient evidence to support the conclusion that noise from audible IWTs is a potential cause of health effects. Inaudible low-frequency noise and infrasound from IWTs cannot be ruled out as plausible causes of health effects.

  9. 15 CFR 970.701 - Significant adverse environmental effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... under a license of scale-model mining systems which simulate commercial recovery could adversely affect... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES... Service or another Federal agency; (5) Meteorological observations and measurements, including the setting...

  10. The Impact of Exercise on Cancer Mortality, Recurrence, and Treatment-Related Adverse Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cormie, Prue; Zopf, Eva M; Zhang, Xiaochen; Schmitz, Kathryn H

    2017-01-01

    The combination of an increasing number of new cancer cases and improving survival rates has led to a large and rapidly growing population with unique health-care requirements. Exercise has been proposed as a strategy to help address the issues faced by cancer patients. Supported by a growing body of research, major health organizations commonly identify the importance of incorporating exercise in cancer care and advise patients to be physically active. This systematic review comprehensively summarizes the available epidemiologic and randomized controlled trial evidence investigating the role of exercise in the management of cancer. Literature searches focused on determining the potential impact of exercise on 1) cancer mortality and recurrence and 2) adverse effects of cancer and its treatment. A total of 100 studies were reviewed involving thousands of individual patients whose exercise behavior was assessed following the diagnosis of any type of cancer. Compared with patients who performed no/less exercise, patients who exercised following a diagnosis of cancer were observed to have a lower relative risk of cancer mortality and recurrence and experienced fewer/less severe adverse effects. The findings of this review support the view that exercise is an important adjunct therapy in the management of cancer. Implications on cancer care policy and practice are discussed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Adverse effects of homeopathy, what do we know? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stub, Trine; Musial, Frauke; Kristoffersen, Agnete A; Alræk, Terje; Liu, Jianping

    2016-06-01

    Homeopathy is a popular treatment modality among patient, however there is sparse research about adverse effects of homeopathy. A concept unique for homeopathy, is homeopathic aggravation that is understood as a transient worsening of the patients' symptoms before an expected improvement occurs. From a risk perspective it is vital that a distinction between homeopathic aggravations and adverse effects is established. There is a lack of systematic information on how frequent adverse effects and homeopathic aggravations are reported in studies. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. Sixteen electronic databases were searched for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). The searches were limited from the year 1995 to January 2011. Forty-one RCTs, with a total of 6.055 participants were included. A subtotal of 39 studies was included in the additional meta-analysis. A total of 28 trials (68%) reported adverse effects and five trials (12%) reported homeopathic aggravations. The meta-analysis (including six subgroup comparisons) demonstrated that no significant difference was found between homeopathy and control with OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.86-1.14, I(2)=54%. More than two third of the adverse effects were classified as grade 1 (68%) and two third were classified as grade 2 (25%) and grade 3 (6%) according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Effects. Homeopathic aggravation was classified as grade 1 (98%) and grade 3 (2%), suggesting that homeopathic aggravations were reported to be less severe than adverse effects. The methodological quality according to a method recommended in the Cochrane handbook for RCTs, was high. Adverse effects including the concept of homeopathic aggravations are commonly reported in trials. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the proportion of patients experiencing adverse effects to be similar for patients randomized to homeopathic treatment compared to patients randomized to placebo and conventional medicine

  12. Adverse effects of parenteral dexamethasone in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Jamal Uddin

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Pemphigus vulgaris is associated with high morbidity as well as significant mortality rate. Today the risk of death in pemphigus from the side effect of oral prednisolone is greater than risk of death from the disease itself. Objec­tive: To observe the adverse effects of parenteral dexamethasone compared with oral prednisolone in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris. Methods: An interventional study was carried out in the department of Dermatology and Venereol­ogy, Bangabandu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Total number of patients was thirty and among them fifteen patients were treated with parenteral dexamethasone (Group-A and other fifteen were treated with oral prednisolone (Group-B. Results: The study showed statistically significant differences of skin lesion as well as mucosal lesion of pemphigus after 6 weeks of therapy between of two groups (P<0.05. The most common adverse effects were increased body weight(40%, increased appetite(40%, and puffy face(40% in dexamethasone group. In prednisolone group, these side effects were 60% of the subjects. Other side effects in dexamethasone group were hyperglycemia (33.33%, hypertension (26.66%, and sleep disturbance (13.33%. In prednisolone group, other side effects were hyperglycemia(33.33%, hypertension(40%, gastritis (33.33%, nausea, vomiting (13.33% in each , reactivation of tuberculosis, herpes zoster infection, sleep disturbance, and mood change were 6.66% in each group. Conclusion: In the light of the findings of the study, we conclude that each of the treatment of dexamethasone group and prednisolone group is individually effective and safe in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris but adverse effects are less in parenteral dexamethasone group than oral prednisolone group. So parenteral dexamethasone can be used as an alternative drug in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris.

  13. Nanogold – Biological effects and occupational exposure levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Maria Świdwińska-Gajewska

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Nanogold has different properties and biological activity compared to metallic gold. It can be applied in many fields, such as medicine, laboratory diagnostics and electronics. Studies on laboratory animals show that nanogold can be absorbed by inhalation and ingestion. It can penetrate deep into the epidermis and dermis, but there is no evidence that it is absorbed through the skin. Gold nanoobjects accumulate mainly in the liver and spleen, but they can also reach other internal organs. Nanogold can cross the blood–brain and blood–placenta barriers. Toxicokinetics of nanogold depends on the particle size, shape and surface charge. In animals exposure to gold nanoparticles via inhalation induces slight changes in the lungs. Exposure to nanogold by the oral route does not cause adverse health effects in rodents. In animals after injection of gold nanoobjects changes in the liver and lungs were observed. Nanogold induced genotoxic effects in cells, but not in animals. No adverse effects on the fetus or reproduction were found. There are no carcinogenicity studies on gold nanoparticles. The mechanism of toxicity may be related to the interaction of gold nanoobjects with proteins and DNA, and it leads to the induction of oxidative stress and genetic material damage. The impact of nanostructures on human health has not yet been fully understood. The person, who works with nanomaterials should exercise extreme caution and apply existing recommendations on the evaluation of nanoobjects exposure. The risk assessment should be the basis for taking appropriate measures to limit potential exposure to nanometals, including nanogold. Med Pr 2017;68(4:545–556

  14. Effects of early-life adversity on immune function are mediated by prenatal environment: Role of prenatal alcohol exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raineki, Charlis; Bodnar, Tamara S; Holman, Parker J; Baglot, Samantha L; Lan, Ni; Weinberg, Joanne

    2017-11-01

    The contribution of the early postnatal environment to the pervasive effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is poorly understood. Moreover, PAE often carries increased risk of exposure to adversity/stress during early life. Dysregulation of immune function may play a role in how pre- and/or postnatal adversity/stress alters brain development. Here, we combine two animal models to examine whether PAE differentially increases vulnerability to immune dysregulation in response to early-life adversity. PAE and control litters were exposed to either limited bedding (postnatal day [PN] 8-12) to model early-life adversity or normal bedding, and maternal behavior and pup vocalizations were recorded. Peripheral (serum) and central (amygdala) immune (cytokines and C-reactive protein - CRP) responses of PAE animals to early-life adversity were evaluated at PN12. Insufficient bedding increased negative maternal behavior in both groups. Early-life adversity increased vocalization in all animals; however, PAE pups vocalized less than controls. Early-life adversity reduced serum TNF-α, KC/GRO, and IL-10 levels in control but not PAE animals. PAE increased serum CRP, and levels were even higher in pups exposed to adversity. Finally, PAE reduced KC/GRO and increased IL-10 levels in the amygdala. Our results indicate that PAE alters immune system development and both behavioral and immune responses to early-life adversity, which could have subsequent consequences for brain development and later life health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Global Trends of Tropospheric NO2 Observed From Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, P.; van der A, R. J.

    2012-04-01

    Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is one of the major atmospheric pollutants and is primarily emitted by industrial activity and transport. While observations of NO2 are frequently being carried out at air quality stations, such measurements are not able to provide a global perspective of spatial patterns in NO2 concentrations and their associated trends due to the stations' limited spatial representativity and an extremely sparse and often completely non-existent station coverage in developing countries. Satellite observations of tropospheric NO2 are able to overcome this issue and provide an unprecedented global view of spatial patterns in NO2 levels and due to their homogeneity are well suited for studying trends. Here we present results of a global trend analysis from nearly a decade of NO2 observations made by the SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY) instrument onboard the Envisat satellite platform. Using only SCIAMACHY data allows for mapping global and regional trends at an unprecedented spatial resolution since no aggregation to the coarser resolution of other sensors is necessary. Monthly average tropospheric NO2 column data was acquired for the period between August 2002 and August 2011. A trend analysis was subsequently performed by fitting a statistical model including a seasonal cycle and linear trend to the time series extracted at each grid cell. The linear trend component and the trend uncertainty were then mapped spatially at both regional and global scales. The results show that spatially contiguous areas of significantly increasing NO2 levels are found primarily in Eastern China, with absolute trends of up to 4.05 (± 0.41) - 1015 molecules cm-2 yr-1 at the gridcell level and large areas showing rapid relative increases of 10-20 percent per year. In addition, many urban agglomerations in Asia and the Middle East similarly exhibit significantly increasing trends, with Dhaka in Bangladesh being the megacity with

  16. Observed Sea-Level Changes along the Norwegian Coast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristian Breili

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Norway’s national sea level observing system consists of an extensive array of tide gauges, permanent GNSS stations, and lines of repeated levelling. Here, we make use of this observation system to calculate relative sea-level rates and rates corrected for glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA along the Norwegian coast for three different periods, i.e., 1960 to 2010, 1984 to 2014, and 1993 to 2016. For all periods, the relative sea-level rates show considerable spatial variations that are largely due to differences in vertical land motion due to GIA. The variation is reduced by applying corrections for vertical land motion and associated gravitational effects on sea level. For 1960 to 2010 and 1984 to 2014, the coastal average GIA-corrected rates for Norway are 2.0 ± 0.6 mm/year and 2.2 ± 0.6 mm/year, respectively. This is close to the rate of global sea-level rise for the same periods. For the most recent period, 1993 to 2016, the GIA-corrected coastal average is 3.5 ± 0.6 mm/year and 3.2 ± 0.6 mm/year with and without inverse barometer (IB corrections, respectively, which is significantly higher than for the two earlier periods. For 1993 to 2016, the coastal average IB-corrected rates show broad agreement with two independent sets of altimetry. This suggests that there is no systematic error in the vertical land motion corrections applied to the tide-gauge data. At the same time, altimetry does not capture the spatial variation identified in the tide-gauge records. This could be an effect of using altimetry observations off the coast instead of directly at each tide gauge. Finally, we note that, owing to natural variability in the climate system, our estimates are highly sensitive to the selected study period. For example, using a 30-year moving window, we find that the estimated rates may change by up to 1 mm/year when shifting the start epoch by only one year.

  17. Evaluation of the adverse effects of subcutaneous carprofen over six days in healthy cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steagall, P V M; Moutinho, F Q; Mantovani, F B; Passarelli, D; Thomassian, A

    2009-02-01

    This study evaluated the adverse effects of carprofen in seven healthy cats. Values for CBC, biochemical profiles and platelet aggregation were measured before and at seven days after SID treatment with subcutaneous carprofen: 4 mg/kg (day 1), 2mg/kg (day 2 and 3) and 1mg/kg (day 4 and 6) (CG) or 0.35 ml of saline (SG) for six days in a randomized, blinded, cross-over study with a four-week washout period. No treatment was given on day 5. Endoscopy of the GI tract was performed pre-treatment and on day 7 post-treatment. There were no significant changes in hematological profiles, biochemical profiles and endoscopy grading scores within nor between groups, except for lower albumin values at baseline than on day 7 (CG), and globulin and ALP values were higher at baseline than on day 7 in CG and SG. SC administration of carprofen over six days did not cause any adverse effects on gastrointestinal, hematological, or serum biochemical variables.

  18. Intrapartum Temperature Elevation, Epidural Use, and Adverse Outcome in Term Infants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wyshak, Grace; Ringer, Steven A.; Johnson, Lise C.; Rivkin, Michael J.; Lieberman, Ellice

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of intrapartum temperature elevation with adverse neonatal outcome among low-risk women receiving epidural analgesia and evaluate the association of epidural with adverse neonatal outcome without temperature elevation. METHODS: We studied all low-risk nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies ≥37 weeks delivering at our hospital during 2000, excluding pregnancies where infants had documented sepsis, meningitis, or a major congenital anomaly. Neonatal outcomes were compared between women receiving (n = 1538) and not receiving epidural analgesia (n = 363) in the absence of intrapartum temperature elevation (≤99.5°F) and according to the level of intrapartum temperature elevation within the group receiving epidural (n = 2784). Logistic regression was used to evaluate neonatal outcome while controlling for confounders. RESULTS: Maternal temperature >100.4°F developed during labor in 19.2% (535/2784) of women receiving epidural compared with 2.4% (10/425) not receiving epidural. In the absence of intrapartum temperature elevation (≤99.5°F), no significant differences were observed in adverse neonatal outcomes between women receiving and not receiving epidural. Among women receiving epidural, a significant linear trend was observed between maximum maternal temperature and all neonatal outcomes examined including hypotonia, assisted ventilation, 1- and 5-min Apgar scores 101°F had a two- to sixfold increased risk of all adverse outcomes examined. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of infants experiencing adverse outcomes increased with the degree of epidural-related maternal temperature elevation. Epidural use without temperature elevation was not associated with any of the adverse outcomes we studied. PMID:22291120

  19. Associations of neighborhood-level racial residential segregation with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salow, Arturo D; Pool, Lindsay R; Grobman, William A; Kershaw, Kiarri N

    2018-03-01

    Previous analyses utilizing birth certificate data have shown environmental factors such as racial residential segregation may contribute to disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, birth certificate data are ill equipped to reliably differentiate among small for gestational age, spontaneous preterm birth, and medically indicated preterm birth. We sought to utilize data from electronic medical records to determine whether residential segregation among Black women is associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study population was composed of 4770 non-Hispanic Black women who delivered during the years 2009 through 2013 at a single urban medical center. Addresses were geocoded at the level of census tract, and this tract was used to determine the degree of residential segregation for an individual's neighborhood. Residential segregation was measured using the Gi* statistic, a z-score that measures the extent to which the neighborhood racial composition deviates from the composition of the larger surrounding area. The Gi* statistic z-scores were categorized as follows: low (z  1.96). Adverse pregnancy outcomes included overall preterm birth, spontaneous preterm birth, medically indicated preterm birth, and small for gestational age. Hierarchical logistic regression models accounting for clustering by census tract and repeated births among mothers were used to estimate odds ratios of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with segregation. In high segregation areas, the prevalence of overall preterm birth was significantly higher than that in low segregation areas (15.5% vs 10.7%, respectively; P < .001). Likewise, the prevalence of spontaneous preterm birth and medically indicated preterm birth were higher in high (9.5% and 6.0%) vs low (6.2% and 4.6%) segregation neighborhoods (P < .001 and P = .046, respectively). The associations of high segregation with overall preterm birth (odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1

  20. 77 FR 72747 - Alkyl(C8

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-06

    ... or developmental parameters examined. No systemic toxicity was observed in this study. The NOAEL for... ) dimethylamidopropylamines that may be used in pesticide formulations. That limitation will be enforced through the pesticide...

  1. [Management of adverse effects with antituberculosis chemotherapy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuyuguchi, Kazunari; Wada, Masako

    2011-02-01

    Tuberculosis has now become a curable disease with chemotherapy. So it is natural that the present issues in tuberculosis management are focused on how to complete standard chemotherapy. In this context, management of adverse effects constitutes an essential part of antituberculosis chemotherapy, as well as directly observed therapy. In this symposium, discussions were held about three major subjects on this issue. First, hepatotoxicity develops frequently and has sometimes fatal outcome, which makes it the most problematic adverse effect. "Management of hepatotoxicity during antituberculosis chemotherapy" was published by the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis (JST) in 2006. Dr. Shinsho Yoshiba evaluated this recommendation and pointed out that the criteria for discontinuation of drug based on AST, ALT and bilirubin levels is too sensitive and the concept of predicting fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is lacking. He stressed the importance of monitoring serum prothrombin time for predicting FHF. Next, allergic drug reaction such as fever or skin rash often causes distress, although rarely fatal. As isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RFP) are key drugs for the cure, readministration of these drugs is often attempted by desensitization therapy. "Recommendation about desensitization therapy of antituberculosis drugs" was also published by JST in 1997. Dr. Yoshihiro Kobashi reported high success rates of 79 percent for INH and 75 percent for RFP according to this recommendation. He also reported correlated factor with the success, such as the longer period from the discontinuation to the desensitization therapy and lower doses of drugs at starting desensitization. Finally, we sometimes experience transient worsening of radiographical findings and general symptoms during antituberculosis chemotherapy. This is presumed to be due to allergic reaction to dead bacilli without requiring discontinuation of the drug. Differential diagnosis includes drug-induced pneumonia requring

  2. adverse effects of low dose methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilani, S.T.; Khan, D.A.; Khan, F.A.; Ahmed, M.

    2012-01-01

    To determine the frequency of adverse effects attributed to Methotrexate (MTX) toxicity and serum minimum toxic concentration with low dose MTX in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemical Pathology and Endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from March 2010 to March 2011. Methodology: One hundred and forty adult patients of RA receiving low dose MTX (10 mg/week) for at least 3 months, ere included by consecutive sampling. Blood samples were collected 2 hours after the oral dose of MTX. Serum alanine transaminase and creatinine were analyzed on Hitachi and blood counts on Sysmex analyzer. Serum MTX concentration was measured on TDX analyzer. Results: Out of one hundred and forty patients; 68 males (49%) and 72 females (51%), 38 developed MTX toxicity (27%), comprising of hepatotoxicity in 12 (8.6%), nephrotoxicity in 3 (2.1%), anaemia in 8 (5.7%), leucopenia in 2 (1.4%), thrombocytopenia in 3 (2.1%), pancytopenia in 2 (1.4%), gastrointestinal adverse effects in 5 (3.6%) and mucocutaneous problems in 3 (2.1%). Receiver operating characteristic curve revealed serum minimum toxic concentration of MTX at cutoff value of 0.71 mu mol/l with a sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 76%. Conclusion: Adverse effects of low dose MTX were found in 27% of RA patients, mainly comprising of hepatotoxicity and haematological problems. MTX toxicity can be detected by therapeutic drug monitoring of serum concentration of 0.71 mu mol/l with sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 76% in the patients on low dose MTX maintenance therapy. (author)

  3. Adverse effects of MWCNTs on life parameters, antioxidant systems, and activation of MAPK signaling pathways in the copepod Paracyclopina nana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Duck-Hyun; Puthumana, Jayesh; Kang, Hye-Min; Lee, Min-Chul; Jeong, Chang-Bum; Han, Jeonghoon; Hwang, Dae-Sik; Kim, Il-Chan; Lee, Jin Wuk; Lee, Jae-Seong

    2016-10-01

    Engineered multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have received widespread applications in a broad variety of commercial products due to low production cost. Despite their significant commercial applications, CNTs are being discharged to aquatic ecosystem, leading a threat to aquatic life. Thus, we investigated the adverse effect of CNTs on the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana. Additional to the study on the uptake of CNTs and acute toxicity, adverse effects on life parameters (e.g. growth, fecundity, and size) were analyzed in response to various concentrations of CNTs. Also, as a measurement of cellular damage, oxidative stress-related markers were examined in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, activation of redox-sensitive mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways along with the phosphorylation pattern of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and c-Jun-N-terminal kinases (JNK) were analyzed to obtain a better understanding of molecular mechanism of oxidative stress-induced toxicity in the copepod P. nana. As a result, significant inhibition on life parameters and evoked antioxidant systems were observed without ROS induction. In addition, CNTs activated MAPK signaling pathway via ERK, suggesting that phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK)-mediated adverse effects are the primary cause of in vitro and in vivo endpoints in response to CNTs exposure. Moreover, ROS-independent activation of MAPK signaling pathway was observed. These findings will provide a better understanding of the mode of action of CNTs on the copepod P. nana at cellular and molecular level and insight on possible ecotoxicological implications in the marine environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. The association between cumulative adversity and mental health: considering dose and primary focus of adversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keinan, Giora; Shrira, Amit; Shmotkin, Dov

    2012-09-01

    The study addressed the dose-response model in the association of cumulative adversity with mental health. Data of 1,725 participants aged 50+ were drawn from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. Measures included an inventory of potentially traumatic events, distress (lifetime depression, depressive symptoms), and well-being (quality of life, optimism/hope). The maximal effect of cumulative trauma emerged in the contrast between 0-2 and 3+ events, where the higher number of events related to higher distress but also to higher well-being. While self-oriented adversity revealed no, or negative, association with well-being, other-oriented adversity revealed a positive association. The study suggests an experiential dose of cumulative adversity leading to a co-activation of distress and well-being. The source of this co-activation seems to be other-oriented adversity.

  5. Are the adverse effects of glitazones linked to induced testosterone deficiency?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jankowska E

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Adverse side-effects of the glitazones have been frequently reported in both clinical and animal studies, especially with rosiglitazone (RGZ and pioglitazone (PGZ, including congestive heart failure, osteoporosis, weight gain, oedema and anaemia. These led to consideration of an evidence-based hypothesis which would explain these diverse effects, and further suggested novel approaches by which this hypothesis could be tested. Presentation of hypothesis The literature on the clinical, metabolic and endocrine effects of glitazones in relation to the reported actions of testosterone in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease is reviewed, and the following unifying hypothesis advanced: "Glitazones induce androgen deficiency in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus resulting in pathophysiological changes in multiple tissues and organs which may explain their observed clinical adverse effects." This also provides further evidence for the lipocentric concept of diabetes and its clinical implications. Testing of the hypothesis Clinical studies to investigate the endocrine profiles, including measurements of TT, DHT, SHBG, FT and estradiol, together with LH and FSH, in both men and women with T2DM before and after RGZ and PGZ treatment in placebo controlled groups, are necessary to provide data to substantiate this hypothesis. Also, studies on T treatment in diabetic men would further establish if the adverse effects of glitazones could be reversed or ameliorated by androgen therapy. Basic sciences investigations on the inhibition of androgen biosynthesis by glitazones are also warranted. Implications of the hypothesis Glitazones reduce androgen biosynthesis, increase their binding to SHBG, and attenuate androgen receptor activation, thus reducing the physiological actions of testosterone, causing relative and absolute androgen deficiency. This hypothesis explains the adverse effects of glitazones on the heart and

  6. Beneficial effects of low alcohol exposure, but adverse effects of high alcohol intake on glymphatic function

    OpenAIRE

    Lundgaard, Iben; Wang, Wei; Eberhardt, Allison; Vinitsky, Hanna Sophia; Reeves, Benjamin Cameron; Peng, Sisi; Lou, Nanhong; Hussain, Rashad; Nedergaard, Maiken

    2018-01-01

    Prolonged intake of excessive amounts of ethanol is known to have adverse effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Here we investigated the effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal from chronic ethanol exposure on glymphatic function, which is a brain-wide metabolite clearance system connected to the peripheral lymphatic system. Acute and chronic exposure to 1.5 g/kg (binge level) ethanol dramatically suppressed glymphatic function in awake mice. Chronic exposure to 1....

  7. Comparative evaluation of adverse effects in the use of powder trivalent antivenom and liquid antivenoms in Bothrops snake bites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iran Mendonça da Silva

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Snake bite, a problem in public health, generally occurs where there is no electric power. METHODS: A comparative clinical study was conducted with 102 victims of Bothrops snake bite, from the state of Amazonas, Brazil; 58 victims were treated with liofilizated trivalent antivenom serum (SATL and 44 victims treated with liquid bivalent and monovalent antivenom serum (SAMBL. RESULTS: 17% (10/58 of patients presented adverse effects with the SATL and 25% (11/44 with the SAMBL. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistic difference in number of adverse effects between the two types of snake bite antivenom.

  8. Safety assessment of green tea based beverages and dried green tea extracts as nutritional supplements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dekant, Wolfgang; Fujii, Kenkichi; Shibata, Eiichiro; Morita, Osamu; Shimotoyodome, Akira

    2017-08-05

    The safety of green tea infusions and green tea extract (GTE)-based products is reviewed regarding catechins. Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), the major catechin present in green tea, is suspected of being responsible for liver toxicity reported in humans consuming food supplements. Intake of EGCG with green tea infusions and GTE-based beverages is up to about 450mg EGCG/person/day in Europe and higher in Asia. Consumption of green tea is not associated with liver damage in humans, and green tea infusion and GTE-based beverages are considered safe in the range of historical uses. In animal studies, EGCG's potency for liver effects is highly dependent on conditions of administration. Use of NOAELs from bolus administration to derive a tolerable upper intake level applying the margin of safety concept results in acceptable EGCG-doses lower than those from one cup of green tea. NOAELs from toxicity studies applying EGCG with diet/split of the daily dose are a better point of departure for risk characterization. In clinical intervention studies, liver effects were not observed after intakes below 600mg EGCG/person/day. Thus, a tolerable upper intake level of 300mg EGCG/person/day is proposed for food supplements; this gives a twofold safety margin to clinical studies that did not report liver effects and a margin of safety of 100 to the NOAELs in animal studies with dietary administration of green tea catechins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Estimating adverse selection and moral hazard effects with hospital invoices data in a government-controlled healthcare system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiangping; Nestic, Danijel; Vukina, Tomislav

    2012-08-01

    We use invoices for hospital services from a regional hospital in Croatia to test for adverse selection and moral hazard. There are three categories of patients: with no supplemental insurance, who bought it, and who are entitled to it for free. Our identification procedure relies on the premise that the difference in the observed medical care consumption between the patients who bought the insurance and those entitled to free insurance is caused by pure selection effect, whereas the difference in healthcare consumption between the group that received the free insurance and the group that has no insurance is due to moral hazard. Results show favorable selection for patients in 20- to 30-year-old cohort and significant moral hazard for all age cohorts. The selection effect reverses its sign in older cohorts explained by the differences in risk aversion across cohorts caused by the timing of transition from socialism to market economy. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. A simple Bayesian approach to quantifying confidence level of adverse event incidence proportion in small samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fang

    2016-01-01

    In both clinical development and post-marketing of a new therapy or a new treatment, incidence of an adverse event (AE) is always a concern. When sample sizes are small, large sample-based inferential approaches on an AE incidence proportion in a certain time period no longer apply. In this brief discussion, we introduce a simple Bayesian framework to quantify, in small sample studies and the rare AE case, (1) the confidence level that the incidence proportion of a particular AE p is over or below a threshold, (2) the lower or upper bounds on p with a certain level of confidence, and (3) the minimum required number of patients with an AE before we can be certain that p surpasses a specific threshold, or the maximum allowable number of patients with an AE after which we can no longer be certain that p is below a certain threshold, given a certain confidence level. The method is easy to understand and implement; the interpretation of the results is intuitive. This article also demonstrates the usefulness of simple Bayesian concepts when it comes to answering practical questions.

  11. Therapeutic effect of 99Tc - MDP observed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sang Shibiao; Wu Yiwei; Su Chenghai; Zhang Wei; Dong Shenan

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of 99 Tc - MDP in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Two hundred and eight patients with active RA have been treated using 99 Tc - MDP. The clinical manifestation and laboratory examination before and after treatment were observed. Results: The total effective rate of the 99 Tc - MDP was 86.1%. The effectiveness of relieving pain, diminishing swelling, increasing immune function etc was significant. It was most effective in improving morning stiffness, limitation of articulation function and decreasing ESR. Conclusion: The clinical effect of the 99 Tc - MDP is obvious. Application of the 99 Tc - MDP is safety, no significant adverse action and worth clinical using

  12. CYP2D6 polymorphisms may predict occurrence of adverse effects to tamoxifen: a preliminary retrospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wickramage I

    2017-03-01

    -1584C and 2850C>T was significantly higher among those with ultrasound-diagnosed fatty liver following the commencement of tamoxifen therapy (P=0.029. Adverse effects occurred at a significantly higher frequency among postmenopausal women (P=0.041. Three patients who developed recurrence of breast cancer had no association with SNPs tested. Conclusions: CYP2D6 SNP combination 2988G>A, -1584C and 2850C>T, strongly suggestive of *41 reduced functional allele, is likely to be useful in predicting occurrence of adverse effect fatty liver in breast cancer patients on tamoxifen, thereby alternative treatment can be considered and lifestyle modifications implemented. Larger sample studies are recommended with the measurement of tamoxifen and metabolite levels. Alternative therapy should be considered for postmenopausal patients. Keywords: fatty-liver, 2988G>A, CYP2D6*41, intermediate-metabolizer, SNP

  13. Alcohol and cannabis: Comparing their adverse health effects and regulatory regimes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Wayne

    2017-04-01

    The claim that the adverse health effects of cannabis are much less serious than those of alcohol has been central to the case for cannabis legalisation. Regulators in US states that have legalised cannabis have adopted regulatory models based on alcohol. This paper critically examines the claim about adverse health effects and the wisdom of regulating cannabis like alcohol. First, it compares what we know about the adverse health effects of alcohol and cannabis. Second, it discusses the uncertainties about the long term health effects of sustained daily cannabis use. Third, it speculates about how the adverse health effects of cannabis may change after legalisation. Fourth, it questions the assumption that alcohol provides the best regulatory model for a legal cannabis market. Fifth, it outlines the major challenges in regulating cannabis under the liberal alcohol-like regulatory regimes now being introduced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. A Review of Nitrates in Drinking Water: Maternal Exposure and Adverse Reproductive and Developmental Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manassaram, Deana M.; Backer, Lorraine C.; Moll, Deborah M.

    2006-01-01

    In this review we present an update on maternal exposure to nitrates in drinking water in relation to possible adverse reproductive and developmental effects, and also discuss nitrates in drinking water in the United States. The current standard for nitrates in drinking water is based on retrospective studies and approximates a level that protects infants from methemoglobinemia, but no safety factor is built into the standard. The current standard applies only to public water systems. Drinking water source was related to nitrate exposure (i.e., private systems water was more likely than community system water to have nitrate levels above the maximum contaminant limit). Animal studies have found adverse reproductive effects resulting from higher doses of nitrate or nitrite. The epidemiologic evidence of a direct exposure–response relationship between drinking water nitrate level and adverse reproductive effect is still not clear. However, some reports have suggested an association between exposure to nitrates in drinking water and spontaneous abortions, intrauterine growth restriction, and various birth defects. Uncertainties in epidemiologic studies include the lack of individual exposure assessment that would rule out confounding of the exposure with some other cause. Nitrates may be just one of the contaminants in drinking water contributing to adverse outcomes. We conclude that the current literature does not provide sufficient evidence of a causal relationship between exposure to nitrates in drinking water and adverse reproductive effects. Future studies incorporating individual exposure assessment about users of private wells—the population most at risk—should be considered. PMID:16507452

  15. The relation between family adversity and social anxiety among adolescents in Taiwan: effects of family function and self-esteem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Cheng-Fang; Yang, Pinchen; Wu, Yu-Yu; Cheng, Chung-Ping

    2013-11-01

    This study aimed to examine the relationship between three indicators of family adversity (domestic violence, family substance use, and broken parental marriage) and the severity of social anxiety among adolescents in Taiwan, as well as the mediating effects of perceived family function and self-esteem on that relationship, using structural equation modeling (SEM). A total of 5607 adolescents completed the social anxiety subscale of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; the Family APGAR Index; the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale; and a questionnaire for domestic violence, family substance use, and broken parental marriage. The relation between family adversity and social anxiety, as well as the mediating effects of family function and self-esteem, was examined using SEM. SEM analysis revealed that all three indicators of family adversity reduced the level of family function, that decreased family function compromised the level of self-esteem, and that a low level of self-esteem further increased the severity of social anxiety. The results indicated that, along with intervening to change family adversity, evaluating and improving adolescents' self-esteem and family function are also important clinical issues when helping adolescents reduce their social anxiety.

  16. PTH prevents the adverse effects of focal radiation on bone architecture in young rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Abhishek; Lan, Shenghui; Zhu, Ji; Lin, Tiao; Zhang, Xianrong; Siclari, Valerie A; Altman, Allison R; Cengel, Keith A; Liu, X Sherry; Qin, Ling

    2013-08-01

    Radiation therapy is a common treatment regimen for cancer patients. However, its adverse effects on the neighboring bone could lead to fractures with a great impact on quality of life. The underlying mechanism is still elusive and there is no preventive or curative solution for this bone loss. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a current therapy for osteoporosis that has potent anabolic effects on bone. In this study, we found that focal radiation from frequent scans of the right tibiae in 1-month-old rats by micro-computed tomography severely decreased trabecular bone mass and deteriorated bone structure. Interestingly, PTH daily injections remarkably improved trabecular bone in the radiated tibiae with increases in trabecular number, thickness, connectivity, structure model index and stiffness, and a decrease in trabecular separation. Histomorphometric analysis revealed that radiation mainly decreased the number of osteoblasts and impaired their mineralization activity but had little effects on osteoclasts. PTH reversed these adverse effects and greatly increased bone formation to a similar level in both radiated and non-radiated bones. Furthermore, PTH protects bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from radiation-induced damage, including a decrease in number and an increase in adipogenic differentiation. While radiation generated the same amount of free radicals in the bone marrow of vehicle-treated and PTH-treated animals, the percentage of apoptotic bone marrow cells was significantly attenuated in the PTH group. Taken together, our data demonstrate a radioprotective effect of PTH on bone structure and bone marrow and shed new light on a possible clinical application of anabolic treatment in radiotherapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Excess dietary cholesterol may have an adverse effect on growth performance of early post-larval Litopenaeus vannamei

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    One experiment was conducted to determine the nutritive value of cholesterol for post-larval shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Four isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets supplemented with four levels of cholesterol (D1, D2, D3 and D4 with 0, 0.5%, 1% and 2% cholesterol, respectively) were fed to triplicate groups of L. vannamei shrimp (mean initial wet weight 0.8 mg) for 27 days. After the trial, shrimp fed the D1 diet had the best growth performance (final body weights: FBW; weight gain: WG; specific growth rate: SGR), while there was no significant difference between diet treatments with respect to survival. The whole body crude protein level in the shrimp decreased with the increase in dietary cholesterol levels, while the whole body crude lipid level in shrimps in the D4 diet treatment was significantly higher (P vannamei; excess dietary cholesterol may thus lead to adverse effects on the growth performance of post-larval shrimp. PMID:22958647

  18. Excess dietary cholesterol may have an adverse effect on growth performance of early post-larval Litopenaeus vannamei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niu Jin

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract One experiment was conducted to determine the nutritive value of cholesterol for post-larval shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Four isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets supplemented with four levels of cholesterol (D1, D2, D3 and D4 with 0, 0.5%, 1% and 2% cholesterol, respectively were fed to triplicate groups of L. vannamei shrimp (mean initial wet weight 0.8 mg for 27 days. After the trial, shrimp fed the D1 diet had the best growth performance (final body weights: FBW; weight gain: WG; specific growth rate: SGR, while there was no significant difference between diet treatments with respect to survival. The whole body crude protein level in the shrimp decreased with the increase in dietary cholesterol levels, while the whole body crude lipid level in shrimps in the D4 diet treatment was significantly higher (P L. vannamei; excess dietary cholesterol may thus lead to adverse effects on the growth performance of post-larval shrimp.

  19. Adverse Effects of Cholinesterase Inhibitors in Dementia, According to the Pharmacovigilance Databases of the United-States and Canada.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thibault B Ali

    Full Text Available This survey analyzes two national pharmacovigilance databases in order to determine the major adverse reactions observed with the use of cholinesterase inhibitors in dementia. We conducted a statistical analysis of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS and the Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction Database (CVARD concerning the side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors. The statistics calculated for each adverse event were the frequency and the reporting odds ratios (ROR. A total of 9877 and 2247 reports were extracted from the FAERS and CVARD databases, respectively. A disproportionately higher frequency of reports of death as an adverse event for rivastigmine, compared to the other acetylcholinesterase inhibiting drugs, was observed in both the FAERS (ROR = 3.42; CI95% = 2.94-3.98; P<0.0001 and CVARD (ROR = 3.67; CI95% = 1.92-7.00; P = 0.001 databases. While cholinesterase inhibitors remain to be an important therapeutic tool against Alzheimer's disease, the disproportionate prevalence of fatal outcomes with rivastigmine compared with alternatives should be taken into consideration.

  20. Effect of Anti-inflammatory Treatment on Depression, Depressive Symptoms, and Adverse Effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Köhler, Ole; Benros, Michael E; Nordentoft, Merete

    2014-01-01

    -controlled trials assessing the efficacy and adverse effects of pharmacologic anti-inflammatory treatment in adults with depressive symptoms, including those who fulfilled the criteria for depression. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. Pooled standard mean difference (SMD...... investigated cytokine inhibitors (n=2,004). The pooled effect estimate suggested that anti-inflammatory treatment reduced depressive symptoms (SMD, -0.34; 95% CI, -0.57 to -0.11; I2=90%) compared with placebo. This effect was observed in studies including patients with depression (SMD, -0.54; 95% CI, -1.......08 to -0.01; I2=68%) and depressive symptoms (SMD, -0.27; 95% CI, -0.53 to -0.01; I2=68%). The heterogeneity of the studies was not explained by differences in inclusion of clinical depression vs depressive symptoms or use of NSAIDs vs cytokine inhibitors. Subanalyses emphasized the antidepressant...

  1. Perfluorononanoic acid in combination with 14 chemicals exerts low-dose mixture effects in rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hadrup, Niels; Pedersen, Mikael; Skov, Kasper

    2016-01-01

    Humans are simultaneously exposed to several chemicals that act jointly to induce mixture effects. At doses close to or higher than no-observed adverse effect levels, chemicals usually act additively in experimental studies. However, we are lacking knowledge on the importance of exposure to complex...... real-world mixtures at more relevant human exposure levels. We hypothesised that adverse mixture effects occur at doses approaching high-end human exposure levels. A mixture (Mix) of 14 chemicals at a combined dose of 2.5 mg/kg bw/day was tested in combination with perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA...... pituitary-adrenal axis. In conclusion, our data suggest that mixtures of environmental chemicals at doses approaching high-end human exposure levels can cause a hormonal imbalance and disturb steroid hormones and their regulation. These effects may be non-monotonic and were observed at low doses. Whether...

  2. Applying adverse outcome pathways and species sensitivity-weighted distribution to predicted-no-effect concentration derivation and quantitative ecological risk assessment for bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol in aquatic environments: A case study on Tianjin City, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ying; Na, Guangshui; Zong, Humin; Ma, Xindong; Yang, Xianhai; Mu, Jingli; Wang, Lijun; Lin, Zhongsheng; Zhang, Zhifeng; Wang, Juying; Zhao, Jinsong

    2018-02-01

    Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are a novel concept that effectively considers the toxic modes of action and guides the ecological risk assessment of chemicals. To better use toxicity data including biochemical or molecular responses and mechanistic data, we further developed a species sensitivity-weighted distribution (SSWD) method for bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol. Their aquatic predicted-no-effect concentrations (PNECs) were derived using the log-normal statistical extrapolation method. We calculated aquatic PNECs of bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol with values of 4.01 and 0.721 µg/L, respectively. The ecological risk of each chemical in different aquatic environments near Tianjin, China, a coastal municipality along the Bohai Sea, was characterized by hazard quotient and probabilistic risk quotient assessment techniques. Hazard quotients of 7.02 and 5.99 at 2 municipal sewage sites using all of the endpoints were observed for 4-nonylphenol, which indicated high ecological risks posed by 4-nonylphenol to aquatic organisms, especially endocrine-disrupting effects. Moreover, a high ecological risk of 4-nonylphenol was indicated based on the probabilistic risk quotient method. The present results show that combining the SSWD method and the AOP concept could better protect aquatic organisms from adverse effects such as endocrine disruption and could decrease uncertainty in ecological risk assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:551-562. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  3. Safe Oral Triiodo-L-Thyronine Therapy Protects from Post-Infarct Cardiac Dysfunction and Arrhythmias without Cardiovascular Adverse Effects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viswanathan Rajagopalan

    Full Text Available A large body of evidence suggests that thyroid hormones (THs are beneficial for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. We have shown that 3 days of triiodo-L-thyronine (T3 treatment in myocardial infarction (MI rats increased left ventricular (LV contractility and decreased myocyte apoptosis. However, no clinically translatable protocol is established for T3 treatment of ischemic heart disease. We hypothesized that low-dose oral T3 will offer safe therapeutic benefits in MI.Adult female rats underwent left coronary artery ligation or sham surgeries. T3 (~6 μg/kg/day was available in drinking water ad libitum immediately following MI and continuing for 2 month(s (mo. Compared to vehicle-treated MI, the oral T3-treated MI group at 2 mo had markedly improved anesthetized Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based LV ejection fraction and volumes without significant negative changes in heart rate, serum TH levels or heart weight, indicating safe therapy. Remarkably, T3 decreased the incidence of inducible atrial tachyarrhythmias by 88% and improved remodeling. These were accompanied by restoration of gene expression involving several key pathways including thyroid, ion channels, fibrosis, sympathetic, mitochondria and autophagy.Low-dose oral T3 dramatically improved post-MI cardiac performance, decreased atrial arrhythmias and cardiac remodeling, and reversed many adverse changes in gene expression with no observable negative effects. This study also provides a safe and effective treatment/monitoring protocol that should readily translate to humans.

  4. The effect of brain based learning with contextual approach viewed from adversity quotient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kartikaningtyas, V.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi, R.

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this research was to find out the effect of Brain Based Learning (BBL) with contextual approach viewed from adversity quotient (AQ) on mathematics achievement. BBL-contextual is the model to optimize the brain in the new concept learning and real life problem solving by making the good environment. Adversity Quotient is the ability to response and faces the problems. In addition, it is also about how to turn the difficulties into chances. This AQ classified into quitters, campers, and climbers. The research method used in this research was quasi experiment by using 2x3 factorial designs. The sample was chosen by using stratified cluster random sampling. The instruments were test and questionnaire for the data of AQ. The results showed that (1) BBL-contextual is better than direct learning on mathematics achievement, (2) there is no significant difference between each types of AQ on mathematics achievement, and (3) there is no interaction between learning model and AQ on mathematics achievement.

  5. Childhood adversity specificity and dose-response effect in non-affective first-episode psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trauelsen, Anne Marie; Bendall, Sarah; Jansen, Jens Einar; Nielsen, Hanne-Grethe Lyse; Pedersen, Marlene Buch; Trier, Christopher Høier; Haahr, Ulrik H; Simonsen, Erik

    2015-06-01

    Reviews conclude that childhood and adolescence sexual, physical, emotional abuse and emotional and physical neglect are all risk factors for psychosis. However, studies suggest only some adversities are associated with psychosis. Dose-response effects of several adversities on risk of psychosis have not been consistently found. The current study aimed to explore adversity specificity and dose-response effects of adversities on risk of psychosis. Participants were 101 persons with first-episode psychosis (FEP) diagnosed with ICD-10 F20 - F29 (except F21) and 101 non-clinical control persons matched by gender, age and parents' socio-economic status. Assessment included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and parts of the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire. Eighty-nine percent of the FEP group reported one or more adversities compared to 37% of the control group. Childhood and adolescent sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and physical and emotional neglect, separation and institutionalization were about four to 17 times higher for the FEP group (all p<0.01). The risk of psychosis increased two and a half times for each additional adversity. All associations between specific adversities and psychosis decreased when they were adjusted for other adversities. Our findings suggest that there is a large shared effect of adversities on the risk of psychosis. Contrary to the call for further research into specific adversities, we suggest a search for mechanisms in the shared effects of traumatization. Clinical implications are thorough assessment of adversities and their possible effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Location of injected polymethylmethacrylate microspheres influences the onset of late adverse effects: an experimental and histopathologic study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesus LH

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Luciano Henrique de Jesus, Laura de Campos Hildebrand, Manoela Domingues Martins, Francinne Miranda da Rosa, Chris Krebs Danilevicz, Manoel Sant'Ana Filho Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Abstract: Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA has been widely used in the correction of wrinkles because of its long-lasting cosmetic improvements. However, side effects and complications may occur, and its clinical appearance on the oral mucosa can be similar to that of inflammatory or neoplastic disease. The aim of this research was to compare the clinical and histopathologic responses to PMMA injected by two different methods. Twenty-two rats received an injection of PMMA using the tunneling technique (gold standard, with subcutaneous deposition of the filler in the face, or a variation of the technique with transcutaneous submucosal deposition of the filler in the cheek. The tissue reaction was analyzed clinically every 24 hours during the first week, then once a week for the following 3 months. Histologic evaluation was based on the local inflammatory response to the filler. No clinical changes were observed during the initial evaluation period (0–14 days. After 14 days, only the submucosal group showed extra-oral enlargement (n=4, 18.2%. Histopathologic analysis revealed nodule formation in four animals (18.2% in the submucosal group, with no nodules observed in the subcutaneous group. The data obtained in this study demonstrate that the technique used to deliver the filler may influence the risk of adverse reactions. Keywords: dermal filler, polymethylmethacrylate, adverse reactions

  7. Air pollution in India and related adverse respiratory health effects: past, present, and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khilnani, Gopi C; Tiwari, Pawan

    2018-03-01

    The review describes current status of air pollution in India, summarizes recent research on adverse health effects of ambient and household air pollution, and outlines the ongoing efforts and future actions required to improve air quality and reduce morbidity and mortality because of air pollution in India. Global burden of disease data analysis reveals more than one million premature deaths attributable to ambient air pollution in 2015 in India. More than one million additional deaths can be attributed to household air pollution. Particulate matter with diameter 2.5 μm or less has been causatively linked with most premature deaths. Acute respiratory tract infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, exacerbations of preexisting obstructive airway disease and lung cancer are proven adverse respiratory effects of air pollution. Targeting air quality standards laid by WHO can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality because of air pollution in India. India is currently exposed to high levels of ambient and household air pollutants. Respiratory adverse effects of air pollution are significant contributors to morbidity and premature mortality in India. Substantial efforts are being made at legislative, administrative, and community levels to improve air quality. However, much more needs to be done to change the 'status quo' and attain the target air quality standards. VIDEO ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/COPM/A24.

  8. Childhood Adversity and Pain Sensitization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Dokyoung Sophia; Meagher, Mary W

    Childhood adversity is a vulnerability factor for chronic pain. However, the underlying pain mechanisms influenced by childhood adversity remain unknown. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of childhood adversity on dynamic pain sensitivity in young adults. After screening for childhood adverse events and health status, healthy individuals reporting low (below median; n = 75) or high levels of adversity (the top 5%; n = 51) were invited for pain testing. Both groups underwent heat pain threshold and temporal summation of second pain (TSSP) testing after reporting depressive symptoms. TSSP refers to a progressive increase in pain intensity with repetition of identical noxious stimuli and is attributed to central sensitization. Changes in pain ratings over time (slope) were computed for TSSP sensitization and decay of subsequent aftersensations. The high-adversity group showed greater TSSP sensitization (meanslope, 0.75; SDpositive slope, 1.78), and a trend toward a slower decay (meanslope, -11.9; SD, 3.4), whereas the low-adversity group showed minimal sensitization (meanslope, 0.07; SDnear-zero slope, 1.77), F(1,123) = 5.84, p = .017 and faster decay (meanslope, -13.1; SD, 3.4), F(1,123) = 3.79, p = .054. This group difference remained significant even after adjusting for adult depressive symptoms (p = .033). No group difference was found in heat pain threshold (p = .85). Lastly, the high-adversity group showed blunted cardiac and skin conductance responses. These findings suggest that enhancement of central sensitization may provide a mechanism underlying the pain hypersensitivity and chronicity linked to childhood adversity.

  9. Paired Serum and Urine Concentrations of Biomarkers of Diethyl Phthalate, Methyl Paraben, and Triclosan in Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teitelbaum, Susan L.; Li, Qian; Lambertini, Luca; Belpoggi, Fiorella; Manservisi, Fabiana; Falcioni, Laura; Bua, Luciano; Silva, Manori J.; Ye, Xiaoyun; Calafat, Antonia M.; Chen, Jia

    2015-01-01

    Background Exposure to environmental chemicals, including phthalates and phenols such as parabens and triclosan, is ubiquitous within the U.S. general population. Objective This proof-of-concept rodent study examined the relationship between oral doses of three widely used personal care product ingredients [diethyl phthalate (DEP), methyl paraben (MPB), and triclosan] and urine and serum concentrations of their respective biomarkers. Methods Using female Sprague-Dawley rats, we carried out two rounds of experiments with oral gavage doses selected in accordance with no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) derived from previous studies: 1,735 (DEP), 1,050 (MPB), 50 (triclosan) mg/kg/day. Administered doses ranged from 0.005 to 173 mg/kg/day, 10–100,000 times below the NOAEL for each chemical. Controls for the MPB and triclosan experiments were animals treated with olive oil (vehicle) only; controls for the DEP serum experiments were animals treated with the lowest doses of MPB and triclosan. Doses were administered for 5 days with five rats in each treatment group. Urine and blood serum, collected on the last day of exposure, were analyzed for biomarkers. Relationships between oral dose and biomarker concentrations were assessed using linear regression. Results Biomarkers were detected in all control urine samples at parts-per-billion levels, suggesting a low endemic environmental exposure to the three chemicals that could not be controlled even with all of the precautionary measures undertaken. Among the exposed animals, urinary concentrations of all three biomarkers were orders of magnitude higher than those in serum. A consistently positive linear relationship between oral dose and urinary concentration was observed (R2 > 0.80); this relationship was inconsistent in serum. Conclusions Our study highlights the importance of carefully considering the oral dose used in animal experiments and provides useful information in selecting doses for future studies

  10. Study of morbidity of personnel with potential exposure to vinclozolin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zober, A; Hoffmann, G; Ott, M G; Will, W; Germann, C; van Ravenzwaay, B

    1995-01-01

    OBJECTIVES--To examine internal exposure and targeted health outcomes of employees exposed to 3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-5-methyl-5-vinyl-1,3-oxazolidine-2,4-dione; chemical abstracts service (CAS) number: 50471-44-8 (vinclozolin). METHODS--A cross sectional study of 67 men exposed to vinclozolin for one to 13 years during synthesis and formulation operations and 52 controls. Biomonitoring was based on determination of urinary metabolites that contained a 3,5-dichloroaniline (3,5-DCA) moiety. Targeted health endpoints were the same as in previous subchronic and chronic animal studies--namely, reversible changes in the concentrations of hormones of the adrenocorticotrophic and gonadotrophic feedback systems, signs of liver injury, haemolytic anaemia, cataract formation (uniquely in rats), and hormonally induced hyperplasia and tumours at high doses. The clinical investigation consisted of a medical and occupational history questionnaire, physical examination, laboratory determinations (including testosterone, LH, and FSH measurements), ultrasonography of the liver and prostate, a detailed eye examination, and routine spirometry. RESULTS--The mean 3,5-DCA concentration for two thirds of the study group exceeded an equivalent of the vinclozolin acceptable daily intake (ADI) used for consumer regulatory purposes. Even the highest concentrations were, however, at least 10 times below the no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) based on animal studies. Analysis of physical examination and laboratory data provided no evidence of hormonal responses induced by vinclozolin. Furthermore, no evidence of liver injury, prostate changes, cataract formation, or haemolytic anaemia was found. CONCLUSION--There was no evidence of any health effects induced by vinclozolin among employees with potential long term exposure. In particular, no antiandrogenic effects were found. PMID:7795738

  11. Quality of life and adverse effects of olanzapine versus risperidone therapy in patients with schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaves, Katarina Melo; Serrano-Blanco, Antoni; Ribeiro, Susana Barbosa; Soares, Luiz Alberto Lira; Guerra, Gerlane Coelho Bernardo; do Socorro Costa Feitosa Alves, Maria; de Araújo Júnior, Raimundo Fernandes; de Paula Soares Rachetti, Vanessa; Filgueira Júnior, Antônio; de Araújo, Aurigena Antunes

    2013-03-01

    This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the effects of treatment with an atypical antipsychotic drug (olanzapine or risperidone) on quality of life (QoL) and to document adverse effects in 115 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia who attended the ambulatory service of Hospital Dr. João Machado, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and clinical variables were compared. The QoL Scale validated for Brazil (QLS-BR) was used to evaluate QoL, and adverse effects were assessed using the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser Side Effect Rating Scale. Data were analyzed using the χ(2) test and Student's t test, with a significance level of 5 %. Patients in both drug groups showed severe impairment in the occupational domain of the QLS-BR. Global QLS-BR scores indicated impairment among risperidone users and severe impairment among olanzapine users. The most significant side effects were associated with risperidone, including asthenia/lassitude/fatigue, somnolence/sedation, paresthesia, change in visual accommodation, increased salivation, diarrhea, orthostatic posture, palpitations/tachycardia, erythema, photosensitivity, weight loss, galactorrhea, decreased sexual desire, erectile/orgasmic dysfunction, vaginal dryness, headache, and physical dependence. QoL was impaired in patients using olanzapine and in those using risperidone. Risperidone use was associated with psychic, neurological, and autonomous adverse effects and other side effects.

  12. Energy Drink Consumption: Beneficial and Adverse Health Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsunni, Ahmed Abdulrahman

    2015-10-01

    Consumption of energy drinks has been increasing dramatically in the last two decades, particularly amongst adolescents and young adults. Energy drinks are aggressively marketed with the claim that these products give an energy boost to improve physical and cognitive performance. However, studies supporting these claims are limited. In fact, several adverse health effects have been related to energy drink; this has raised the question of whether these beverages are safe. This review was carried out to identify and discuss the published articles that examined the beneficial and adverse health effects related to energy drink. It is concluded that although energy drink may have beneficial effects on physical performance, these products also have possible detrimental health consequences. Marketing of energy drinks should be limited or forbidden until independent research confirms their safety, particularly among adolescents.

  13. Adverse events associated with acupuncture: three multicentre randomized controlled trials of 1968 cases in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ling; Zhang, Fu-wen; Li, Ying; Wu, Xi; Zheng, Hui; Cheng, Lin-hao; Liang, Fan-rong

    2011-03-24

    In order to evaluate the safety of acupuncture in China objectively, we investigated the adverse events associated with acupuncture based on three multicentre randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the safety of acupuncture, identifying the common types of acupuncture adverse events, and analysing the related risk factors for their occurrence. This observational study included patients who received acupuncture from three multicentre RCTs respectively for migraine, functional dyspepsia and Bell's palsy. The 1968 patients and their acupuncturists documented adverse events associated with acupuncture after treatment. We collected data about adverse events due to acupuncture treatment from their case report forms. We analysed the incidence and details of the adverse effects, and studied the risk factors for acupuncture adverse events with non-conditional logistic regression analysis. Among the 1968 patients, 74 patients (3.76%) suffered at least one adverse event throughout the treatment period. We did not observe the occurrence of serious adverse events. 73 patients with adverse events recovered within 2 weeks through effective treatment such as physiotherapy or self-treatment. A total of 3 patients withdrew because of adverse events. There were 9 types of adverse events related to acupuncture, including subcutaneous haematoma, bleeding, skin bruising and needle site pain. Subcutaneous haematoma and haemorrhage in the needling points were the most common adverse events. Age and gender were related to the occurrence of acupuncture adverse events. The older the patients were, the higher the risk of adverse events was. In addition, male patients had slightly higher risk of an adverse event than female patients. Acupuncture is a safe therapy with low risk of adverse events in clinical practice. The risk factors for adverse events (AEs) were related to the patients' gender and age and the local anatomical structure of the acupoints. AEs could be reduced and

  14. Periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, X; Buekens, P; Fraser, W D; Beck, J; Offenbacher, S

    2006-02-01

    Recent studies suggest that periodontal disease, as a source of subclinical and persistent infection, may induce systemic inflammatory responses that increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. To examine the existing evidence on the relationship between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Published studies identified via searches of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Current Contents full-text databases. We identified and selected observational studies (i.e. case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort) and nonrandomised controlled studies or randomised controlled trials that examined periodontal disease as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Odds ratios (OR) or risk ratios (RR) were extracted or calculated from the studies' data. We calculated pooled effect size for two clinical controlled trials but not for the observational studies due to the heterogeneity in definitions for periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes across studies. Twenty-five studies (13 case-control, 9 cohort, and 3 controlled trials) were identified. The studies focused on preterm low birthweight, low birthweight, preterm birth, birthweight by gestational age, miscarriage or pregnancy loss, and pre-eclampsia. Of the chosen studies, 18 suggested an association between periodontal disease and increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome (ORs ranging from 1.10 to 20.0) and 7 found no evidence of an association (ORs ranging from 0.78 to 2.54). Three clinical trial studies suggest that oral prophylaxis and periodontal treatment can lead to a 57% reduction in preterm low birthweight (pooled RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.24-0.78) and a 50% reduction in preterm births (RR 0.5; 95% CI 0.20-1.30). Periodontal disease may be associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. However, more methodologically rigorous studies are needed for confirmation.

  15. A preliminary observation of the adverse effects of phenobarbital among patients with convulsive epilepsy in rural West China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Yang; Liu, Ling; Tian, Linyu; Mu, Jie; Chen, Deng; Chen, Tao; Deng, Ying; He, Jun; Li, You; He, Li; Zhou, Dong

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the adverse effect (AE) profile of phenobarbital (PB) among patients with active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) from resource-poor areas. Patients with ACE were enrolled into an epilepsy management project in rural West China. Information was obtained from monthly follow-up questionnaires. The demographic and clinical features of the patients with AE were firstly described. After that, the occurrence rate was estimated for each subtype of AE at three different severity levels (mild, moderate, and serious). Survival analysis was used to determine the potential risk factors of AEs. A total of 7231 patients (3780 men) were included in the present cohort. During the follow-up time period (average 33.4months), the most common AEs were drowsiness (moderate: 4.4%, serious: 0.68%), dizziness (moderate: 3.7%, serious: 0.5%), and headache (moderate: 2.9%, serious: 0.41%). In the confirmed AE groups (moderate and serious severity levels), the symptoms tended to be transient, with durations of less than 3months. Polytherapy was an independent risk factor for AEs and had an increasing risk when the severity of the AE increased (Hazard Ratio 1.12, 1.55, and 2.52 for mild AE, moderate AE, and serious AE, respectively). Receiving a high dosage of PB (>180mg/day) indicated a slightly elevated risk (Hazard Ratio 1.22 and 1.27 for mild AE and moderate AE, respectively). Phenobarbital demonstrates overall tolerability, and serious AEs were not common. Patients receiving a high dose of PB or polytherapy are at increased risk of developing AEs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of chronic low level radiation in the population residing in the high level natural radiation area in Kerala, India: employing heritable DNA mutation studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Shazia; Koya, P K M; Seshadri, M

    2013-03-18

    To study the effect of chronic low level radiation, 4040 meiosis were screened at eight microsatellite and five minisatellite (2485 and 1555 meiosis respectively) marker loci in people residing in high and normal level natural radiation areas of Kerala. Variants in the repeat length of allele were considered as mutants. Mutation rates (expressed as the number of mutations observed in the total number of meiosis) were 6.4×10(-3) (16/2485) and 2.6×10(-3) (4/1555) at microsatellite and minisatellite respectively. The germline microsatellite mutation frequency of father was 1.78 times higher at 7.52×10(-3) (8/1064) compared to 4.22×10(-3) (6/1421) of mother (P=0.292, Fisher's Exact two-sided test). The paternal and maternal mutation rates at minisatellite loci were more or less similar at 2.78×10(-3) (2/719) and 2.39×10(-3) (2/836), respectively (P=1.0, Fisher's Exact two-sided test). Higher but statistically non-significant microsatellite mutation frequency was observed in HLNRA compared to NLNRA (7.25×10(-3) vs 3.64×10(-3); P=0.547). The apparent increase in the mutation rate of microsatellite loci with the increase in radiation dose was also not statistically significant. All the four minisatellite mutation observed were from HLNRA (1198 meiosis) and no mutation was observed among 357 meiosis screened from NLNRA families. All the markers used in the present study were in the non-coding region and hence mutations in these regions may not cause adverse health effects, but the study is important in understanding the effect of chronic low level radiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Comparison of search strategies in systematic reviews of adverse effects to other systematic reviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golder, Su; Loke, Yoon K; Zorzela, Liliane

    2014-06-01

    Research indicates that the methods used to identify data for systematic reviews of adverse effects may need to differ from other systematic reviews. To compare search methods in systematic reviews of adverse effects with other reviews. The search methodologies in 849 systematic reviews of adverse effects were compared with other reviews. Poor reporting of search strategies is apparent in both systematic reviews of adverse effects and other types of systematic reviews. Systematic reviews of adverse effects are less likely to restrict their searches to MEDLINE or include only randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The use of other databases is largely dependent on the topic area and the year the review was conducted, with more databases searched in more recent reviews. Adverse effects search terms are used by 72% of reviews and despite recommendations only two reviews report using floating subheadings. The poor reporting of search strategies in systematic reviews is universal, as is the dominance of searching MEDLINE. However, reviews of adverse effects are more likely to include a range of study designs (not just RCTs) and search beyond MEDLINE. © 2014 Crown Copyright.

  18. Validity and reliability of a novel immunosuppressive adverse effects scoring system in renal transplant recipients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meaney, Calvin J; Arabi, Ziad; Venuto, Rocco C; Consiglio, Joseph D; Wilding, Gregory E; Tornatore, Kathleen M

    2014-06-12

    After renal transplantation, many patients experience adverse effects from maintenance immunosuppressive drugs. When these adverse effects occur, patient adherence with immunosuppression may be reduced and impact allograft survival. If these adverse effects could be prospectively monitored in an objective manner and possibly prevented, adherence to immunosuppressive regimens could be optimized and allograft survival improved. Prospective, standardized clinical approaches to assess immunosuppressive adverse effects by health care providers are limited. Therefore, we developed and evaluated the application, reliability and validity of a novel adverse effects scoring system in renal transplant recipients receiving calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporine or tacrolimus) and mycophenolic acid based immunosuppressive therapy. The scoring system included 18 non-renal adverse effects organized into gastrointestinal, central nervous system and aesthetic domains developed by a multidisciplinary physician group. Nephrologists employed this standardized adverse effect evaluation in stable renal transplant patients using physical exam, review of systems, recent laboratory results, and medication adherence assessment during a clinic visit. Stable renal transplant recipients in two clinical studies were evaluated and received immunosuppressive regimens comprised of either cyclosporine or tacrolimus with mycophenolic acid. Face, content, and construct validity were assessed to document these adverse effect evaluations. Inter-rater reliability was determined using the Kappa statistic and intra-class correlation. A total of 58 renal transplant recipients were assessed using the adverse effects scoring system confirming face validity. Nephrologists (subject matter experts) rated the 18 adverse effects as: 3.1 ± 0.75 out of 4 (maximum) regarding clinical importance to verify content validity. The adverse effects scoring system distinguished 1.75-fold increased gastrointestinal adverse

  19. Relation between dose of bendrofluazide, antihypertensive effect, and adverse biochemical effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlsen, J E; Køber, L; Torp-Pedersen, C

    1990-01-01

    OBJECTIVE--To determine the relevant dose of bendrofluazide for treating mild to moderate hypertension. DESIGN--Double blind parallel group trial of patients who were given placebo for six weeks and then randomly allocated to various doses of bendrofluazide (1.25, 2.5, 5, or 10 mg daily) or place...... of bendrofluazide to treat mild to moderate hypertension is 1.25-2.5 mg a day. Higher doses caused more pronounced adverse biochemical effects including adverse lipid effects. Previous trials with bendrofluazide have used too high doses....... relations between dose and effect were shown for potassium, urate, glucose, total cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B concentrations. The 1.25 mg dose increased only urate concentrations, whereas the 10 mg dose affected all the above biochemical variables. CONCLUSION--The relevant range of doses...

  20. Protective Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Grape Pomace against the Adverse Effects of Cypermethrin on Weanling Female Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdel-Tawab H. Mossa

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The adverse effect of cypermethrin on the liver and kidney of weanling female rats and the protective effect of ethanolic extract of grape pomace were investigated in the present study. Weanling female rats were given cypermethrin oral at a dose of 25 mg kg−1 body weight for 28 consecutive days. An additional two Cyp-trated groups received extract at a dose of 100 and 200 mg kg−1 body weight, respectively, throughout the experimental duration. Three groups more served as extract and control groups. Administration of Cyp resulted in a significant increase in serum marker enzymes, for example, aminotransferases (AST and ALT, alkaline phosphatase (ALP, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT, and increases the level of urea nitrogen and creatinine. In contrast, Cyp caused significant decrease in levels of total protein and albumin and caused histopathological alterations in liver and kidneys of female rats. Coadministration of the extract to Cyp-treated female rats restored most of these biochemical parameters to within normal levels especially at high dose of extract. However, extract administration to Cyp-treated rats resulted in overall improvement in liver and kidney damage. This study demonstrated the adverse biohistological effects of Cyp on the liver and kidney of weanling female rats. The grape pomace extract administration prevented the toxic effect of Cyp on the above serum parameters. The present study concludes that grape pomace extract has significant antioxidant and hepatorenal protective activity.

  1. Health assessment of gasoline and fuel oxygenate vapors: subchronic inhalation toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Charles R; Schreiner, Ceinwen A; Parker, Craig M; Gray, Thomas M; Hoffman, Gary M

    2014-11-01

    Sprague Dawley rats were exposed via inhalation to vapor condensates of either gasoline or gasoline combined with various fuel oxygenates to assess whether their use in gasoline influences the hazard of evaporative emissions. Test substances included vapor condensates prepared from an EPA described "baseline gasoline" (BGVC), or gasoline combined with methyl tertiary butyl ether (G/MTBE), ethyl t-butyl ether (G/ETBE), t-amyl methyl ether (G/TAME), diisopropyl ether (G/DIPE), ethanol (G/EtOH), or t-butyl alcohol (G/TBA). Target concentrations were 0, 2000, 10,000 or 20,000mg/m(3) and exposures were for 6h/day, 5days/week for 13weeks. A portion of the animals were maintained for a four week recovery period to determine the reversibility of potential adverse effects. Increased kidney weight and light hydrocarbon nephropathy (LHN) were observed in treated male rats in all studies which were reversible or nearly reversible after 4weeks recovery. LHN is unique to male rats and is not relevant to human toxicity. The no observed effect level (NOAEL) in all studies was 10,000mg/m(3), except for G/MTBE (<2000) and G/TBA (2000). The results provide evidence that use of the studied oxygenates are unlikely to increase the hazard of evaporative emissions during refueling, compared to those from gasoline alone. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Small molecule inhibitors of HCV replication from Pomegranate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, B. Uma; Mullick, Ranajoy; Kumar, Anuj; Sudha, Govindarajan; Srinivasan, Narayanaswamy; Das, Saumitra

    2014-06-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the causative agent of end-stage liver disease. Recent advances in the last decade in anti HCV treatment strategies have dramatically increased the viral clearance rate. However, several limitations are still associated, which warrant a great need of novel, safe and selective drugs against HCV infection. Towards this objective, we explored highly potent and selective small molecule inhibitors, the ellagitannins, from the crude extract of Pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit peel. The pure compounds, punicalagin, punicalin, and ellagic acid isolated from the extract specifically blocked the HCV NS3/4A protease activity in vitro. Structural analysis using computational approach also showed that ligand molecules interact with the catalytic and substrate binding residues of NS3/4A protease, leading to inhibition of the enzyme activity. Further, punicalagin and punicalin significantly reduced the HCV replication in cell culture system. More importantly, these compounds are well tolerated ex vivo and`no observed adverse effect level' (NOAEL) was established upto an acute dose of 5000 mg/kg in BALB/c mice. Additionally, pharmacokinetics study showed that the compounds are bioavailable. Taken together, our study provides a proof-of-concept approach for the potential use of antiviral and non-toxic principle ellagitannins from pomegranate in prevention and control of HCV induced complications.

  3. Adverse health effects in Canada geese (Branta canadensis) associated with waste from zinc and lead mines in the Tri-State Mining District (Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, USA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Merwe, Deon; Carpenter, James W; Nietfeld, Jerome C; Miesner, John F

    2011-07-01

    Lead and zinc poisoning have been recorded in a variety of bird species, including migrating waterfowl such as Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), at sites contaminated with mine waste from lead and zinc mines in the Tri-State Mining District, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, USA. The adverse health impacts from mine waste on these birds may, however, be more extensive than is apparent from incidental reports of clinical disease. To characterize health impacts from mine waste on Canada Geese that do not have observable signs of poisoning, four to eight apparently healthy birds per site were collected from four contaminated sites and an uncontaminated reference site, and examined for physical and physiologic evidence of metals poisoning. Tissue concentrations of silver, aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, selenium, thallium, vanadium, and zinc were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Adverse health effects due to lead were characterized by assessing blood δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) enzyme activity. Adverse effects associated with zinc poisoning were determined from histologic examination of pancreas tissues. Elevated tissue lead concentrations and inhibited blood ALAD enzyme activities were consistently found in birds at all contaminated sites. Histopathologic signs of zinc poisoning, including fibrosis and vacuolization, were associated with elevated pancreatic zinc concentrations at one of the study sites. Adverse health effects associated with other analyzed elements, or tissue concentrations indicating potentially toxic exposure levels to these elements, were not observed.

  4. No effect of low-level chronic neonicotinoid exposure on bumblebee learning and fecundity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saija Piiroinen

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, many pollinators have declined in abundance and diversity worldwide, presenting a potential threat to agricultural productivity, biodiversity and the functioning of natural ecosystems. One of the most debated factors proposed to be contributing to pollinator declines is exposure to pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids, a widely used class of systemic insecticide. Also, newly emerging parasites and diseases, thought to be spread via contact with managed honeybees, may pose threats to other pollinators such as bumblebees. Compared to honeybees, bumblebees could be particularly vulnerable to the effects of stressors due to their smaller and more short-lived colonies. Here, we studied the effect of field-realistic, chronic clothianidin exposure and inoculation with the parasite Nosema ceranae on survival, fecundity, sugar water collection and learning using queenless Bombus terrestris audax microcolonies in the laboratory. Chronic exposure to 1 ppb clothianidin had no significant effects on the traits studied. Interestingly, pesticide exposure in combination with additional stress caused by harnessing bees for Proboscis Extension Response (PER learning assays, led to an increase in mortality. In contrast to previous findings, the bees did not become infected by N. ceranae after experimental inoculation with the parasite spores, suggesting variability in host resistance or parasite virulence. However, this treatment induced a slight, short-term reduction in sugar water collection, potentially through stimulation of the immune system of the bees. Our results suggest that chronic exposure to 1 ppb clothianidin does not have adverse effects on bumblebee fecundity or learning ability.

  5. Beneficial and adverse effects of chemopreventive agents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Byung Mu; Park, Kwang-Kyun

    2003-03-01

    The beneficial and adverse effects of some chemopreventive agents, such as Vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, indole-3-carbinol, capsaicin, garlic, and aloe are reviewed. Two large randomized trials with a lung cancer endpoint, the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Prevention Study and the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET), suggested that antioxidants might be harmful in smokers. However, the results of the Linxian study and of the ATBC or the CARET studies were significantly different in this respect, and therefore, the relationship between antioxidant and carcinogenesis remains open to debate. Indole-3-carbinol has cancer promoting activities in the colon, thyroid, pancreas, and liver, whereas capsaicin alters the metabolism of chemical carcinogens and may promote carcinogenesis at high doses. Organosulfur compounds and selenium from garlic have no or a little enhancing effect on cancer promotion stage. Information upon chemopreventive mechanisms that inhibit carcinogenesis is imperfect, although the causes and natures of certain human cancers are known. Therefore, definitive preventive guidelines should be carefully offered for various types of tumors, which properly consider ethnic variations, and the efficacies and the safety of chemopreventive agents.

  6. Beneficial and adverse effects of chemopreventive agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Byung Mu; Park, Kwang-Kyun

    2003-01-01

    The beneficial and adverse effects of some chemopreventive agents, such as Vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, indole-3-carbinol, capsaicin, garlic, and aloe are reviewed. Two large randomized trials with a lung cancer endpoint, the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Prevention Study and the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET), suggested that antioxidants might be harmful in smokers. However, the results of the Linxian study and of the ATBC or the CARET studies were significantly different in this respect, and therefore, the relationship between antioxidant and carcinogenesis remains open to debate. Indole-3-carbinol has cancer promoting activities in the colon, thyroid, pancreas, and liver, whereas capsaicin alters the metabolism of chemical carcinogens and may promote carcinogenesis at high doses. Organosulfur compounds and selenium from garlic have no or a little enhancing effect on cancer promotion stage. Information upon chemopreventive mechanisms that inhibit carcinogenesis is imperfect, although the causes and natures of certain human cancers are known. Therefore, definitive preventive guidelines should be carefully offered for various types of tumors, which properly consider ethnic variations, and the efficacies and the safety of chemopreventive agents

  7. The cost of nurse-sensitive adverse events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pappas, Sharon Holcombe

    2008-05-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the methodology for nursing leaders to determine the cost of adverse events and effective levels of nurse staffing. The growing transparency of quality and cost outcomes motivates healthcare leaders to optimize the effectiveness of nurse staffing. Most hospitals have robust cost accounting systems that provide actual patient-level direct costs. These systems allow an analysis of the cost consumed by patients during a hospital stay. By knowing the cost of complications, leaders have the ability to justify the cost of improved staffing when quality evidence shows that higher nurse staffing improves quality. An analysis was performed on financial and clinical data from hospital databases of 3,200 inpatients. The purpose was to establish a methodology to determine actual cost per case. Three diagnosis-related groups were the focus of the analysis. Five adverse events were analyzed along with the costs. A regression analysis reported that the actual direct cost of an adverse event was dollars 1,029 per case in the congestive heart failure cases and dollars 903 in the surgical cases. There was a significant increase in the cost per case in medical patients with urinary tract infection and pressure ulcers and in surgical patients with urinary tract infection and pneumonia. The odds of pneumonia occurring in surgical patients decreased with additional registered nurse hours per patient day. Hospital cost accounting systems are useful in determining the cost of adverse events and can aid in decision making about nurse staffing. Adverse events add costs to patient care and should be measured at the unit level to adjust staffing to reduce adverse events and avoid costs.

  8. Genetic Predictors of Adverse Radiotherapy Effects: the Gene-PARE project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ho, Alice Y.; Atencio, David P.; Peters, Sheila

    2006-01-01

    PURPOSE: The development of adverse effects resulting from the radiotherapy of cancer limits the use of this treatment modality. The validation of a test capable of predicting which patients would be most likely to develop adverse responses to radiation treatment, based on the possession of speci...

  9. The effect of pre-donation hypotension on whole blood donor adverse reactions: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauwels, Nele S; Cusack, Leila; De Buck, Emmy; Compernolle, Veerle; Vandekerckhove, Philippe

    2014-06-01

    Blood services are reliant upon healthy blood donors to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood products. Inappropriate variables contained within blood donor exclusion criteria can defer potentially appropriate donors. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effect of low pre-donation blood pressure, as compared with normal blood pressure, on adverse events in allogeneic whole blood donors. A systematic review was performed using highly sensitive search strategies within five databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and Web of Science) from inception date until April 12, 2013. Out of 8305 records, 10 observational studies were identified that addressed the question. Five of these studies (with a combined total of 1,482,020 donations and 2903 donors) included either a statistical analysis or an appropriate study design that controlled for possible confounding factors. Based on the currently available evidence, hypotension has not been shown to be an independent predictive factor for donor complications. However, the overall quality of evidence was rather limited and rated 'low,' using the GRADE approach. In conclusion there is currently no evidence that hypotensive blood donors have a greater risk for donor adverse events compared with their normotensive counterparts. Copyright © 2014 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Comparison of tolerability and adverse symptoms in oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and neuralgiform headaches using the Liverpool Adverse Events Profile (AEP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Besi, E; Boniface, D R; Cregg, R; Zakrzewska, J M

    2015-01-01

    Adverse effects of drugs are poorly reported in the literature . The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of the adverse events of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), in particular carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) in patients with neuralgiform pain using the psychometrically tested Liverpool Adverse Events Profile (AEP) and provide clinicians with guidance as to when to change management. The study was conducted as a clinical prospective observational exploratory survey of 161 patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia and its variants of whom 79 were on montherapy who attended a specialist clinic in a London teaching hospital over a period of 2 years. At each consultation they completed the AEP questionnaire which provides scores of 19-76 with toxic levels being considered as scores >45. The most common significant side effects were: tiredness 31.3 %, sleepiness 18.2 %, memory problems 22.7 %, disturbed sleep 14.1 %, difficulty concentrating and unsteadiness 11.6 %. Females reported significantly more side effects than males. Potential toxic dose for females is approximately 1200 mg of OXC and 800 mg of CBZ and1800mg of OXC and 1200 mg of CBZ for males. CBZ and OXC are associated with cognitive impairment. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences are likely to be the reason for gender differences in reporting side effects. Potentially, females need to be prescribed lower dosages in view of their tendency to reach toxic levels at lower dosages. Side effects associated with AED could be a major reason for changing drugs or to consider a referral for surgical management.

  11. No Effect Level of Co-Composted Biochar on Plant Growth and Soil Properties in a Greenhouse Experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hardy Schulz

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available It is claimed that the addition of biochar to soil improves C sequestration, soil fertility and plant growth, especially when combined with organic fertilizers such as compost. However, little is known about agricultural effects of small amounts of composted biochar. This greenhouse study was carried out to examine effects of co-composted biochar on oat (Avena sativa L. yield in both sandy and loamy soil. The aim of this study was to test whether biochar effects can be observed at very low biochar concentrations. To test a variety of application amounts below 3 Mg biochar ha−1, we co-composted five different biochar concentrations (0, 3, 5, 10 kg Mg−1 compost. The biochar-containing compost was applied at five application rates (10, 50, 100, 150, 250 Mg ha−1 20 cm−1. Effects of compost addition on plant growth, Total Organic Carbon, Ntot, pH and soluble nutrients outweighed the effects of the minimal biochar amounts in the composted substrates so that a no effect level of biochar of at least 3 Mg ha−1 could be estimated.

  12. Probable Nootropicinduced Psychiatric Adverse Effects: A Series of Four Cases

    OpenAIRE

    Talih, Farid; Ajaltouni, Jean

    2015-01-01

    The misuse of nootropics—any substance that may alter, improve, or augment cognitive performance, mainly through the stimulation or inhibition of certain neurotransmitters—may potentially be dangerous and deleterious to the human brain, and certain individuals with a history of mental or substance use disorders might be particularly vulnerable to their adverse effects. We describe four cases of probable nootropic-induced psychiatric adverse effects to illustrate this theory. To the best of ou...

  13. First-In-Class Small Molecule ONC201 Induces DR5 and Cell Death in Tumor but Not Normal Cells to Provide a Wide Therapeutic Index as an Anti-Cancer Agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Joshua E; Crowder, Roslyn N; Crowder, Roslyn; El-Deiry, Wafik S

    2015-01-01

    We previously identified ONC201 (TIC10) as a first-in-class orally active small molecule with robust antitumor activity that is currently in clinical trials in advanced cancers. Here, we further investigate the safety characteristics of ONC201 in preclinical models that reveal an excellent safety profile at doses that exceed efficacious doses by 10-fold. In vitro studies indicated a strikingly different dose-response relationship when comparing tumor and normal cells where maximal effects are much stronger in tumor cells than in normal cells. In further support of a wide therapeutic index, investigation of tumor and normal cell responses under identical conditions demonstrated large apoptotic effects in tumor cells and modest anti-proliferative effects in normal cells that were non-apoptotic and reversible. Probing the underlying mechanism of apoptosis indicated that ONC201 does not induce DR5 in normal cells under conditions that induce DR5 in tumor cells; DR5 is a pro-apoptotic TRAIL receptor previously linked to the anti-tumor mechanism of ONC201. GLP toxicology studies in Sprague-Dawley rats and beagle dogs at therapeutic and exaggerated doses revealed no dose-limiting toxicities. Observations in both species at the highest doses were mild and reversible at doses above 10-fold the expected therapeutic dose. The no observed adverse event level (NOAEL) was ≥42 mg/kg in dogs and ≥125 mg/kg in rats, which both correspond to a human dose of approximately 1.25 g assuming standard allometric scaling. These results provided the rationale for the 125 mg starting dose in dose escalation clinical trials that began in 2015 in patients with advanced cancer.

  14. First-In-Class Small Molecule ONC201 Induces DR5 and Cell Death in Tumor but Not Normal Cells to Provide a Wide Therapeutic Index as an Anti-Cancer Agent.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua E Allen

    Full Text Available We previously identified ONC201 (TIC10 as a first-in-class orally active small molecule with robust antitumor activity that is currently in clinical trials in advanced cancers. Here, we further investigate the safety characteristics of ONC201 in preclinical models that reveal an excellent safety profile at doses that exceed efficacious doses by 10-fold. In vitro studies indicated a strikingly different dose-response relationship when comparing tumor and normal cells where maximal effects are much stronger in tumor cells than in normal cells. In further support of a wide therapeutic index, investigation of tumor and normal cell responses under identical conditions demonstrated large apoptotic effects in tumor cells and modest anti-proliferative effects in normal cells that were non-apoptotic and reversible. Probing the underlying mechanism of apoptosis indicated that ONC201 does not induce DR5 in normal cells under conditions that induce DR5 in tumor cells; DR5 is a pro-apoptotic TRAIL receptor previously linked to the anti-tumor mechanism of ONC201. GLP toxicology studies in Sprague-Dawley rats and beagle dogs at therapeutic and exaggerated doses revealed no dose-limiting toxicities. Observations in both species at the highest doses were mild and reversible at doses above 10-fold the expected therapeutic dose. The no observed adverse event level (NOAEL was ≥42 mg/kg in dogs and ≥125 mg/kg in rats, which both correspond to a human dose of approximately 1.25 g assuming standard allometric scaling. These results provided the rationale for the 125 mg starting dose in dose escalation clinical trials that began in 2015 in patients with advanced cancer.

  15. No adverse effect of genetically modified antifungal wheat on decomposition dynamics and the soil fauna community--a field study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caroline Duc

    Full Text Available The cultivation of genetically modified (GM plants has raised several environmental concerns. One of these concerns regards non-target soil fauna organisms, which play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter and hence are largely exposed to GM plant residues. Soil fauna may be directly affected by transgene products or indirectly by pleiotropic effects such as a modified plant metabolism. Thus, ecosystem services and functioning might be affected negatively. In a litterbag experiment in the field we analysed the decomposition process and the soil fauna community involved. Therefore, we used four experimental GM wheat varieties, two with a race-specific antifungal resistance against powdery mildew (Pm3b and two with an unspecific antifungal resistance based on the expression of chitinase and glucanase. We compared them with two non-GM isolines and six conventional cereal varieties. To elucidate the mechanisms that cause differences in plant decomposition, structural plant components (i.e. C∶N ratio, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose were examined and soil properties, temperature and precipitation were monitored. The most frequent taxa extracted from decaying plant material were mites (Cryptostigmata, Gamasina and Uropodina, springtails (Isotomidae, annelids (Enchytraeidae and Diptera (Cecidomyiidae larvae. Despite a single significant transgenic/month interaction for Cecidomyiidae larvae, which is probably random, we detected no impact of the GM wheat on the soil fauna community. However, soil fauna differences among conventional cereal varieties were more pronounced than between GM and non-GM wheat. While leaf residue decomposition in GM and non-GM wheat was similar, differences among conventional cereals were evident. Furthermore, sampling date and location were found to greatly influence soil fauna community and decomposition processes. The results give no indication of ecologically relevant adverse effects of antifungal GM

  16. No adverse effect of genetically modified antifungal wheat on decomposition dynamics and the soil fauna community--a field study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duc, Caroline; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Lindfeld, Andreas

    2011-01-01

    The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) plants has raised several environmental concerns. One of these concerns regards non-target soil fauna organisms, which play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter and hence are largely exposed to GM plant residues. Soil fauna may be directly affected by transgene products or indirectly by pleiotropic effects such as a modified plant metabolism. Thus, ecosystem services and functioning might be affected negatively. In a litterbag experiment in the field we analysed the decomposition process and the soil fauna community involved. Therefore, we used four experimental GM wheat varieties, two with a race-specific antifungal resistance against powdery mildew (Pm3b) and two with an unspecific antifungal resistance based on the expression of chitinase and glucanase. We compared them with two non-GM isolines and six conventional cereal varieties. To elucidate the mechanisms that cause differences in plant decomposition, structural plant components (i.e. C∶N ratio, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose) were examined and soil properties, temperature and precipitation were monitored. The most frequent taxa extracted from decaying plant material were mites (Cryptostigmata, Gamasina and Uropodina), springtails (Isotomidae), annelids (Enchytraeidae) and Diptera (Cecidomyiidae larvae). Despite a single significant transgenic/month interaction for Cecidomyiidae larvae, which is probably random, we detected no impact of the GM wheat on the soil fauna community. However, soil fauna differences among conventional cereal varieties were more pronounced than between GM and non-GM wheat. While leaf residue decomposition in GM and non-GM wheat was similar, differences among conventional cereals were evident. Furthermore, sampling date and location were found to greatly influence soil fauna community and decomposition processes. The results give no indication of ecologically relevant adverse effects of antifungal GM wheat on the

  17. Pretreatment Predictors of Adverse Radiation Effects After Radiosurgery for Arteriovenous Malformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayhurst, Caroline; Monsalves, Eric; Prooijen, Monique van; Cusimano, Michael; Tsao, May; Menard, Cynthia; Kulkarni, Abhaya V.; Schwartz, Michael; Zadeh, Gelareh

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To identify vascular and dosimetric predictors of symptomatic T2 signal change and adverse radiation effects after radiosurgery for arteriovenous malformation, in order to define and validate preexisting risk models. Methods and Materials: A total of 125 patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVM) were treated at our institution between 2005 and 2009. Eighty-five patients have at least 12 months of clinical and radiological follow-up. Any new-onset headaches, new or worsening seizures, or neurological deficit were considered adverse events. Follow-up magnetic resonance images were assessed for new onset T2 signal change and the volume calculated. Pretreatment characteristics and dosimetric variables were analyzed to identify predictors of adverse radiation effects. Results: There were 19 children and 66 adults in the study cohort, with a mean age of 34 (range 6–74). Twenty-three (27%) patients suffered adverse radiation effects (ARE), 9 patients with permanent neurological deficit (10.6%). Of these, 5 developed fixed visual field deficits. Target volume and 12 Gy volume were the most significant predictors of adverse radiation effects on univariate analysis (p 3 , above which the rate of ARE increased dramatically. Multivariate analysis target volume and the absence of prior hemorrhage are the only significant predictors of ARE. The volume of T2 signal change correlates to ARE, but only target volume is predictive of a higher volume of T2 signal change. Conclusions: Target volume and the absence of prior hemorrhage is the most accurate predictor of adverse radiation effects and complications after radiosurgery for AVMs. A high percentage of permanent visual field defects in this series suggest the optic radiation is a critical radiosensitive structure.

  18. The Effect of a Surgical Skills Course on Confidence Levels of Rural General Practitioners: An Observational Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrd, Pippa; Ward, Olga; Hamdorf, Jeffrey

    2016-10-01

    Objective  To investigate the effect of a short surgical skills course on general practitioners' confidence levels to perform procedural skills. Design  Prospective observational study. Setting  The Clinical Evaluation and Training Centre, a practical skills-based educational facility, at The University of Western Australia. Participants  Medical practitioners who participated in these courses. Nurses, physiotherapists, and medical students were excluded. The response rate was 61% with 61 participants providing 788 responses for pre- and postcourse confidence levels regarding various surgical skills. Intervention  One- to two-day surgical skills courses consisting of presentations, demonstrations, and practical stations, facilitated by specialists. Main Outcome Measures  A two-page precourse and postcourse questionnaire was administered to medical practitioners on the day. Participants rated their confidence levels to perform skills addressed during the course on a 4-point Likert scale. Results  Of the 788 responses regarding confidence levels, 621 were rated as improved postcourse, 163 were rated as no change, and 4 were rated as lower postcourse. Seven of the courses showed a 25% median increase in confidence levels, and one course demonstrated a 50% median increase. All courses showed statistically significant results ( p  skills course resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the confidence levels of rural general practitioners to perform these skills.

  19. Adverse Events Associated with Methimazole Therapy of Graves' Disease in Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerry Stephenson

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the pediatric population. Antithyroid medications used in children and adults include propylthiouracil (PTU and methimazole (MMI. At our center we have routinely used MMI for Graves' disease therapy. Our goals are to provide insights into adverse events that can be associated with MMI use. Methods. We reviewed the adverse events associated with MMI use in our last one hundred consecutive pediatric patients treated with this medication. Results. The range in the patient age was 3.5 to 18 years. The patients were treated with an average daily dose of MMI of 0.3±0.2 mg/kg/day. Adverse events attributed to the use of the medication were seen in 19 patients at 17±7 weeks of therapy. The most common side effects included pruritus and hives, which were seen in 8 patients. Three patients developed diffuse arthralgia and joint pain. Two patients developed neutropenia. Three patients developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome, requiring hospitalization in 1 child. Cholestatic jaundice was observed in 1 patient. No specific risk-factors for the development of adverse events were identified. Conclusions. MMI use in children is associated with a low but real risk of minor and major side effects.

  20. Late adverse effects of radiation therapy for rectal cancer - a systematic overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birgisson, Helgi; Paahlman, Lars; Gunnarsson, Ulf; Glimelius, Bengt

    2007-01-01

    Purpose. The use of radiation therapy (RT) together with improvement in the surgical treatment of rectal cancer improves survival and reduces the risk for local recurrences. Despite these benefits, the adverse effects of radiation therapy limit its use. The aim of this review was to present a comprehensive overview of published studies on late adverse effects related to the RT for rectal cancer. Methods. Meta-analyses, reviews, randomised clinical trials, cohort studies and case-control studies on late adverse effects, due to pre- or postoperative radiation therapy and chemo-radiotherapy for rectal cancer, were systematically searched. Most information was obtained from the randomised trials, especially those comparing preoperative short-course 5x5 Gy radiation therapy with surgery alone. Results. The late adverse effects due to RT were bowel obstructions; bowel dysfunction presented as faecal incontinence to gas, loose or solid stools, evacuation problems or urgency; and sexual dysfunction. However, fewer late adverse effects were reported in recent studies, which generally used smaller irradiated volumes and better irradiation techniques; although, one study revealed an increased risk for secondary cancers in irradiated patients. Conclusions. These results stress the importance of careful patient selection for RT for rectal cancer. Improvements in the radiation technique should further be developed and the long-term follow-up of the randomised trials is the most important source of information on late adverse effects and should therefore be continued

  1. Late adverse effects of radiation therapy for rectal cancer - a systematic overview

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Birgisson, Helgi; Paahlman, Lars; Gunnarsson, Ulf [Dept. of Surgery, Univ. Hospital, Univ. of Uppsala, Uppsala (Sweden); Glimelius, Bengt [Dept. of Oncology, Radiology and Clinical Immunology, Univ. Hospital, Univ. of Uppsala, Uppsala (Sweden); Dept. of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)

    2007-05-15

    Purpose. The use of radiation therapy (RT) together with improvement in the surgical treatment of rectal cancer improves survival and reduces the risk for local recurrences. Despite these benefits, the adverse effects of radiation therapy limit its use. The aim of this review was to present a comprehensive overview of published studies on late adverse effects related to the RT for rectal cancer. Methods. Meta-analyses, reviews, randomised clinical trials, cohort studies and case-control studies on late adverse effects, due to pre- or postoperative radiation therapy and chemo-radiotherapy for rectal cancer, were systematically searched. Most information was obtained from the randomised trials, especially those comparing preoperative short-course 5x5 Gy radiation therapy with surgery alone. Results. The late adverse effects due to RT were bowel obstructions; bowel dysfunction presented as faecal incontinence to gas, loose or solid stools, evacuation problems or urgency; and sexual dysfunction. However, fewer late adverse effects were reported in recent studies, which generally used smaller irradiated volumes and better irradiation techniques; although, one study revealed an increased risk for secondary cancers in irradiated patients. Conclusions. These results stress the importance of careful patient selection for RT for rectal cancer. Improvements in the radiation technique should further be developed and the long-term follow-up of the randomised trials is the most important source of information on late adverse effects and should therefore be continued.

  2. [Adverse Effect Predictions Based on Computational Toxicology Techniques and Large-scale Databases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uesawa, Yoshihiro

    2018-01-01

     Understanding the features of chemical structures related to the adverse effects of drugs is useful for identifying potential adverse effects of new drugs. This can be based on the limited information available from post-marketing surveillance, assessment of the potential toxicities of metabolites and illegal drugs with unclear characteristics, screening of lead compounds at the drug discovery stage, and identification of leads for the discovery of new pharmacological mechanisms. This present paper describes techniques used in computational toxicology to investigate the content of large-scale spontaneous report databases of adverse effects, and it is illustrated with examples. Furthermore, volcano plotting, a new visualization method for clarifying the relationships between drugs and adverse effects via comprehensive analyses, will be introduced. These analyses may produce a great amount of data that can be applied to drug repositioning.

  3. Adverse effects as a consequence of being the subject of orthopaedic manual therapy training, a worldwide retrospective survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thoomes-de Graaf, M; Thoomes, E; Carlesso, L; Kerry, R; Rushton, A

    2017-06-01

    Physical therapists (PTs) use a range of manual therapy techniques developed to an advanced level through postgraduate orthopaedic manipulative physical therapy (OMPT) programmes. The aim of this study was to describe the adverse effects experienced by students after having techniques performed on them as part of their OMPT training. A descriptive online survey of current students and recent graduates (≤5 years)m of OMPT programmes across the 22 Member Organisations of the International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists. The questionnaire was completed by 1640 respondents across 22 countries (1263 graduates, 377 students. Some 60% of respondents reported never having experienced adverse effects during their manual therapy training. Of the 40% who did, 66.4% reported neck pain, 50.9% headache and 32% low back pain. Most reports of neck pain started after a manipulation and/or mobilisation, of which 53.4% lasted ≤24 h, 38.1% > 24 h but <3 months and 13.7% still experienced neck pain to date. A small percentage of respondents (3.3%) reported knowing of a fellow student experiencing a major adverse effect. Mild to moderate adverse effects after practising manual therapy techniques are commonly reported, but usually resolve within 24 h. However, this survey has identified the reported occurrence of major adverse effects that warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effects of chocolate-based products intake on blood glucose, insulin and ghrelin levels and on satiety in young people: a cross-over experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cai-Xia; Long, Wei-Qing; Ye, Yan-Bin; Lu, Min-Shan; Zhang, Nai-Qi; Xu, Ming; Huang, Jing; Su, Yi-Xiang

    2018-02-19

    This cross-over experimental study aimed to examine the effects of filled chocolate consumption on blood glucose, insulin and ghrelin levels in 20 volunteers. After a one-week run-in period, study participants consumed two chocolate-based products, the tested biscuit or water for 21 days as a morning snack. After a two-week wash-out period, participants consumed another tested food for another 21 days. Each participant consumed all four test foods within an 18-week period. The participants' blood insulin increased slowly after two chocolate-based products intakes on the first day and satiety levels after eating chocolate-based products and the tested biscuit were the same. Chocolate consumption for three weeks had no adverse effects on blood glucose, insulin or ghrelin levels. In conclusion, compared to eating the tested biscuit, 21-day consumption of the tested chocolate-based products had no adverse effects on the blood glucose, insulin and ghrelin levels. This trial is registered with chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR-IOR-16009525.

  5. Evidence for a neural dual-process account for adverse effects of cognitive control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zink, Nicolas; Stock, Ann-Kathrin; Colzato, Lorenza; Beste, Christian

    2018-06-09

    Advantageous effects of cognitive control are well-known, but cognitive control may also have adverse effects, for example when it suppresses the implicit processing of stimulus-response (S-R) bindings that could benefit task performance. Yet, the neurophysiological and functional neuroanatomical structures associated with adverse effects of cognitive control are poorly understood. We used an extreme group approach to compare individuals who exhibit adverse effects of cognitive control to individuals who do not by combining event-related potentials (ERPs), source localization, time-frequency analysis and network analysis methods. While neurophysiological correlates of cognitive control (i.e. N2, N450, theta power and theta-mediated neuronal network efficiency) and task-set updating (P3) both reflect control demands and implicit information processing, differences in the degree of adverse cognitive control effects are associated with two independent neural mechanisms: Individuals, who show adverse behavioral effects of cognitive control, show reduced small-world properties and thus reduced efficiency in theta-modulated networks when they fail to effectively process implicit information. In contrast to this, individuals who do not display adverse control effects show enhanced task-set updating mechanism when effectively processing implicit information, which is reflected by the P3 ERP component and associated with the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ, BA 40) and medial frontal gyrus (MFG; BA 8). These findings suggest that implicit S-R contingencies, which benefit response selection without cognitive control, are always 'picked up', but may fail to be integrated with task representations to guide response selection. This provides evidence for a neurophysiological and functional neuroanatomical "dual-process" account of adverse cognitive control effects.

  6. Stabilized Polymer Micelles for the Development of IT-147, an Epothilone D Drug-Loaded Formulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Carie

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Epothilones have demonstrated promising potential for oncology applications but suffer from a narrow therapeutic window. Epothilone D stabilizes microtubules leading to apoptosis, is active against multidrug-resistant cells, and is efficacious in animal tumor models despite lack of stability in rodent plasma. Clinical development was terminated in phase II due to dose limiting toxicities near the efficacious dose. Taken together, this made epothilone D attractive for encapsulation in a stabilized polymer micelle for improved safety and efficacy. We have designed a library of triblock copolymers to develop IT-147, a lead formulation of epothilone D that extends plasma circulation for accumulation in the tumor environment, and potentially decrease systemic exposure to reduce dose limiting toxicities. The drug loading efficiency for IT-147 exceeds 90%, is 75 nm in diameter, and demonstrates pH-dependent release of epothilone D without chemical conjugation or enzymatic activation. Administration of IT-147 at 20 mg/kg increases exposure of epothilone D to the plasma compartment over 6-fold compared to free drug. At the same dose, 20 mg/kg epothilone D from IT-147 is considered the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL but is the maximum tolerated dose for free drug. Consequently, IT-147 is positioned to be a safer, more effective means to deliver epothilone D.

  7. Safety assessment of boron by application of new uncertainty factors and their subdivision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Ryuichi; Hirata-Koizumi, Mutsuko; Dourson, Michael L; Parker, Ann; Ono, Atsushi; Hirose, Akihiko

    2013-02-01

    The available toxicity information for boron was reevaluated and four appropriate toxicity studies were selected in order to derive a tolerable daily intake (TDI) using newly proposed uncertainty factors (UFs) presented in Hasegawa et al. (2010). No observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) of 17.5 and 8.8 mgB/kg/day for the critical effect of testicular toxicity were found in 2-year rat and dog feeding studies. Also, the 95% lower confidence limit of the benchmark doses for 5% reduction of fetal body weight (BMDL(05)) was calculated as 44.9 and 10.3 mgB/kg/day in mouse and rat developmental toxicity studies, respectively. Measured values available for differences in boron clearance between rats and humans and variability in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in pregnant women were used to derive chemical specific UFs. For the remaining uncertainty, newly proposed default UFs, which were derived from the latest applicable information with a probabilistic approach, and their subdivided factors for toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic variability were applied. Finally, overall UFs were calculated as 68 for rat testicular toxicity, 40 for dog testicular toxicity, 247 for mouse developmental toxicity and 78 for rat developmental toxicity. It is concluded that 0.13 mgB/kg/day is the most appropriate TDI for boron, based on rat developmental toxicity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Safety assessment of consumption of glabrous canary seed (Phalaris canariensis L.) in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnuson, B A; Patterson, C A; Hucl, P; Newkirk, R W; Ram, J I; Classen, H L

    2014-01-01

    Canary seed is a nutrient-rich cereal grain; however, it has not been used in human food in part due to concerns regarding safety of consumption. Glabrous or hairless canary seed has potential human food use as trichomes are absent. The objective of the oral feeding studies reported here was to assess the safety of yellow and brown glabrous canary seed cultivars as human cereal foods. The first study was a 90-day rat oral toxicity study, which compared the effects of diets containing 50% of either brown dehulled glabrous, brown hulled glabrous, or brown hulled pubescent (hairy) hulled canary seed to a diet containing 50% wheat. No significant adverse effects were observed. In a 28-day and a 90-day study rats were fed yellow or brown glabrous canary seed groats in the AIN-76 diet at concentrations levels of 2.5%, 5% and 10%. The NOAELs in 90-day study were 5.15 g/kg/d and 5.23 g/kg/d for yellow and brown canary seed groats. Consumption of canary seed was associated with reduced incidence and severity of liver lipidosis as compared to controls. The combined results of these studies clearly demonstrate the safety of consumption of glabrous canary seed, and support its use as a human cereal grain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Adverse effects of plant food supplements and botanical preparations: a systematic review with critical evaluation of causality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Lorenzo, Chiara; Ceschi, Alessandro; Kupferschmidt, Hugo; Lüde, Saskia; De Souza Nascimento, Elizabeth; Dos Santos, Ariana; Colombo, Francesca; Frigerio, Gianfranco; Nørby, Karin; Plumb, Jenny; Finglas, Paul; Restani, Patrizia

    2015-04-01

    The objective of this review was to collect available data on the following: (i) adverse effects observed in humans from the intake of plant food supplements or botanical preparations; (ii) the misidentification of poisonous plants; and (iii) interactions between plant food supplements/botanicals and conventional drugs or nutrients. PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase were searched from database inception to June 2014, using the terms 'adverse effect/s', 'poisoning/s', 'plant food supplement/s', 'misidentification/s' and 'interaction/s' in combination with the relevant plant name. All papers were critically evaluated according to the World Health Organization Guidelines for causality assessment. Data were obtained for 66 plants that are common ingredients of plant food supplements; of the 492 papers selected, 402 (81.7%) dealt with adverse effects directly associated with the botanical and 89 (18.1%) concerned interactions with conventional drugs. Only one case was associated with misidentification. Adverse effects were reported for 39 of the 66 botanical substances searched. Of the total references, 86.6% were associated with 14 plants, including Glycine max/soybean (19.3%), Glycyrrhiza glabra/liquorice (12.2%), Camellia sinensis/green tea ( 8.7%) and Ginkgo biloba/gingko (8.5%). Considering the length of time examined and the number of plants included in the review, it is remarkable that: (i) the adverse effects due to botanical ingredients were relatively infrequent, if assessed for causality; and (ii) the number of severe clinical reactions was very limited, but some fatal cases have been described. Data presented in this review were assessed for quality in order to make the results maximally useful for clinicians in identifying or excluding deleterious effects of botanicals. © 2014 The British Pharmacological Society.

  10. [Observation on analgesia effect of electroacupuncture during gynecologic outpatient operation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao-Hui; Wu, Xue-Lei; Jin, Ping-Lin; Wang, Lu-Dong; Zhao, Zhi-En; Qin, Xue-Yu; Zhang, Zhi-Yan; Hu, Xue-Zhu; Cai, Zhen-Lin

    2012-10-01

    To verify the feasibility of electroacupuncture analgesia applied to gynecologic outpatient operation. Two hundred patients were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture analgesia group and an intravenous anesthesia group, 100 cases in each group. Operation types included artificial abortion, diagnostic curettage and remove of intrauterine divice. The electroacupuncture analgesia group was treated with electroacupuncture at bilateral Hegu (LI 4) and Neiguan (PC 6), and the routine gynecologic outpatient operation was performed under patients' waking state. The intravenous anesthesia group was treated with routine gynecologic outpatient operation after intravenous injection of fentanyl and propofol. The excellent rate and the effective rate of analgesia were 88.0% (88/100) and 100.0% (100/100) in the electroacupuncture analgesia group, and 94.0% (94/100) and 100.0% (100/100) in the intravenous anesthesia group, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups (all P > 0.05). There was no adverse reaction in the electroacupuncture anesthesia group, but 11 cases of adverse reactions in the intravenous anesthesia group. Electroacupuncture analgesia can effectively alleviate the pain during gynecologic outpatient operation and it is simple and safe without adverse reactions.

  11. Study of a 13-weeks, Repeated, Intramuscular Dose, Toxicity Test of Sweet Bee Venom in Sprague-Dawley Rats

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    Hyunmin Kang

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Objectives:This study was performed to analyze a 13-week repeated dose toxicity test of Sweet Bee Venom (SBV extracted from bee venom and administered in Sprague-Dawley (SD rats. Methods:Male and female 5-week-old SD rats were treated once daily with SBV (high-dosage group: 0.28 mg/kg; medium-dosage group: 0.14 mg/kg; or low-dosage group: 0.07 mg/kg for 13 weeks. Normal saline was administered to the control group in a similar manner (0.2 mL/kg. We conducted clinical observations, body weight measurements, ophthalmic examinations, urinalyses, hematology and biochemistry tests, and histological observations using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E staining to identify any abnormalities caused by the SBV treatment. Results:During this study, no mortality was observed in any of the experimental groups. Hyperemia and a movement disorder were observed around the area of in all groups that received SBV treatment, with a higher occurrence in rats treated with a higher dosage. Male rats receiving in the high-dosage group showed a significant decrease in weight during the treatment period. Compared to the control group, no significant changes in the ophthalmic parameters, the urine analyses, the complete blood cell count (CBC, and the biochemistry in the groups treated with SBV. Compared to the control group, some changes in organ weights were observed in the medium-and the high-dosage groups, but the low-dosage group showed no significant changes. Histological examination of thigh muscle indicated cell infiltration, inflammation, degeneration, and necrosis of muscle fiber, as well as fibrosis, in both the medium- and the high-dosage groups. Fatty liver change was observed in the periportal area of rats receiving medium and high dosages of SBV. No other organ abnormalities were observed. Conclusion:Our findings suggest that the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL of SBV is approximately 0.07 mg/kg in male and female SD rats.

  12. Cancer screening in Portugal: sex differences in prevalence, awareness of organized programmes and perception of benefits and adverse effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Ana Rute; Silva, Susana; Moura-Ferreira, Pedro; Villaverde-Cabral, Manuel; Santos, Osvaldo; Carmo, Isabel do; Barros, Henrique; Lunet, Nuno

    2017-04-01

    Cancer screening has contributed to downward trends in cancer mortality, but is also associated with adverse effects, which highlights the importance of promoting the participation based on informed decisions. We aimed to describe the use of cancer screening (either in organized programmes or as opportunistic screening), awareness of organized programmes and perception of its potential benefits and adverse effects, depicting possible sex differences. We evaluated 1624 Portuguese-speaking dwellers, aged between 16 and 79 years, through face-to-face interviews. To quantify sex differences, adjusted prevalence ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals were computed using Poisson regression. Among eligible age groups, the lifetime prevalence of screening for breast and cervical cancers was 89.8 and 71.9%, respectively. The prevalence was 23.7% for colorectal cancer and no significant sex differences were observed. Prostate cancer screening was reported by 63.8% of men. Over half of the participants referred that cancers such as prostate, skin, lung and stomach should be screened for, in addition to those for which organized programmes are recommended. Reassurance by negative results was identified as the main potential benefit of screening by nearly one-third of men and women. Anxiety while waiting for results was the most mentioned potential adverse effect (60.4%); men refer less often this and financial costs, although statistical significance of these results was borderline. This study provides a benchmark to plan and monitor the effects of awareness-raising interventions, as well as for international comparisons across countries with different cancer prevention and control structures. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Effects of Video Games on the Adverse Corollaries of Chemotherapy in Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Single-Case Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolko, David J.; Rickard-Figueroa, Jorge L.

    1985-01-01

    Assessed effects of video games on adverse corollaries of chemotherapy in three pediatric oncology patients. Results indicated that access to video games resulted in reduction in the number of anticipatory symptoms experienced and observed, as well as a diminution in the aversiveness of chemotherapy side effects. (Author/NRB)

  14. Toxicological evaluation and metabolism of two N-alkyl benzamide umami flavour compounds: N-(heptan-4-ylbenzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carboxamide and (R-N-(1-methoxy-4-methylpentan-2-yl-3,4-dimethylbenzamide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donald S. Karanewsky

    Full Text Available Toxicological evaluations of two N-alkyl benzamide umami flavour compounds, N-(heptan-4-ylbenzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carboxamide (S807, CAS 745047-51-2 and (R-N-(1-methoxy-4-methylpentan-2-yl-3,4-dimethylbenzamide (S9229, CAS 851669-60-8, were completed for the purpose of assessing their safety for use in food and beverage applications. Both S807 and S9229 undergo rapid oxidative metabolism by both rat and human liver microsomes in vitro. In pharmacokinetic studies in rats, the systemic exposure to S9229 on oral administration is very low at all doses (% F < 1%, while that of S807 demonstrated a non-linear dose dependence. In metabolism studies in rats, hydroxylation of the C-4 aryl methyl group was found to be the dominant metabolic pathway for S9229. The dominant metabolic pathway for S807 in the rat involved oxidative scission of the methylenedioxy moiety to produce the corresponding 3,4-dihydroxybenamide which is further converted by Phase II metabolic enzymes to the 3- and 4-O-methyl ethers as well as their corresponding glucuronides. Both S807 and S9229 were not found to be mutagenic or clastogenic in vitro, and did not induce micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes in vivo. In a subchronic oral toxicity study in rats, the no-observed-effect-level (NOEL for S807 was 20 mg/kg bw/day when administered in the diet for 13 weeks. The no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL for S9229 in rats was 100 mg/kg bw/day (highest dose tested when administered in the diet for 28 consecutive days. Keywords: S807, S9229, FEMA GRAS, Subchronic toxicological evaluation, Genetic toxicological evaluation

  15. Functions of Nitric Oxide (NO in Roots during Development and under Adverse Stress Conditions

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    Francisco J. Corpas

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The free radical molecule, nitric oxide (NO, is present in the principal organs of plants, where it plays an important role in a wide range of physiological functions. Root growth and development are highly regulated by both internal and external factors such as nutrient availability, hormones, pattern formation, cell polarity and cell cycle control. The presence of NO in roots has opened up new areas of research on the role of NO, including root architecture, nutrient acquisition, microorganism interactions and the response mechanisms to adverse environmental conditions, among others. Additionally, the exogenous application of NO throughout the roots has the potential to counteract specific damages caused by certain stresses. This review aims to provide an up-to-date perspective on NO functions in the roots of higher plants.

  16. Undiagnosed metabolic syndrome and other adverse effects among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    patients with metabolic syndrome,[9] this is a serious adverse effect of which the .... and Toronto Nocturnal Hypersalivation Scale (TNHS).[15] The presence ..... Positive and negative symptoms in affected sib pairs with schizophrenia: ...

  17. Periodontal treatment during pregnancy decreases the rate of adverse pregnancy outcome: a controlled clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Campos Passanezi Sant'Ana

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of non-surgical treatment of periodontal disease during the second trimester of gestation on adverse pregnancy outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pregnant patients during the 1st and 2nd trimesters at antenatal care in a Public Health Center were divided into 2 groups: NIG - "no intervention" (n=17 or IG- "intervention" (n=16. IG patients were submitted to a non-surgical periodontal treatment performed by a single periodontist consisting of scaling and root planning (SRP, professional prophylaxis (PROPH and oral hygiene instruction (OHI. NIG received PROPH and OHI during pregnancy and were referred for treatment after delivery. Periodontal evaluation was performed by a single trained examiner, blinded to periodontal treatment, according to probing depth (PD, clinical attachment level (CAL, plaque index (PI and sulcular bleeding index (SBI at baseline and 35 gestational weeks-28 days post-partum. Primary adverse pregnancy outcomes were preterm birth (0.05 at IG and worsening of all periodontal parameters at NIG (p<0.0001, except for PI. Signifcant differences in periodontal conditions of IG and NIG were observed at 2nd examination (p<0.001. The rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes was 47.05% in NIG and 6.25% in IG. Periodontal treatment during pregnancy was associated to a decreased risk of developing adverse pregnancy outcomes [OR=13.50; CI: 1.47-123.45; p=0.02]. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal treatment during the second trimester of gestation contributes to decrease adverse pregnancy outcomes.

  18. Comparison of effectiveness and adverse effects of gefitinib, erlotinib and icotinib among patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A network meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Yu; Feng, Gangling; Niu, Qiang; Xu, Shangzhi; Yan, Yizhong; Li, Shugang; Jing, Mingxia

    2017-11-01

    The present network meta-analysis aimed to compare the effectiveness and adverse effects of gefitinib, erlotinib and icotinib in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Two reviewers searched the Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals and Wanfang databases for relevant studies. Studies were then screened and evaluated, and data was extracted. End-points evaluated for NSCLC included complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), progressive disease (PD), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), median survival time (MST) and adverse effects, including rash, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and abnormal liver function. For the analysis of incorporated studies, RevMan, SPSS, R and Stata software were used. A total of 43 studies with 7,168 patients were included in the network meta-analysis. No significant differences were observed in CR, PR, SD, PD, ORR or DCR between gefitinib, erlotinib and icotinib by using network meta analysis. Compared with gefitinib, erlotinib resulted in a higher rate of nausea and vomiting [adjusted odds ratio (OR)=2.0; 95% credible interval, 1.1-3.7]. However, no significant differences were observed in the rates of rash, diarrhea, fatigue or abnormal liver function using network meta-analysis. Compared with erlotinib, gefitinib resulted in a lower SD rate [OR=0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75-0.99; P=0.04], and lower rates of rash (OR=0.45; 95% CI, 0.36-0.55; Panalysis of two congruent drugs. However, gefitinib resulted in a higher rate of rash compared with icotinib (OR=1.57; 95% CI, 1.18-2.09; P=0.002). Otherwise, no significant differences were observed in CR, PR, PD, ORR, DCR and abnormal liver function between gefitinib, erlotinib and icotinib through meta-analysis of two congruent drugs. The PFS rate for gefitinib, erlotinib and icotinib

  19. Analgesic efficacy, adverse effects, and safety of oxycodone administered as continuous intravenous infusion in patients after total hip arthroplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olczak B

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Bogumił Olczak,1 Grzegorz Kowalski,1,2 Wojciech Leppert,2 Iwona Zaporowska-Stachowiak,3 Katarzyna Wieczorowska-Tobis2 1Department of Anesthesiology, Józef Struś Multiprofile Municipal Hospital, 2Department of Palliative Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 3Department of Pharmacology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA causes extensive tissue damage and severe pain. This study aimed to assess the analgesic efficacy, adverse effects (AEs, and safety of continuous intravenous (iv oxycodone infusion with ketoprofen (injected into the iv line in patients after THA, and to assay serum oxycodone levels.Patients and methods: Fourteen patients, aged 59‒82 years with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA classification I or III, underwent THA with intrathecal analgesia and sedation induced by iv propofol. After the surgery, oxycodone (continuous iv infusion at a dose of 1 mg/h (five patients or 2 mg/h (nine patients with 100 mg ketoprofen (injected into the iv line was administered to each patient every 12 h. Pain was assessed using a numerical rating scale (NRS: 0 – no pain, 10 – the most severe pain at rest and during movement. AEs, including hemodynamic unsteadiness, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, cognitive impairment, and respiratory depression, were registered during the first 24 h after surgery.Results: Oxycodone (continuous iv infusion at a dose of 2 mg/h with ketoprofen (100 mg administered every 12 h provided satisfactory analgesia in all nine patients without the need of rescue analgesics within the first 24 h after THA. In three out of five patients, oxycodone at 1 mg/h was effective. Oxycodone did not induce drowsiness, vomiting, pruritus, respiratory depression, or changes in blood pressure. Bradycardia appeared in two patients, and nausea was observed in one patient.Conclusion: Oxycodone infusion with ketoprofen administered by iv is effective in patients after THA

  20. Adverse CNS-effects of beta-adrenoceptor blockers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleiter, C H; Deckert, J

    1996-11-01

    In 1962 propranolol, the first beta adrenoceptor antagonist (beta blocker), was brought on to the market. There is now a host of different beta blockers available, and these compounds are among the most commonly prescribed groups of drugs. The efficacy of beta blockers has been proven predominantly for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Beta blockers are also used for certain types of CNS disorders, such as anxiety disorders, essential tremor and migraine. While low toxicity means that they have a favorable risk-benefit ratio, given the high intensity of use, it is essential to have a comprehensive knowledge of adverse events. Adverse events of beta blockers that can be related to the CNS are quite often neglected, even in textbooks of clinical pharmacology or review articles, and thus often misdiagnosed. The following article, therefore, after summarizing the use of beta blockers for CNS indications, critically reviews the literature on centrally mediated adverse events. General pharmacological features of beta blockers and their molecular basis of action will briefly be addressed to the extent that they are or may become relevant for central nervous pharmacotherapy and side-effects.

  1. Repeated Intramuscular-dose Toxicity Test of Water-soluble Carthami Flos (WCF Pharmacopuncture in Sprague-Dawley Rats

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    Yoo-min Choi

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Water-soluble carthami flos (WCF is a new mixture of Carthami flos (CF pharmacopuncture. We conducted a 4-week toxicity test of repeated intramuscular injections of WCF in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: Forty male and 40 female rats were divided into 4 groups of 10 male and 10 female SD rats: The control group received 0.5 mL/animal/day of normal saline whereas the three experimental groups received WCF at doses of 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mL/animal/day, respectively. For 4 weeks, the solutions were injected into the femoral muscle of the rats alternating from side to side. Clinical signs, body weights, and food consumption were observed; opthalmological examinations and urinalyses were performed. On day 29, blood samples were taken for hematological and clinical chemistry analyses. Then, necropsy was conducted in all animals to observe weights and external and histopathological changes in the bodily organs. All data were tested using a statistical analysis system (SAS. Results: No deaths were observed. Temporary irregular respiration was observed in male rats of the experimental group for the first 10 days. Body weights, food consumptions, opthalmological examinations, urinalyses, clinical chemistry analyses, organ weights and necropsy produced no findings with toxicological meaning. In the hematological analysis, delay of prothrombin time (PT was observed in male rats of the 0.25- and the 0.5-mL/animal/day groups. In the histopathological test, a dose-dependent inflammatory cell infiltration into the fascia and panniculitis in perimuscular tissues was observed in all animals of the experimental groups. However, those symptoms were limited to local injection points. No toxicological meanings, except localized changes, were noted. Conclusion: WCF solution has no significant toxicological meaning, but does produce localized symptoms. No observed adverse effect level (NOAEL of WCF in male and female rats is expected for doses over 0.5 mL/animal/day.

  2. On-Road Chemical Transformation as an Important Mechanism of NO2 Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) not only is linked with a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system, but also contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. NO2 levels near major roads have been monitored as part of the one...

  3. Evaluation of submarine atmospheres: effects of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxygen on general toxicology, neurobehavioral performance, reproduction and development in rats. I. Subacute exposures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardt, Daniel J; James, R Arden; Gut, Chester P; McInturf, Shawn M; Sweeney, Lisa M; Erickson, Richard P; Gargas, Michael L

    2015-02-01

    The inhalation toxicity of submarine contaminants is of concern to ensure the health of men and women aboard submarines during operational deployments. Due to a lack of adequate prior studies, potential general, neurobehavioral, reproductive and developmental toxicity was evaluated in male and female rats exposed to mixtures of three critical submarine atmospheric components: carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2; levels elevated above ambient), and oxygen (O2; levels decreased below ambient). In a 14-day, 23 h/day, whole-body inhalation study of exposure to clean air (0.4 ppm CO, 0.1% CO2 and 20.6% O2), low-dose, mid-dose and high-dose gas mixtures (high dose of 88.4 ppm CO, 2.5% CO2 and 15.0% O2), no adverse effects on survival, body weight or histopathology were observed. Reproductive, developmental and neurobehavioral performance were evaluated after a 28-day exposure in similar atmospheres. No adverse effects on estrus phase, mating, gestation or parturition were observed. No developmental or functional deficits were observed in either exposed parents or offspring related to motor activity, exploratory behavior or higher-level cognitive functions (learning and memory). Only minimal effects were discovered in parent-offspring emotionality tests. While statistically significant increases in hematological parameters were observed in the offspring of exposed parents compared to controls, these parameters remained within normal clinical ranges for blood cells and components and were not considered adverse. In summary, subacute exposures to elevated concentrations of the submarine atmosphere gases did not affect the ability of rats to reproduce and did not appear to have any significant adverse health effects.

  4. Periodontal treatment during pregnancy decreases the rate of adverse pregnancy outcome: a controlled clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sant'Ana, Adriana Campos Passanezi; Campos, Marinele R de; Passanezi, Selma Campos; Rezende, Maria Lúcia Rubo de; Greghi, Sebastião Luiz Aguiar; Passanezi, Euloir

    2011-04-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of non-surgical treatment of periodontal disease during the second trimester of gestation on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnant patients during the 1st and 2nd trimesters at antenatal care in a Public Health Center were divided into 2 groups: NIG--"no intervention" (n=17) or IG--"intervention" (n=16). IG patients were submitted to a non-surgical periodontal treatment performed by a single periodontist consisting of scaling and root planning (SRP), professional prophylaxis (PROPH) and oral hygiene instruction (OHI). NIG received PROPH and OHI during pregnancy and were referred for treatment after delivery. Periodontal evaluation was performed by a single trained examiner, blinded to periodontal treatment, according to probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index (PI) and sulcular bleeding index (SBI) at baseline and 35 gestational weeks-28 days post-partum. Primary adverse pregnancy outcomes were preterm birth (Periodontal treatment resulted in stabilization of CAL and PI (p>0.05) at IG and worsening of all periodontal parameters at NIG (pperiodontal conditions of IG and NIG were observed at 2nd examination (ppregnancy outcomes was 47.05% in NIG and 6.25% in IG. Periodontal treatment during pregnancy was associated to a decreased risk of developing adverse pregnancy outcomes [OR=13.50; CI: 1.47-123.45; p=0.02]. Periodontal treatment during the second trimester of gestation contributes to decrease adverse pregnancy outcomes.

  5. Psychiatric adverse effects of chloroquine

    OpenAIRE

    Anna Bogaczewicz; Tomasz Sobów

    2017-01-01

    Chloroquine is a prototype antimalarial drug, widely used in several branches of medicine. Antimalarial drugs are used in the treatment of various dermatological, immunological, rheumatological and infectious diseases. Examples of off-labelled indications for chloroquine analogues use include dermatomyositis, sarcoidosis, polymorphous light eruption, disseminated granuloma annulare and porfiria cutanea tarda. There is a relatively small number of adverse effects related to chloroquine anal...

  6. In Vivo and In Vitro Toxicity Evaluation of Polyprenols Extracted from Ginkgo biloba L. Leaves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng-Zhang Wang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Polyprenols of Ginkgo biloba L. leaves (GBP are a new type of lipid with 14–24 isoprenyl units, which in humans have strong bioactivity like the dolichols. A large amount of work showed that GBP had good antibacterial activity and powerful protective effects against acute hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride and alcohol, as well as antitumor activity, but the safety of GBP was not considered. The current study was designed to evaluate the toxicity of these polyprenols. Acute toxicity in mice was observed for 14 days after GBP oral dosing with 5, 7.5, 10, 15 and 21.5 g/kg body weight (b. wt. Further, an Ames toxicity assessment was carried out by plate incorporation assay on spontaneous revertant colonies of TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102, with GBP doses designed as 8, 40, 200, 1000 and 5000 μg/dish, and subchronic toxicity was evaluated in rats for 91 days at GBP doses of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg b. wt./day. The weight, food intake, hematological and biochemical indexes, the ratio of viscera/body weight, and histopathological examinations of tissue slices of organs were all investigated. The results showed that no animal behavior and appearance changes and mortality were seen during the observation period with 21.5 g/kg GBP dose in the acute toxicity test. Also, no mutagenicity effects were produced by GBP (mutation rate < 2 on the four standard Salmonella strains (p > 0.05 in the Ames toxicity test. Furthermore, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL of GBP was 2000 mg/kg for 91 days feeding of rats in the subchronic toxicity tests. Results also showed the hematological and biochemical indexes as well as histopathological examination changed within a small range, and all clinical observation indexes were normal. No other distinct impacts on cumulative growth of body weight, food intake and food utilization rate were discovered with GBP. No significant difference was discovered for the rats’ organ weight and the ratio of viscera

  7. Effects of spray drift of glyphosate on nontarget terrestrial plants-A critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cederlund, Harald

    2017-11-01

    Glyphosate is a widely used broad-spectrum postemergent herbicide used for weed control in both agricultural and nonagricultural settings. Spray drift of glyphosate can pose a risk to nontarget terrestrial plants and plant communities outside the intended area of application, but the lack of a well-established predicted-no-effect drift rate makes properly assessing such risk difficult. For this reason, a literature review and meta-analysis was carried out with the aim to determine the level of drift that is likely to cause harm to plants and to explore what spray-reducing targets would be sufficiently protective. No-observed-adverse effect rates, lowest-observed-adverse effect rates, and effect rates giving 10, 25, and 50% effects were extracted from a total of 39 different publications. The data were combined per species, and species sensitivity distributions were constructed and fitted with a log-logistic model to assess protectiveness. No systematic differences were detected between the responses of monocotyledons or dicotyledons, but wild plants were found to be generally less sensitive to glyphosate drift than domesticated plants. The results indicate that restricting spray drift to a level below 5 g a.e./ha would protect approximately 95% of all higher plant species against minor adverse effects of glyphosate drift and that rates below 1 to 2 g a.e./ha would be almost completely protective. No studies were encountered that evaluated effects of spray drift against nonvascular plants, and therefore, the conclusions are only valid for vascular plants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2879-2886. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  8. Adverse effect after external radiotherapy for brain tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshii, Yoshihiko; Takano, Shingo; Yanaka, Kiyoyuki

    1989-01-01

    This report discusses the effects on normal brain tissue of radiotherapy in relation to age and irradiation dose as determined from whole-brain sections of the autopsied brains with tumors. Twenty four patients (7 glioblastomas, 2 benign gliomas, 12 brain metastases, 2 malignant lymphomas, and 1 pituitary adenoma) older than 65 years (aged), and 17 younger than 65 years (non-aged) were treated by cobalt- or linear accelerator radiotherapy. Nine patients without brain disease (4 aged and 5 non-aged) were used as a control group. The histological findings were evaluated by grading the small and capillary vessels, fibrinoid necrosis, and myelination in the white matter in whole-brain sections. Those findings were compared to the irradiation doses within all radiation fields in whole-brain sections corresponding to CT scans. Hyalinization of the small vessels was observed within the postradiation 12 months in fields exposed to total doses of less than 800 neuret. Hyalinization of the capillary vessels was greater in the irradiated group than in the control group. Demyelination was observed within the postradiation 12 months in fields irradiated by more than 800 neuret in aged patients and in fields irradiated by less than 800 neuret in non-aged patients. Fibrinoid necrosis was observed after the post-radiation 12 months in fields irradiated by less than 800 neuret in aged patients and in fields irradiated by more than 800 neuret in non-aged patients. It is worth noting that in non-aged patients with brain tumors, adverse effects of radiotherapy on vessels and parenchyma were very high even in low-dose radiation areas; and in aged patients fibrinoid necrosis, which indicates irreversible damage of vessels, was observed in low-dose radiation areas. (author)

  9. A PROSPECTIVE, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF ADVERSE REACTIONS TO DRUG REGIME FOR MULTI-DRUG RESISTANT PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS IN CENTRAL INDIA.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Rohan C. Hire

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective: 1 To assess the adverse drug reactions of second line anti-tubercular drugs used to treat Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB in central India on the basis of causality, severity and avoidability scales. 2 To study the relationship of type of MDR TB (primary or secondary and presence of diabetes mellitus (DM with mean smear conversion time. Material and Methods: A prospective, observational study was carried out on diagnosed multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients enrolled for DOTS‑Plus regimen at TB and Chest Disease Department from January to December 2012. They were followed for 9 months thereafter and encountered adverse drug reactions (ADRs were noted along with the time of sputum conversion. The data were analysed by Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test and unpaired student’s‘t’ test. Results: Total 64 ADRs were reported in 55 patients out of total 110 patients (n = 110. As per the Naranjo causality assessment of ADRs, 7 patients had “definite” causal relation, 45 had “probable” causal relation and 3 had “possible” causal relation with drugs of DOTS Plus regime. As per the Hartwig’s severity assessment scale, there were total 7 ADRs in Level 1, 6 in Level 2, 33 in Level 3 and 9 in Level 4. Hallas avoidability assessment scale divided the ADRs as 3 being “Definitely avoidable”, 26 “Possibly avoidable”, 23 “Not avoidable” and 3 “unevaluable”. . Mean sputum smear conversion time is significantly higher in patients with secondary type than that of primary type of MDR TB (p = 0.0001 and in patients with DM than those without DM (p <0.0001. Conclusion: ADRs were common in patients of MDR TB on DOTs-Plus drug regime. It was due to lack of availability of safer and equally potent drugs in DOTs-Plus drug regime compared to DOTS regime in non-resistant TB. The frequency and severity of ADRs can be reduced by strict vigilance about known and unknown ADRs, monitoring their laboratory and

  10. Adverse effects of orthodontic treatment: A clinical perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talic, Nabeel F.

    2011-01-01

    Orthodontic treatment is associated with a number of adverse effects, such as root resorption, pain, pulpal changes, periodontal disease, and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). Orthodontists should be aware of these effects and associated risk factors. Risk factors linked to root resorption include the duration of treatment, length, and shape of the root, trauma history, habits, and genetic predisposition. PMID:24151415

  11. Renal function and symptoms/adverse effects in opioid-treated patients with cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kurita, G P; Lundström, S; Sjøgren, P

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Renal impairment and the risk of toxicity caused by accumulation of opioids and/or active metabolites is an under-investigated issue. This study aimed at analysing if symptoms/adverse effects in opioid-treated patients with cancer were associated with renal function. METHODS: Cross...... loss of appetite (P = 0.04). No other significant associations were found. CONCLUSION: Only severe constipation and loss of appetite were associated with low GFR in patients treated with morphine. Oxycodone and fentanyl, in relation to the symptoms studied, seem to be safe as used and titrated...

  12. Adverse Health Effects and Unhealthy Behaviors among Medical Students Using Facebook

    OpenAIRE

    Al-Dubai, Sami Abdo Radman; Ganasegeran, Kurubaran; Al-Shagga, Mustafa Ahmed Mahdi; Yadav, Hematram; Arokiasamy, John T.

    2013-01-01

    Little is known about the relationships between adverse health effects and unhealthy behaviors among medical students using Facebook. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between adverse health effects and unhealthy behaviors with Facebook use. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a private university in Malaysia among 316 medical students. A self-administered questionnaire was used. It included questions on sociodemographics, pattern of Facebook use, social relationshi...

  13. Categories of adverse health effects from indoor air pollution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weetman, D.F.; Munby, J.

    1994-01-01

    There is a lack of precision in the definition of health, which leads to confusion in the assessment of adverse effects arising from indoor air pollution. Adverse health effects range from annoyance to life-threatening conditions. Survey responses suggest that males and females differ in their perception of a healthy person, but both sexes envisage a male in terms of positive fitness, strength, energy and the possession of an athletic body, rather than how long one was likely to live. Psychological fitness was relatively unimportant in describing the health of others, but was rates as very important with respect to one's own health. Mortality statistics tend to obscure the proportion of the population who suffer chronic illness that is not life threatening. Although health is largely determined by genetic constitution, lifestyle and environmental factors, the morale of an individual is also important. A new classification of the adverse effects on health of indoor air pollution is proposed: this includes 'comfort' responses, such as sick building syndrome (category 1); acute chemical effects, the nature of which depends upon the specific intoxicant (category 2B), and perceived chronic grave risk, including cancer causation (category 3). The magnitude of risk in this latter category is imprecise, because its measurement involves the technique of quantitative risk assessment. (author) 1 fig., 2 tabs., 158 refs

  14. Influence of the ventilatory mode on acute adverse effects and facial thermography after noninvasive ventilation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontes, Suzy Maria Montenegro; Melo, Luiz Henrique de Paula; Maia, Nathalia Parente de Sousa; Nogueira, Andrea da Nóbrega Cirino; Vasconcelos, Thiago Brasileiro; Pereira, Eanes Delgado Barros; Bastos, Vasco Pinheiro Diógenes; Holanda, Marcelo Alcantara

    2017-01-01

    To compare the incidence and intensity of acute adverse effects and the variation in the temperature of facial skin by thermography after the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV). We included 20 healthy volunteers receiving NIV via oronasal mask for 1 h. The volunteers were randomly divided into two groups according to the ventilatory mode: bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Facial thermography was performed in order to determine the temperature of the face where it was in contact with the mask and of the nasal dorsum at various time points. After removal of the mask, the volunteers completed a questionnaire about adverse effects of NIV. The incidence and intensity of acute adverse effects were higher in the individuals receiving BiPAP than in those receiving CPAP (16.1% vs. 5.6%). Thermographic analysis showed a significant cooling of the facial skin in the two regions of interest immediately after removal of the mask. The more intense acute adverse effects occurred predominantly among the participants in whom the decrease in the mean temperature of the nasal dorsum was lower (14.4% vs. 7.2%). The thermographic visual analysis of the zones of cooling and heating on the face identified areas of hypoperfusion or reactive hyperemia. The use of BiPAP mode was associated with a higher incidence and intensity of NIV-related acute adverse effects. There was an association between acute adverse effects and less cooling of the nasal dorsum immediately after removal of the mask. Cutaneous thermography can be an additional tool to detect adverse effects that the use of NIV has on facial skin. Comparar a incidência e a intensidade de efeitos adversos agudos e a variação da temperatura da pele da face através da termografia após a aplicação de ventilação não invasiva (VNI). Foram incluídos 20 voluntários sadios, de ambos os gêneros, submetidos à VNI com máscara oronasal por 1 h e divididos aleatoriamente em

  15. Adverse effects induced by ecgonine methyl ester to the zebra mussel: A comparison with the benzoylecgonine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parolini, Marco; Binelli, Andrea

    2013-01-01

    Cocaine and its metabolites are the prevalent psychotropic substances in aquatic environment. However, to date the knowledge on their adverse effects to non-target organisms is inadequate. The aims of this study were to investigate sub-lethal effects induced by the ecgonine methyl ester (EME) to the freshwater bivalve Dreissena polymorpha and to compare its toxicity to that by benzoylecgonine (BE), the other main cocaine metabolite. EME sub-lethal effects were investigated by 14 days in-vivo exposures and a multi-biomarker approach. Slight variations in biomarker responses were found at 0.15 μg/L treatment. 0.5 μg/L EME treatment induced destabilization of lysosome membranes, an overall inactivation of defense enzymes, increases in lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and DNA fragmentation, but no variations in fixed genetic damage. The use of a biomarker response index (BRI) showed that at 0.5 μg/L both cocaine metabolites had the same toxicity to zebra mussels specimens. -- Highlights: •Sub-lethal effects induced by ecgonine methyl ester (EME) to D. polymorpha were investigated. •Realistic EME concentrations caused notable adverse effects in treated bivalves. •EME induced oxidative injuries to treated-mussel lipids, protein and DNA. •EME toxicity was comparable to the benzoylecgonine one. -- Environmentally relevant ecgonine methyl ester concentrations induced adverse effects to zebra mussels

  16. [Adverse effects of seasonal flu vaccine and new influenza A (H1N1) vaccine in health care workers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torruella, Joan Inglés; Soto, Rosa Gil; Valls, Rosa Carreras; Lozano, Judit Valverde; Carreras, Dolors Benito; Cunillera, Arnau Besora

    2013-01-01

    To assess and compare adverse effects of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine (SIV) and new Influenza A(H1N1) Vaccine (AIV) in health care workers. Multicenter cross-sectional study in health care workers from acute care hospitals, primary health care centers, social centers, mental health centers and a geriatric hospital participating in the 2009 vaccination campaign. Self-administered questionnaires were sent to all workers vaccinated with SIV and/or AIV. 527 valid questionnaires were collected out of 1123 sent to SIV vaccinated workers (46.9%), and 241 out of 461 sent to AIV vaccinated workers (52.%%). Participant workers include 527 vaccinated only with SIV, 117 first vaccinated with SIV and later with AIV (SIV+AIV), and 125 vaccinated only with AIV. Overall, 18.4% (95%CI 15.1-21.7) of workers vaccinated only with SIV reported adverse effects, as compared to 45.3% (95I 36.3-54.3) reporting adverse effects to AIV in the SIV+AIV group and 46.4% (95%CI 37.7-55.1) of workers vaccinated only with AIV. In all participants the most common adverseeffect was a local reaction. Women wre more reactive to both SIV and AIV than men. In all age groups SIV vaccination alone caused fewer reactions that either AIV only or the combination of SIV+AIV, with the exception of workers below 29 years of age. AIV was associated with more reactions than SIV, with no differences observed in relation to administration sequence. There were differences by sex and age, but reactions always occurred more commonly with AIV. Copyright belongs to the Societat Catalana de Seguretat i Medicina del Treball.

  17. Interaction between childhood adversity and functional polymorphisms in the dopamine pathway on first-episode psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trotta, Antonella; Iyegbe, Conrad; Yiend, Jenny; Dazzan, Paola; David, Anthony S; Pariante, Carmine; Mondelli, Valeria; Colizzi, Marco; Murray, Robin M; Di Forti, Marta; Fisher, Helen L

    2018-04-10

    There is consistent evidence of a cumulative relationship between childhood adversity and psychosis, with number of adversities experienced increasing the probability of psychosis onset. It is possible that genetic factors moderate the association between childhood adversity and psychosis, potentially by influencing how an individual reacts biologically and/or psychologically following exposure to adversity, in such a way as to set them off on the path to psychosis. However, identifying the specific genetic variants involved and how they interact with childhood adversity remains challenging. We examined whether the association between cumulative exposure to childhood adversity and development of psychotic disorder was moderated by the COMT Val 158 Met, AKT1 rs2494732 or DRD2 rs1076560 polymorphisms, known to affect dopamine levels. Participants were 285 first-presentation psychosis cases and 256 geographically-matched controls drawn from the Genetics and Psychosis (GAP) study. Childhood adversity was assessed using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire (CECA.Q) and blood- and cheek-derived genotype data were collected. Our findings revealed no main effect of COMT Val 158 Met, AKT1 rs2494732 and DRD2 rs1076560 polymorphisms on psychosis case status or reports of childhood adversity. Individuals reporting a history of multiple adversities were more likely to be psychosis patients than controls, regardless of their genetic risk. There was no evidence of candidate genotype by childhood adversity interactions in relation to psychosis onset. These findings did not provide evidence of a possible role of COMT Val 158 Met, AKT1 rs2494732 or DRD2 rs1076560 genotypes in modifying the association between childhood adversity and onset of psychosis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. The Adverse Effects and Treatment Results of Smoking Cessation Pharmacotherapy During Fasting/Non-Fasting State.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iliaz, Sinem; Tural Onur, Seda; Uysal, Mehmet Atilla; Chousein, Efsun Gonca Uğur; Tanriverdi, Elif; Bagci, Belma Akbaba; Bahadir, Ayse; Hattatoglu, Didem Gorgun; Ortakoylu, Mediha Gonenc; Yurt, Sibel

    2017-07-03

    Cigarette smoking is one of the most common addictions worldwide. Muslim smokers reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke during Ramadan due to the long fasting hours. We aimed to share our experience in a smoking cessation clinic during Ramadan by analyzing the efficacy and adverse effects of once-daily dosing of bupropion or varenicline in a fasting group compared with conventional dosing in a non-fasting group. We analyzed 57 patients who attended our smoking cessation clinic during Ramadan of 2014 and 2015, and at least one follow-up visit. For the fasting patients, we prescribed bupropion or varenicline after dinner (once daily) as the maintenance therapy. We recorded demographic characteristics of the patients, fasting state, drugs taken for smoking cessation, and the dosage of the medication. At the first follow-up visit, adverse effects seen with the treatment were recorded. We conducted telephone interviews 6 months after the first visits of the patients to learn the current smoking status of the groups. Of the total 57 patients, 20 (35.1%) were fasting and 37 (64.9%) were not fasting. Fasting and non-fasting patients were similar for sex, age, smoking pack-years, marital status, educational status, and mean Fagerström scores (p >.05). Adverse effects and quit rates after 6 months of follow-up were similar between the fasting and non-fasting groups (p >.05). Although our sample size was small, we found no difference in the rates of adverse effects or smoking cessation using a single daily oral dose of bupropion or varenicline between a fasting group and a non-fasting group that received conventional dosing.

  19. Mold exposure and health effects following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbeau, Deborah N; Grimsley, L Faye; White, LuAnn E; El-Dahr, Jane M; Lichtveld, Maureen

    2010-01-01

    The extensive flooding in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita created conditions ideal for indoor mold growth, raising concerns about the possible adverse health effects associated with indoor mold exposure. Studies evaluating the levels of indoor and outdoor molds in the months following the hurricanes found high levels of mold growth. Homes with greater flood damage, especially those with >3 feet of indoor flooding, demonstrated higher levels of mold growth compared with homes with little or no flooding. Water intrusion due to roof damage was also associated with mold growth. However, no increase in the occurrence of adverse health outcomes has been observed in published reports to date. This article considers reasons why studies of mold exposure after the hurricane do not show a greater health impact.

  20. Effects of hemodialysis on serum fetuin-A levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roman Safranek

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Fetuin-A is a calcification inhibitor, negative acute phase response marker and cardiovascular mortality predictor in hemodialysis patients. Low levels of fetuin-A are associated with malnutrition, inflammation, decreased bone mass density, low-turnover bone and use of high calcium concentration dialysate. Hemodialysis procedure (HD has been shown to decrease fetuin-A levels by 20%, probably due to HD-induced inflammation or acute changes in calcium metabolism. The aim of our study was to investigate effects of HD on serum fetuin-A levels. Forty clinically and hemodynamically stable hemodialysis patients (21 females, 68 (38-85 years underwent routine bicarbonate hemodialysis or hemodiafiltration with polysulfone dialyzer. On consecutive HD dialysis solution with different calcium concentration with/without citric acid was used to assess influence of calcium shifts and parathyroid activity on fetuin-A changes during HD. All other parameters of HD were kept constant. Serum fetuin-A, calcium, phosphorus, iPTH, CRP and other biochemical parameters were measured before and after each HD. Our data show that predialysis serum fetuin-A levels have positive correlation with iPTH levels (p<0.05 and tendency to decrease with higher CRP levels. There was no change in fetuin-A levels during HD: 206 (167.1; 231.9 ug/ml before and 208.9 (170.3; 246.3 ug/ml after HD; respectively. When corrected for haemoconcentration, decrease in fetuin-A was only 2.8% (p<0.05. There was also no difference between effect of hemodialysis and hemodia-filtration procedure. The use of different calcium dialysate concentrations had distinct effect on iPTH levels during and after HD, however, we observed no associated changes in fetuin-A levels. The use of dialysate solution with citric acid had no effect on fetuin-A levels. In conclusion, standard bicarbonate HD with polysulfone dialyser and ultrapure dialysate induces only minor changes in fetuin-A and no changes in hsCRP levels

  1. No Adverse Effect of Genetically Modified Antifungal Wheat on Decomposition Dynamics and the Soil Fauna Community – A Field Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duc, Caroline; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Lindfeld, Andreas

    2011-01-01

    The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) plants has raised several environmental concerns. One of these concerns regards non-target soil fauna organisms, which play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter and hence are largely exposed to GM plant residues. Soil fauna may be directly affected by transgene products or indirectly by pleiotropic effects such as a modified plant metabolism. Thus, ecosystem services and functioning might be affected negatively. In a litterbag experiment in the field we analysed the decomposition process and the soil fauna community involved. Therefore, we used four experimental GM wheat varieties, two with a race-specific antifungal resistance against powdery mildew (Pm3b) and two with an unspecific antifungal resistance based on the expression of chitinase and glucanase. We compared them with two non-GM isolines and six conventional cereal varieties. To elucidate the mechanisms that cause differences in plant decomposition, structural plant components (i.e. C∶N ratio, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose) were examined and soil properties, temperature and precipitation were monitored. The most frequent taxa extracted from decaying plant material were mites (Cryptostigmata, Gamasina and Uropodina), springtails (Isotomidae), annelids (Enchytraeidae) and Diptera (Cecidomyiidae larvae). Despite a single significant transgenic/month interaction for Cecidomyiidae larvae, which is probably random, we detected no impact of the GM wheat on the soil fauna community. However, soil fauna differences among conventional cereal varieties were more pronounced than between GM and non-GM wheat. While leaf residue decomposition in GM and non-GM wheat was similar, differences among conventional cereals were evident. Furthermore, sampling date and location were found to greatly influence soil fauna community and decomposition processes. The results give no indication of ecologically relevant adverse effects of antifungal GM wheat on the

  2. Ketamine for Pain Management-Side Effects & Potential Adverse Events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Cheryl A; Ivester, Julius R

    2017-12-01

    An old anesthetic agent, ketamine is finding new use in lower doses for analgesic purposes. There are concerns stemming from its potential side effects-specifically psychomimetic effects. These side effects are directly related to dose amount. The doses used for analgesic purposes are much lower than those used for anesthesia purposes. A literature review was performed to ascertain potential side effects and/or adverse events when using ketamine for analgesia purposes. The search included CINAHL, PubMed, and Ovid using the search terms "ketamine," "ketamine infusion," "pain," "adverse events," "practice guideline," and "randomized controlled trial." Searches were limited to full-text, peer-reviewed articles and systematic reviews. Initially 1,068 articles were retrieved. The search was then narrowed by using the Boolean connector AND with various search term combinations. After adjusting for duplication, article titles and abstracts were reviewed, leaving 25 articles for an in-depth analysis. Specific exclusion criteria were then applied. The literature supports the use of ketamine for analgesic purposes, and ketamine offers a nonopioid option for the management of some pain conditions. Because ketamine is still classified as an anesthetic agent, health care institutions should develop their own set of policies and protocols for the administration of ketamine. By using forethought and understanding of the properties of ketamine, appropriate care may be planned to mitigate potential side effects and adverse events so that patients are appropriately cared for and their pain effectively managed. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Acute adverse effects of radiation therapy on HIV-positive patients in Japan. Study of 31 cases at Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaminuma, Takuya; Karasawa, Katsuyuki; Hanyu, Nahoko

    2010-01-01

    Recently, the number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients has increased in Japan. HIV-positive patients are at a higher risk of cancer than the general population. This paper retrospectively reports the acute adverse effects of radiation therapy on HIV-positive patients who were treated at Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious diseases Center Komagome Hospital (TMCICK). Thirty-one cases involving 24 HIV-positive cancer patients who were treated at TMCICK from January 1997 to March 2009 were included in this study. All acute adverse effects of radiation therapy were examined during, and one month after, the last radiation therapy session. Acute adverse effects were classified according to the site of radiation therapy treatment and analyzed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 3.0. Grade 3 acute adverse effects were seen in 17% of cases, and Grade 2 toxicities were found in 23% of patients. Damage to the skin and mucosa, including stomatitis or diarrhea, tended to occur after low-dose radiation therapy; however, no severe acute adverse effects were seen in other organs, such as the brain, lung, and bone. Acute adverse effects tended to occur earlier in HIV-positive patients and became severe more frequently than in the general population. In particular, disorders of the mucosa, such as those of the oral cavity, pharynx, and intestine, tended to occur rapidly. It was shown that radiation therapy is safe when treatment is performed carefully and that it is a very useful treatment for cancer in HIV-positive patients. (author)

  4. The effects of changes of plasma endothelin level in patients with hypertension after medication of metoprolol tartrate combined with felodipine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tao Zhihu; Pan Quan

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of metoprolol tartrate combined with felodipine sustained-release tablets in treatment of high blood pressure. Methods: Patients were allocated to groups of medication of metoprolol tartrate combined with felodipine (Group A, n=57) and single medication of metoprolol tartrate (Group B, n=60). All patients received daily measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, observation of adverse reactions and detection of the plasma endothelin levels before and after the medication. Results: Compared with Group B after the medication, the therapeutic effect was significant in Group A (P<0.01) and both the plasma endothelin levels and the side effects were much lower(P<0.05, P<0.01, respectively). Conclusion: Metoprolol tartrate combined with sustained release felodipine tablets appears effectively in treatment of hypertension, and the therapeutic effect may be associated with the variation of plasma endothelin levels. In addition, metoprolol in combination sustained release felodipine tablets can counteract the adverse reaction from single dose and is worthy for wide clinical use. (authors)

  5. A Markov chain model to evaluate the effect of CYP3A5 and ABCB1 polymorphisms on adverse events associated with tacrolimus in pediatric renal transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sy, Sherwin K B; Heuberger, Jules; Shilbayeh, Sireen; Conrado, Daniela J; Derendorf, Hartmut

    2013-10-01

    The SNP A6986G of the CYP3A5 gene (*3) results in a non-functional protein due to a splicing defect whereas the C3435T was associated with variable expression of the ABCB1 gene, due to protein instability. Part of the large interindividual variability in tacrolimus efficacy and toxicity can be accounted for by these genetic factors. Seventy-two individuals were examined for A6986G and C3435T polymorphism using a PCR-RFLP-based technique to estimate genotype and allele frequencies in the Jordanian population. The association of age, hematocrit, platelet count, CYP3A5, and ABCB1 polymorphisms with tacrolimus dose- and body-weight-normalized levels in the subset of 38 pediatric renal transplant patients was evaluated. A Markov model was used to evaluate the time-dependent probability of an adverse event occurrence by CYP3A5 phenotypes and ABCB1 genotypes. The time-dependent probability of adverse event was about double in CYP3A5 non-expressors compared to the expressors for the first 12 months of therapy. The CYP3A5 non-expressors had higher corresponding normalized tacrolimus levels compared to the expressors in the first 3 months. The correlation trend between probability of adverse events and normalized tacrolimus concentrations for the two CYP3A5 phenotypes persisted for the first 9 months of therapy. The differences among ABCB1 genotypes in terms of adverse events and normalized tacrolimus levels were only observed in the first 3 months of therapy. The information on CYP3A5 genotypes and tacrolimus dose requirement is important in designing effective programs toward management of tacrolimus side effects particularly for the initial dose when tacrolimus blood levels are not available for therapeutic drug monitoring.

  6. Adverse testicular effects of Botox® in mature rats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breikaa, Randa M. [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo (Egypt); Mosli, Hisham A. [Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Nagy, Ayman A. [Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta (Egypt); Abdel-Naim, Ashraf B., E-mail: abnaim.pharma@gmail.com [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo (Egypt); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

    2014-03-01

    Botox® injections are taking a consistently increasing place in urology. Intracremasteric injections, particularly, have been applied for cryptorchidism and painful testicular spasms. Studies outlining their safety for this use are, however, scanty. Thus, the present study aimed at evaluating possible testicular toxicity of Botox® injections and their effect on male fertility. Mature rats were given intracremasteric Botox® injections (10, 20 and 40 U/kg) three times in a two-week interval. Changes in body and testes weights were examined and gonadosomatic index compared to control group. Semen quality, sperm parameters, fructose, protein, cholesterol and triglycerides contents were assessed. Effects on normal testicular function were investigated by measuring testosterone levels and changes in enzyme activities (lactate dehydrogenase-X and acid phosphatase). To draw a complete picture, changes in oxidative and inflammatory states were examined, in addition to the extent of connective tissue deposition between seminiferous tubules. In an attempt to have more accurate information about possible spermatotoxic effects of Botox®, flowcytometric analysis and histopathological examination were carried out. Botox®-injected rats showed altered testicular physiology and function. Seminiferous tubules were separated by dense fibers, especially with the highest dose. Flowcytometric analysis showed a decrease in mature sperms and histopathology confirmed the findings. The oxidative state was, however, comparable to control group. This study is the first to show that intracremasteric injections of Botox® induce adverse testicular effects evidenced by inhibited spermatogenesis and initiation of histopathological changes. In conclusion, decreased fertility may be a serious problem Botox® injections could cause. - Highlights: • Botox® injections are the trend nowadays, for both medical and non-medical uses. • They were recently suggested for cryptorchidism and

  7. Adverse Health Effects Associated with Increased Activity at Kīlauea Volcano: A Repeated Population-Based Survey

    OpenAIRE

    Longo, Bernadette M.

    2013-01-01

    Eruptive activity at the Kīlauea volcano (Hawai`i, USA) has increased since 2008 resulting in volcanic air pollution (vog) at levels exceeding the national air quality standard for sulfur dioxide. Previous investigations during lower vog levels found adverse cardiorespiratory effects in the residents. The purpose of this 2012 survey was to reassess and compare the impact of the increased volcanic activity on population health. Prevalence of cardiorespiratory signs, symptoms, and diseases was ...

  8. Effects on non-human species inhabiting areas with enhanced level of natural radioactivity in the north of Russia: a review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geras' kin, Stanislav A. [Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology RAAS, 249020 Obninsk, Kaluga region (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: stgeraskin@gmail.com; Evseeva, Tatiana I. [Institute of Biology, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Division RAS, Kommunisticheskaya 28, 167982 Syktyvkar (Russian Federation); Belykh, Elena S. [Institute of Biology, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Division RAS, Kommunisticheskaya 28, 167982 Syktyvkar (Russian Federation); Majstrenko, Tatiana A. [Institute of Biology, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Division RAS, Kommunisticheskaya 28, 167982 Syktyvkar (Russian Federation); Michalik, Boguslaw [Central Mining Institute, Pl. Gwarkow 1, 40-166 Katowice (Poland); Taskaev, Anatoliy I. [Institute of Biology, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Division RAS, Kommunisticheskaya 28, 167982 Syktyvkar (Russian Federation)

    2007-05-15

    Results of long-term radioecological investigations in areas with an enhanced level of natural radioactivity in the north of Russia are summarized. Deleterious changes within animal and plant populations inhabiting areas with an enhanced level of natural radioactivity in the Komi Republic were revealed. These changes are expressed in enhanced levels of mutagenesis, destructive processes in the tissues of animals, disturbances of reproductive functions and reduced offspring viability. Compensatory processes, resulting in animal and plant survival under extremely adverse conditions of radium and uranium-radium contamination, were observed as well. However, obvious signs of adaptation failed to be detected. The findings suggest that adverse somatic and genetic effects are possible in plants and animals in the dose range observed at sites with an enhanced level of natural radioactivity. In contrast, different plant species inhabiting an area with an enhanced level of natural radioactivity in the taiga zone of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) reveal a stimulation of growth processes, photosynthesis, endogenous low molecular weight antioxidant synthesis as well as adaptive response. It is apparent from the data presented that naturally occurring differences in terrestrial radiation level could be of genetic and ecological consequence.

  9. Role of polymorphic Fc receptor Fc gammaRIIa in cytokine release and adverse effects of murine IgG1 anti-CD3/T cell receptor antibody (WT31).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tax, W J; Tamboer, W P; Jacobs, C W; Frenken, L A; Koene, R A

    1997-01-15

    Anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) OKT3 is immunosuppressive, but causes severe adverse effects during the first administration ("first-dose reaction"). These adverse effects are presumably caused by cytokine release that results from T-cell activation. In vitro, T-cell activation by anti-CD3 mAb requires interaction with monocyte Fc receptors. The Fc receptor for murine IgG1, Fc gammaRIIa, is polymorphic. In some individuals, murine IgG1 anti-CD3 mAb causes T-cell proliferation and cytokine release in vitro (high responders [HR]), whereas in individuals with the low-responder (LR) phenotype it does not. We have now investigated the role of this Fc gammaRIIa polymorphism in the release of cytokines in vivo and the occurrence of adverse effects after the administration of WT31, a murine IgG1 anti-CD3/T cell receptor mAb. WT31 caused an increase of plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha in all four HR patients and none of the five LR patients. In all HR patients except one, plasma gamma-interferon and interleukin 6 also increased, and a first-dose response was observed, whereas no cytokine release or adverse effects occurred in any of the LR patients. WT31 caused lymphopenia in all HR and none of the LR patients. FACS analysis demonstrated that in HR patients, after the initial disappearance of CD3+ cells from peripheral blood, modulation of CD3 occurred, whereas in LR patients a high degree of coating of the lymphocytes was observed. Surprisingly, WT31 also induced a marked granulocytopenia, as well as a decrease of thrombocytes, in three of the four HR patients (and in none of the LR patients). These data provide direct clinical evidence that Fc receptor interaction determines the release of cytokines and the occurrence of adverse effects after administration of anti-CD3/T cell receptor mAb. Furthermore, these data suggest that tumor necrosis factor-alpha by itself is not sufficient to induce the first-dose reaction.

  10. Care-seeking behavior of Japanese gynecological cancer survivors suffering from adverse effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oshima Sumiko

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Post-treatment follow-up visits for gynecological cancer survivors should provide opportunities for management of adverse physical/psychological effects of therapy and early recurrence detection. However, the adequacy of such visits in Japan is poorly documented. We qualitatively explored care-seeking experiences of Japanese gynecological cancer survivors and deduced factors influencing care-seeking behaviors and treatment access. Methods We conducted 4 semi-structured focus groups comprising altogether 28 Japanese gynecological cancer survivors to collect a variety of participants’ post-treatment care-seeking behaviors through active interaction with participants. Factors influencing access to treatment for adverse effects were analyzed qualitatively. Results Survivors sought care through specialty clinic visits when regular post-treatment gynecological follow-ups were inadequate or when symptoms seemed to be non-treatment related. Information provided by hospital staff during initial treatment influenced patients’ understanding and response to adverse effects. Lack of knowledge and inaccurate symptom interpretation delayed help-seeking, exacerbating symptoms. Gynecologists’ attitudes during follow-ups frequently led survivors to cope with symptoms on their own. Information from mass media, Internet, and support groups helped patients understand symptoms and facilitated care seeking. Conclusions Post-treatment adverse effects are often untreated during follow-up visits. Awareness of possible post-treatment adverse effects is important for gynecological cancer survivors in order to obtain appropriate care if the need arises. Consultation during the follow-up visit is essential for continuity in care.

  11. Ambient Air Pollutants Have Adverse Effects on Insulin and Glucose Homeostasis in Mexican Americans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhanghua; Salam, Muhammad T.; Toledo-Corral, Claudia; Watanabe, Richard M.; Xiang, Anny H.; Buchanan, Thomas A.; Habre, Rima; Bastain, Theresa M.; Lurmann, Fred; Wilson, John P.; Trigo, Enrique

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE Recent studies suggest that air pollution plays a role in type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence and mortality. The underlying physiological mechanisms have yet to be established. We hypothesized that air pollution adversely affects insulin sensitivity and secretion and serum lipid levels. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants were selected from BetaGene (n = 1,023), a study of insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell function in Mexican Americans. All participants underwent DXA and oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests and completed dietary and physical activity questionnaires. Ambient air pollutant concentrations (NO2, O3, and PM2.5) for short- and long-term periods were assigned by spatial interpolation (maximum interpolation radius of 50 km) of data from air quality monitors. Traffic-related air pollution from freeways (TRAP) was estimated using the dispersion model as NOx. Variance component models were used to analyze individual and multiple air pollutant associations with metabolic traits. RESULTS Short-term (up to 58 days cumulative lagged averages) exposure to PM2.5 was associated with lower insulin sensitivity and HDL-to-LDL cholesterol ratio and higher fasting glucose and insulin, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) (all P ≤ 0.036). Annual average PM2.5 was associated with higher fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, and LDL-C (P ≤ 0.043). The effects of short-term PM2.5 exposure on insulin sensitivity were largest among obese participants. No statistically significant associations were found between TRAP and metabolic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to ambient air pollutants adversely affects glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and blood lipid concentrations. Our findings suggest that ambient air pollutants may contribute to the pathophysiology in the development of T2D and related sequelae. PMID:26868440

  12. Toxicity of lunar dust assessed in inhalation-exposed rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Chiu-wing; Scully, Robert R; Zhang, Ye; Renne, Roger A; Hunter, Robert L; McCluskey, Richard A; Chen, Bean T; Castranova, Vincent; Driscoll, Kevin E; Gardner, Donald E; McClellan, Roger O; Cooper, Bonnie L; McKay, David S; Marshall, Linda; James, John T

    2013-10-01

    Humans will again set foot on the moon. The moon is covered by a layer of fine dust, which can pose a respiratory hazard. We investigated the pulmonary toxicity of lunar dust in rats exposed to 0, 2.1, 6.8, 20.8 and 60.6 mg/m(3) of respirable-size lunar dust for 4 weeks (6 h/day, 5 days/week); the aerosols in the nose-only exposure chambers were generated from a jet-mill ground preparation of a lunar soil collected during the Apollo 14 mission. After 4 weeks of exposure to air or lunar dust, groups of five rats were euthanized 1 day, 1 week, 4 weeks or 13 weeks after the last exposure for assessment of pulmonary toxicity. Biomarkers of toxicity assessed in bronchoalveolar fluids showed concentration-dependent changes; biomarkers that showed treatment effects were total cell and neutrophil counts, total protein concentrations and cellular enzymes (lactate dehydrogenase, glutamyl transferase and aspartate transaminase). No statistically significant differences in these biomarkers were detected between rats exposed to air and those exposed to the two low concentrations of lunar dust. Dose-dependent histopathology, including inflammation, septal thickening, fibrosis and granulomas, in the lung was observed at the two higher exposure concentrations. No lesions were detected in rats exposed to ≤6.8 mg/m(3). This 4-week exposure study in rats showed that 6.8 mg/m(3) was the highest no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL). These results will be useful for assessing the health risk to humans of exposure to lunar dust, establishing human exposure limits and guiding the design of dust mitigation systems in lunar landers or habitats.

  13. Sub-chronic dietary toxicity of potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seacat, Andrew M.; Thomford, Peter J.; Hansen, Kris J.; Clemen, Lisa A.; Eldridge, Sandra R.; Elcombe, Cliff R.; Butenhoff, John L.

    2003-01-01

    Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is a widely disseminated persistent compound found at low (part-per-billion) concentrations in serum and liver samples from humans and fish-eating wildlife. This study investigated the hypotheses that early hepatocellular peroxisomal proliferation and hepatic cellular proliferation are factors in chronic liver response to dietary dosing, that lowering of serum total cholesterol is an early clinical measure of response to treatment, and that liver and serum PFOS concentrations are proportional to dose and cumulative dose after sub-chronic treatment. PFOS was administered in diet as the potassium salt at 0, 0.5, 2.0, 5.0, and 20 parts per million (ppm) to Sprague Dawley rats for 4 or 14 weeks. At 4 weeks, effects included decreased serum glucose and an equivocal (< twofold) increase in hepatic palmitoyl CoA oxidase (PCoAO) activity in 20 ppm dose-group males and elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in 20 ppm dose-group females. At 14 weeks, the 20 ppm males had increased liver weight, decreased serum cholesterol, increased non-segmented neutrophils, and increased ALT. Relative liver weights and urea nitrogen were increased in both sexes at 14 weeks. Hepatocytic hypertrophy and cytoplasmic vacuolation were observed in the 5 or 20 ppm male and the 20 ppm female dose groups. An increase in hepatic PCoAO activity was not observed at 14 weeks, and the average hepatocyte proliferation index was not increased, although, individual animals had mild increases. Serum and liver PFOS concentrations were proportional to dose and cumulative dose. Serum concentrations were generally higher in females than in males. The liver-to-serum PFOS ratios ranged from approximately 3:1 to 12:1. After 14 weeks, the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) in males and females was 5 ppm. The NOAEL corresponded to mean serum PFOS concentrations of 44 ppm (μg/ml) in males and 64 ppm in females and mean liver PFOS concentrations of 358 ppm in males and 370

  14. Basal cortisol levels and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcez, Anderson; Leite, Heloísa Marquardt; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Paniz, Vera Maria Vieira; Watte, Guilherme; Canuto, Raquel; Olinto, Maria Teresa Anselmo

    2018-05-17

    To perform a qualitative synthesis (systematic review) and quantitative analysis (meta-analysis) to summarize the evidence regarding the relationship between basal cortisol levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults. A systematic search was performed in the PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases for observational studies on the association between basal cortisol levels and MetS. The quality of individual studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa score. A random effects model was used to report pooled quantitative results and the I 2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. Egger's and Begg's tests were used to evaluate publication bias. Twenty-six studies (19 cross-sectional and seven case-control) met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The majority was classified as having a low risk of bias and used established criteria for the diagnosis of MetS. Twenty-one studies provided data on basal cortisol levels as continuous values and were included in the meta-analysis; they comprised 35 analyses and 11,808 subjects. Pooled results showed no significant difference in basal cortisol levels between subjects with and without MetS (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-0.11 to 0.14). There was high heterogeneity between the studies when all comparisons were considered (I 2  = 83.1%;p meta-analysis of studies evaluating saliva samples showed no significantly lower basal cortisol levels among subjects with MetS (SMD=-0.18, 95% CI=-0.37 to 0.01), whereas those studies that evaluated serum samples (SMD = 0.11, 95% CI=-0.02 to 0.24) and urine samples (SMD = 0.73, 95% CI=-0.40 to 1.86) showed no significantly higher basal cortisol levels among subjects with MetS. In the subgroup and meta-regression analyses, a significant difference in basal cortisol levels was observed according to study design, population base, age, gender, cortisol level assessment method, and study quality. This systematic review

  15. Biomarkers of effect in endocrine disruption: how to link a functional assay to an adverse outcome pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Lorenzetti

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The development of in vitro testing strategies may achieve a cost-effective generation of comprehensive datasets on a large number of chemicals, according to the requirements of the European Regulation REACH. Much emphasis is placed on in vitro methods based on subcellular mechanisms (e.g., nuclear receptor interaction, but it is necessary to define the predictive value of molecular or biochemical changes within an adverse outcome pathway (AOP. AOP pivots on the description of the flow from a molecular initiating event through a cascade of intermediate events needed to produce a specific adverse effect at organism level: downstream responses at cell level are, therefore, essential to define an AOP. Several in vitro assays are based on human cell lines representative of endocrine-targeted tissues (e.g., prostate and on functional biomarkers of clinical relevance (e.g., PSA secretion in human prostate epithelial cells. We discuss the implementation of such functional biomarkers in the AOP context.

  16. Adverse effects and Drug Interactions Associated with Inhaled Recreational and Medical Marijuana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maisha Kelly Freeman

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To provide an overview of the addiction potential; adverse effects (e.g., cardiovascular, immune dysfunction, respiratory system, mental health disorders; drug interactions; effects of accidental exposure; crime statistics; and pharmacist’s considerations for the use of inhaled medical marijuana. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted from 1966 to March 2016 to identify articles in which the safety of inhaled medical marijuana was assessed. Key MeSH search terms included medical marijuana with a subheading for adverse effect. Only articles in adult patients were considered. In addition, medical marijuana or cannabis plus one of the following search terms were searched: drug interactions, herb-drug interactions, drug-related side effects and adverse drug reactions, substance-related disorders, addiction, and abuse. A free-text search was also conducted to identify articles not included in the MeSH term search. A bibliographic search was also conducted. Articles were included if they addressed adverse effects of medical marijuana for the treatment of a condition. Meta-analyses, randomized controlled clinical trials, and case reports were included in the review if the primary focus of the article related to the adverse effect profile of inhaled medical marijuana. Medical marijuana efficacy studies were not assessed. In the absence of this information, case reports or reports of inhaled recreational marijuana use was used. Studies were excluded if published in languages other than English. In addition, studies highlighting mechanisms of action, studies of pharmacodynamics or pharmacokinetic effects were excluded, unless these effects were due to drug-drug interactions. Prescription products containing marijuana or derivatives were excluded from evaluation. An Internet search was conducted to locate the most up-to-date information on the laws concerning medical marijuana. Key findings: A PubMed search revealed 58 articles and 28 of

  17. Expert panel evaluation of health information technology effects on adverse events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abramson, Erika L; Kern, Lisa M; Brenner, Samantha; Hufstader, Meghan; Patel, Vaishali; Kaushal, Rainu

    2014-08-01

    Adverse events (AEs) among hospitalized patients occur frequently and result in significant sequelae. Federal policy is incentivizing health information technology (HIT) use, although research demonstrating safety benefits from HIT is mixed. Our objective was to evaluate the potential effects of HIT on reducing 21 different inpatient AEs. Identifying AEs most likely to be reduced by HIT can inform the design of future studies evaluating its effectiveness. We conducted a modified Delphi panel of national experts in HIT and safety. We conducted a focused literature review to inform the experts. Using a novel framework, experts rated each AE as 'definitely reduced by health IT,' 'possibly reduced by health IT' and 'not likely to be reduced by health IT'. From our panel discussion, experts identified six AEs as 'definitely reduced by health IT': (1) adverse drug events (ADEs) associated with digoxin; (2) ADE associated with IV heparin; (3) ADE associated with hypoglycaemic agents; (4) ADE associated with low molecular weight heparin and factor Xa inhibitor; (5) contrast nephropathy associated with catheter angiography; and (6) ADE hospital-acquired antibiotic-associated Clostridium difficile. Understanding the effects of HIT on patient outcomes will be essential to ensuring that the significant federal investment results in anticipated improvements. This study serves as an important early step in helping with the design of future work evaluating level of HIT infrastructure and rates of inpatient AEs. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Endocrine active agents: implications of adverse and non-adverse changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Paul M D; McIntyre, Barry S

    2002-01-01

    The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently in the process of developing screening and testing methodologies for the assessment of agents that may possess endocrine-like activity--the so-called endocrine disruptors. Moreover, the EPA has signaled its intention of placing information arising from such studies on the worldwide web. This has created significant interest in how such information may be used in risk assessment and by policymakers and the public in the potential regulation or deselection of specific chemical agents. The construction of lists of endocrine disruptors, although fulfilling the requirements of some parties, is really of little use when the nature of the response, the dose level employed, and the lifestage of the test species used are not given. Thus, we have already seen positive in vitro information available on the interaction with a receptor being used as a key indicator when the results of large, high quality in vivo studies showing no adverse changes have been ignored. Clearly a number of in vitro systems are available to ascertain chemical interaction with specific (mainly steroid) hormone receptors including a number of reporter gene assays. These assays only provide indicators of potential problems and should not be, in isolation, indicators of toxicity. Likewise, short-term in vivo screens such as the uterotrophic and Hershberger studies are frequently conducted in castrated animals and thus indicate the potential for a pharmacological response in vivo rather than an adverse effect. A number of new end points have been added to standard rodent testing protocols in the belief of providing more sensitivity to detect endocrine related changes. These include the measurement of anogenital distance (AGD), developmental landmarks [vaginal opening (VO), preputial separation (PPS)], and in some studies the counting of nipples and areolae on males. AGD, VO, and PPS are all affected by the size of the pup in which they are measured

  19. Efficacy and adverse effects of intravenous lignocaine therapy in fibromyalgia syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Treharne GJ

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To investigate the effects of intravenous lignocaine infusions (IV lignocaine in fibromyalgia. Methods Prospective study of the adverse effects of IV lignocaine in 106 patients with fibromyalgia; retrospective questionnaire study of the efficacy of IV lignocaine in 50 patients with fibromyalgia. Results Prospective study: Two major (pulmonary oedema and supraventricular tachycardia and 42 minor side-effects were reported. None had long-term sequelae. The commonest was hypotension (17 cases. Retrospective study: Pain and a range of psychosocial measures (on single 11-point scales improved significantly after treatment. There was no effect of the treatment on work status. The average duration of pain relief after the 6-day course of treatment was 11.5 ± 6.5 weeks. Conclusions Intravenous lignocaine appears to be both safe and of benefit in improving pain and quality of life for patients with fibromyalgia. This needs to be confirmed in prospective randomised controlled trials.

  20. Late adverse effects of whole cranial irradiation in childhood hematological disorders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Someya, Masanori; Nakata, Kensei; Nagakura, Hisayasu; Oouchi, Atsushi; Sakata, Kohichi; Hareyama, Masato [Sapporo Medical Coll. (Japan)

    2003-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the late adverse effects of childhood hematological disorders treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy including whole cranial irradiation at Sapporo Medical University Hospital. Twenty-eight patients were treated with chemotherapy and 18-24 Gy of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and 14 patients were treated with 3-12.8 Gy of total body irradiation (TBI) and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for ALL, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), malignant lymphoma, and aplastic anemia (AA). Age at diagnosis ranged from 2 to 15 years old, and 28 were males and 14 were females. All patients were disease-free more than 2 years after diagnosis. Of 42 patients, 4 patients had decreased height (less than -2 S.D.), 3 patients required hormone replacement therapy, 2 patients had mental retardation, 3 patients had leukoencephalopathy, and 1 patient had a second malignancy. Except for the cases of decreased height, 3 of 7 late adverse effects were occurred in patients who had relapse of disease, and the risk of the adverse effects seemed to be higher for those patients whose doses of PCI were 22 Gy or more, or who received an additional craniospinal irradiation due to relapse of disease, and 18 Gy of PCI did not increase the risk of adverse effects. (author)

  1. Rodenticide incidents of exposure and adverse effects on non-raptor birds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyas, Nimish B.

    2017-01-01

    Interest in the adverse effects of rodenticides on birds has focused primarily on raptors. However, non-raptor birds are also poisoned (rodenticide exposure resulting in adverse effects including mortality) by rodenticides through consumption of the rodenticide bait and contaminated prey. A literature search for rodenticide incidents (evidence of exposure to a rodenticide, adverse effects, or exposure to placebo baits) involving non-raptor birds returned 641 records spanning the years 1931 to 2016. The incidents included 17 orders, 58 families, and 190 non-raptor bird species. Nineteen anticoagulant and non-anticoagulant rodenticide active ingredients were associated with the incidents. The number of incidents and species detected were compared by surveillance method. An incident was considered to have been reported through passive surveillance if it was voluntarily reported to the authorities whereas the report of an incident found through field work that was conducted with the objective of documenting adverse effects on birds was determined to be from active surveillance. More incidents were reported from passive surveillance than with active surveillance but a significantly greater number of species were detected in proportion to the number of incidents found through active surveillance than with passive surveillance (z = 7.61, p raptor bird poisonings from rodenticides may increase incident reportings and can strengthen the predictions of harm characterized by risk assessments.

  2. Human health no-effect levels of TiO_2 nanoparticles as a function of their primary size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laurent, Alexis; Harkema, Jack R.; Andersen, Elisabeth W.; Owsianiak, Mikołaj; Vea, Eldbjørg B.; Jolliet, Olivier

    2017-01-01

    As engineered nanomaterials are increasingly introduced on the market into a broad range of commodities or nanoproducts, there is a need for operational, reliable tool, enabling to consistently assess the risks and impacts associated with the releases of nanoparticles. The lack of a developed metric that accurately represents their toxic effects while capturing the influence of the most relevant physicochemical properties is one of the major impediments. Here, we investigate the relationships between the toxic responses of nano-sized and micro-sized particles in in vivo toxicological studies and their physicochemical properties. Our results for TiO_2 particles indicate statistically significant associations between the primary particle size and their toxicity responses for combined inhalation and ingestion exposure routes, although the numerical values should be considered with care due to the inability to encompass influences from other relevant physicochemical properties like surface coatings. These findings allow for expressing mass-based adverse effect levels as a continuous function of the primary size of particles. This meaningful, exploratory metric can thus be used for screening purposes and pave the way for reaching adaptive, robust risk assessments of nanomaterials, e.g. for setting up consistent threshold levels, as well as consistent life cycle assessments of nanoproducts. We provide examples of such applications.

  3. Assessing adverse effects of intra-articular botulinum toxin A in healthy Beagle dogs: A placebo-controlled, blinded, randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heikkilä, Helka M; Jokinen, Tarja S; Syrjä, Pernilla; Junnila, Jouni; Hielm-Björkman, Anna; Laitinen-Vapaavuori, Outi

    2018-01-01

    To investigate the clinical, cytological, and histopathological adverse effects of intra-articularly injected botulinum toxin A in dogs and to study whether the toxin spreads from the joint after the injection. A longitudinal, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted with six healthy laboratory Beagle dogs. Stifle joints were randomized to receive either 30 IU of onabotulinum toxin A or placebo in a 1:1 ratio. Adverse effects and spread of the toxin were examined by evaluating dynamic and static weight-bearing of the injected limbs, by assessing painless range of motion and pain on palpation of joints, and by performing synovial fluid analysis, neurological examination, and electrophysiological recordings at different examination time-points in a 12-week period after the injections. The dogs were then euthanized and autopsy and histopathological examination of joint structures and adjacent muscles and nerves were performed. Intra-articular botulinum toxin A did not cause local weakness or injection site pain. Instead, static weight-bearing and painless range of motion of stifle joints decreased in the placebo limbs. No clinically significant abnormalities associated with intra-articular botulinum toxin A were detected in the neurological examinations. Electrophysiological recordings showed low compound muscle action potentials in two dogs in the botulinum toxin A-injected limb. No significant changes were detected in the synovial fluid. Autopsy and histopathological examination of the joint and adjacent muscles and nerves did not reveal histopathological adverse effects of the toxin. Intra-articular botulinum toxin A does not produce significant clinical, cytological, or histopathological adverse effects in healthy dogs. Based on the electrophysiological recordings, the toxin may spread from the joint, but its clinical impact seems to be low.

  4. Effects of excess biotin administration on the growth and urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins in young rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawamura, Hiromi; Fukuwatari, Tsutomu; Shibata, Katsumi

    2007-12-01

    To determine the effects of excess biotin administration on growth and water-soluble vitamin metabolism, weaning rats were fed on a 20% casein diet containing 0.00002% biotin, or same diet with 0.04, 0.08, 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 0.80 or 1.0% added biotin for 28 days. More than 0.08% biotin administration decreased the food intake and body weight gain compared with the levels in control rats. An accumulation of biotin in such tissues as the liver, brain and kidney increased in a dose-dependent manner, and the both bound and free biotin contents in the liver also increased in a dose-dependent manner. An excess administration of biotin did not affect the urinary excretion of other water-soluble vitamins, suggesting no effect on the metabolism of other water-soluble vitamins. The results of the food intake and body weight gain indicated that the lowest observed adverse effect level for young rats was 79.2 mg/kg body weight/day, while the no observed adverse effect level was 38.4 mg/kg/day. These results suggested immediately setting a tolerable upper intake level for biotin.

  5. Severity of cerebral palsy and likelihood of adverse events after botulinum toxin A injections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swinney, Caitlyn M; Bau, Karen; Burton, Karen L Oakley; O'Flaherty, Stephen J; Bear, Natasha L; Paget, Simon P

    2018-05-01

    To determine the incidence of common adverse events after botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injections in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to identify whether the severity of CP influences the incidence of adverse events. This was an observational study of patients attending a BoNT-A clinic at a tertiary paediatric hospital (2010-2014). Data examined included procedural adverse events at the time of injection and at follow-up. Systemic adverse events were defined as lower respiratory tract illnesses, generalized weakness, dysphagia, and death. Severity of CP was categorized by the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). The relationships between GMFCS and adverse events were analysed using negative binomial regression models. In total, 591 children underwent 2219 injection episodes. Adverse events were reported during the procedure (130 [6%] injection episodes) and at follow-up (492 [22%] injection episodes). There were significantly increased rates of systemic adverse events in injection episodes involving children in GMFCS level IV (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 3.92 [95% confidence interval] 1.45-10.57]) and GMFCS level V (IRR 7.37 [95% confidence interval 2.90-18.73]; p<0.001). Adverse events after BoNT-A injections are common but mostly mild and self-limiting. Children in GMFCS levels IV and V are at increased risk of systemic adverse events. The relationship between CP severity and BoNT-A adverse events is complex and further research is required to better understand this relationship. Adverse events reported at the time of botulinum toxin A injection occurred in 6% of injection episodes. Adverse events were reported at follow-up in 22% of injection episodes. Children in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels IV and V have increased rates of systemic adverse events. Children in GMFCS levels IV and V report less local weakness and pain. © 2018 Mac Keith Press.

  6. High levels of hydrogen peroxide in overnight tooth-whitening formulas: effects on enamel and pulp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugh, George; Zaidel, Lynette; Lin, Nora; Stranick, Michael; Bagley, Daniel

    2005-01-01

    Limited data are available to assess the safety of high levels of hydrogen peroxide in overnight tooth-whitening formulas. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of hydrogen peroxide on enamel microhardness, pulp penetration, and enamel morphology. Colgate Platinum Professional Overnight Whitening System (Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Canton, MA, USA) (10% carbamide peroxide, equivalent to 3.5% hydrogen peroxide) was compared with two prototype formulations containing either 7.0% or 12.0% hydrogen peroxide. In the pulp chamber studies, human extracted teeth were exposed to 3.5%, 7.0%, or 12.0% hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes, 4 hours, or 7 hours. Microhardness, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, and atomic force microscopy evaluations were made from enamel blocks cut from human extracted molars. The enamel blocks were evaluated following 14 7-hour treatments (98 h total). At 7 hours' post-treatment, hydrogen peroxide penetrated the pulp chamber at 23.12 +/- 10.09, 24.58 +/- 6.90, and 26.39 +/- 5.43 microg for 3.5%, 7.0%, and 12.0% hydrogen peroxide, respectively. With regard to enamel morphology, pulp penetration, microhardness, and elemental composition, no statistically significant differences were observed between treatment groups following 98 hours of treatment. Hydrogen peroxide does not adversely affect enamel morphology or microhardness. The levels recovered in pulp indicate that hydrogen peroxide is not expected to inhibit pulpal enzymes. Overnight tray products containing levels of hydrogen peroxide of 3.5%, 7.0%, and 12.0% are not expected to adversely affect the enamel or pulpal enzymes. Additional safety studies are needed to assess the potential for tooth sensitivity and gingival irritation.

  7. The XIA's No.1 Sleeping Prescription for the Treatment of Insomnia of the Deficiency Type:A Clinical Observation of 60 Cases

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    XIA Chao-yun; XIA Cheng-yi; DENG Shi-ping; ZHU Pei-jun

    2009-01-01

    Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of the XIA's No.1 Sleeping Prescription for the treatment of insomnia of the deficiency type.Methods:120 cases conformed to the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders-Version 3 (CCMD-3) and were diagnosed as having insomnia of the deficiency type were divided randomly into a treatment group and a control group, 60 cases in each group.The treatment group was treated with the XIA's No.1 Sleeping Prescription, while the control group was given estazolam (1mg) for 6 weeks.The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects, while the treatment emergent symptom scale (TESS) was used to evaluate adverse reactions.Results:The total effective rate of the treatment group (80%) was higher than that of the control group (70%), but with no significant difference (P>0.05).The effective rate for long-term insomnia was 77.8% in the treatment group and 52.4% in the control group, with a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).The adverse reactions shown in the treatment group were obviously fewer and milder than those in the control group.Conclusion:The XIA's No.1 Sleeping Prescription is effective for insomnia of the deficiency type and with no obvious toxic side effects.

  8. The effectiveness of fermented turmeric powder in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase levels: a randomised controlled study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Previous animal studies have shown that Curcuma longa (turmeric) improves liver function. Turmeric may thus be a promising ingredient in functional foods aimed at improving liver function. The purpose of the study is to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of fermented turmeric powder (FTP) on liver function in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels. Methods A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted between November 2010 and April 2012 at the clinical trial center for functional foods of the Chonbuk National University Hospital. The trial included 60 subjects, 20 years old and above, who were diagnosed mild to moderate elevated ALT levels between 40 IU/L and 200 IU/L. Sixty subjects were randomised to receive FTP 3.0 g per day or placebo 3.0 g per day for 12 weeks. The treatment group received two capsules of FTP three times a day after meals, for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in the ALT levels in the two groups. The secondary efficacy endpoints included its effect on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TB), and lipid profiles. Safety was assessed throughout the study using ongoing laboratory tests. Adverse events (AEs) were also recorded. Results Sixty subjects were randomised in the study (30 into the FTP group, 30 into the placebo group), and among them, twelve subjects were excluded from the analysis for protocol violation, adverse events or consent withdrawal. The two groups did not differ in baseline characteristics. After 12 weeks of treatment, 48 subjects were evaluated. Of the 48 subjects, 26 randomly received FTP capsules and 22 received placebo. The FTP group showed a significant reduction in ALT levels after 12 weeks of treatment compared with the placebo group (p = 0.019). There was also observed that the serum AST levels were significantly reduce in the FTP group than placebo group (p = 0.02). The GGT levels

  9. Therapeutic potential and adverse events of everolimus for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma – systematic review and meta-analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamanaka, Kenya; Petrulionis, Marius; Lin, Shibo; Gao, Chao; Galli, Uwe; Richter, Susanne; Winkler, Susanne; Houben, Philipp; Schultze, Daniel; Hatano, Etsuro; Schemmer, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Everolimus is an orally administrated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor. Several large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the survival benefits of everolimus at the dose of 10 mg/day for solid cancers. Furthermore, mTOR-inhibitor-based immunosuppression is associated with survival benefits for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have received liver transplantation. However, a low rate of tumor reduction and some adverse events have been pointed out. This review summarizes the antitumor effects and adverse events of everolimus and evaluates its possible application in advanced HCC. For the meta-analysis of adverse events, we used the RCTs for solid cancers. The odds ratios of adverse events were calculated using the Peto method. Manypreclinical studies demonstrated that everolimus had antitumor effects such as antiproliferation and antiangiogenesis. However, some differences in the effects were observed among in vivo animal studies for HCC treatment. Meanwhile, clinical studies demonstrated that the response rate of single-agent everolimus was low, though survival benefits could be expected. The meta-analysis revealed the odds ratios (95% confidence interval [CI]) of stomatitis: 5.42 [4.31–6.73], hyperglycemia: 3.22 [2.37–4.39], anemia: 3.34 [2.37–4.67], pneumonitis: 6.02 [3.95–9.16], aspartate aminotransferase levels: 2.22 [1.37–3.62], and serum alanine aminotransferase levels: 2.94 [1.72–5.02], respectively. Everolimus at the dose of 10 mg/day significantly increased the risk of the adverse events. In order to enable its application to the standard conventional therapies of HCC, further studies are required to enhance the antitumor effects and manage the adverse events of everolimus

  10. Efficacy and adverse effects of icotinib in treatment of 30 NSCLC patients with brain metastases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-hong DAI

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective  To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of icotinib in the treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC patients with brain metastases. Methods  This study was performed at Tongji Hospital Cancer Center over the period between September 2011 and November 2015. Thirty cases of advanced NSCLC patients with icotinib monotherapy were enrolled, all with brain metastases, the median follow-up time being 24 months (5.5-49.0 months, with no case censored. The follow-up rate was 100%, and the data of efficacy and adverse effects were collected. Results  The intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS was 9.6 months, while no patient exhibited complete remission (CR, 8 patients showed partial remission (PR and 14 showed stable disease (SD in the intracranial foci. The intracranial disease control rate (DCR was 73.3%, and the objective remission rate (ORR was 26.7%. The extracranial progression-free survival (ePFS was 10.1 months, while no patient exhibited CR, 11 patients showed PR and 11 patients showed SD in the extracranial foci. The extracranial DCR was 73.3%, and the ORR was 36.7%. The one-year survival rate was 63.8% in all the 30 patients. Twelve (40.0% of the total 30 patients developed rash, five (16.7% developed grade 1 diarrhea, one (3.3% developed grade 2 transaminase elevation. None of the patients experienced headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, etc. Conclusion  Icotinib hydrochloride is effective and safe for NSCLC patients with brain metastasis. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.06.11

  11. Adverse Effects of Waste Generation in Calabar Urban, Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adverse Effects of Waste Generation in Calabar Urban, Nigeria. ... degradation, blocking of drainage and emission of greenhouse gases. We found a number of health hazards, ranging from pollution to diseases on both human and animals.

  12. Adverse health effects associated with Islamic fasting -A literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nania Mohamed Pakkir Maideen

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Millions of Muslims across the world observe Islamic fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, as well as the other specific dates in the lunar calendar year. While fasting during this month, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk. Islamic fasting is similar to alternate day fasting (ADF since it incorporates an average of 12 hours of fasting and 12 hours of feasting periods. This present review study is aimed to find out the common adverse health effects associated with Islamic fasting and the preventive measures to be followed to avoid them. Methods: The literature was reviewed through searching in databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and reference lists to identify the related articles. Results: Many health benefits have been attributed to Islamic fasting, including the reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and asthma. On the other hand, some studies have mentioned a few health problems associated with Islamic fasting, such as headaches, heartburn, constipation, dehydration, decreased sleep quality, and anemia, which may occur in some fasting individuals during Ramadan. Conclusion: Islamic fasting could be beneficial for health if it is performed correctly. During Ramadan, fasting individuals are advised to adhere to a balanced diet that contains sufficient portions of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, meat, fish, milk, and dairy products. Moreover, fasting individuals must drink adequate fluids, such as water, fresh fruit juices, and soups, in order to prevent the possible adverse health effects associated with Islamic fasting.

  13. No effects of MRI scan on male reproduction hormones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Møllerløkken, Ole J; Moen, Bente E; Baste, Valborg; Magerøy, Nils; Oftedal, Gunnhild; Neto, Emanuel; Ersland, Lars; Bjørge, Line; Torjesen, Peter A; Mild, Kjell Hansson

    2012-08-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasing around the world and the possible adverse effects on reproductive health of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in MRI are not previously studied. A prospective randomized balanced cross-over study using a head scan in real MRI with whole-body transmitting coil and sham MRI among 24 healthy male volunteers was conducted. Serum-blood samples of inhibin B, testosterone, prolactine, thyreotropine, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, sex-hormone binding globuline and estradiol were taken before and after the different scans. Neither immediately after, nor after 11 days were there seen any differences in the hormone levels comparing real and sham MRI. The lack of effects of EMF on male reproductive hormones should be reassuring to the public and especially for men examined in MRI. Adverse effects on other endpoints than male reproduction or possible chronic effect of multiple MRI scans have not been investigated in this study. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The basic science of dermal fillers: past and present Part II: adverse effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Erin; Hui, Andrea; Meehan, Shane; Waldorf, Heidi A

    2012-09-01

    The ideal dermal filler should offer long-lasting aesthetic improvement with a minimal side-effect profile. It should be biocompatible and stable within the injection site, with the risk of only transient undesirable effects from injection alone. However, all dermal fillers can induce serious and potentially long-lasting adverse effects. In Part II of this paper, we review the most common adverse effects related to dermal filler use.

  15. Relative associations between depression and anxiety on adverse cardiovascular events: does a history of coronary artery disease matter? A prospective observational study

    OpenAIRE

    Pelletier, Roxanne; Bacon, Simon L; Arsenault, Andr?; Dupuis, Jocelyn; Laurin, Catherine; Blais, Lucie; Lavoie, Kim L

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To assess whether depression and anxiety increase the risk of mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), among patients with and without coronary artery disease (CAD). Design and setting, and patients DECADE (Depression Effects on Coronary Artery Disease Events) is a prospective observational study of 2390 patients referred at the Montreal Heart Institute. Patients were followed for 8.8?years, between 1998 and 2009. Depression and anxiety were assessed using a psychi...

  16. Adverse Childhood Experiences in a Post-bariatric Surgery Psychiatric Inpatient Sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fink, Kathryn; Ross, Colin A

    2017-12-01

    Sixty-three inpatients in a psychiatric hospital who had previously undergone bariatric surgery were interviewed by the hospital dietitian. The purpose of the study was to determine the frequency of adverse childhood experiences in this population. Participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Scale. The average score on the ACE was 5.4 (3.3); 76% of participants reported childhood emotional neglect, 70% childhood verbal abuse, and 64% childhood sexual abuse; only two participants reported no adverse childhood experiences. The participants in the study reported high levels of adverse childhood experiences compared to the general population, which is consistent with prior literature on rates of childhood trauma in post-bariatric surgery patients. The role of adverse childhood experiences in post-bariatric surgery adaptation should be investigated in future research, including in prospective studies.

  17. Systematic review of the potential adverse effects of caffeine consumption in healthy adults, pregnant women, adolescents, and children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wikoff, Daniele; Welsh, Brian T; Henderson, Rayetta; Brorby, Gregory P; Britt, Janice; Myers, Esther; Goldberger, Jeffrey; Lieberman, Harris R; O'Brien, Charles; Peck, Jennifer; Tenenbein, Milton; Weaver, Connie; Harvey, Seneca; Urban, Jonathan; Doepker, Candace

    2017-11-01

    To date, one of the most heavily cited assessments of caffeine safety in the peer-reviewed literature is that issued by Health Canada (Nawrot et al., 2003). Since then, >10,000 papers have been published related to caffeine, including hundreds of reviews on specific human health effects; however, to date, none have compared the wide range of topics evaluated by Nawrot et al. (2003). Thus, as an update to this foundational publication, we conducted a systematic review of data on potential adverse effects of caffeine published from 2001 to June 2015. Subject matter experts and research team participants developed five PECO (population, exposure, comparator, and outcome) questions to address five types of outcomes (acute toxicity, cardiovascular toxicity, bone and calcium effects, behavior, and development and reproduction) in four healthy populations (adults, pregnant women, adolescents, and children) relative to caffeine intake doses determined not to be associated with adverse effects by Health Canada (comparators: 400 mg/day for adults [10 g for lethality], 300 mg/day for pregnant women, and 2.5 mg/kg/day for children and adolescents). The a priori search strategy identified >5000 articles that were screened, with 381 meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria for the five outcomes (pharmacokinetics was addressed contextually, adding 46 more studies). Data were extracted by the research team and rated for risk of bias and indirectness (internal and external validity). Selected no- and low-effect intakes were assessed relative to the population-specific comparator. Conclusions were drawn for the body of evidence for each outcome, as well as endpoints within an outcome, using a weight of evidence approach. When the total body of evidence was evaluated and when study quality, consistency, level of adversity, and magnitude of response were considered, the evidence generally supports that consumption of up to 400 mg caffeine/day in healthy adults is not associated

  18. Childhood adversity specificity and dose-response effect in non-affective first-episode psychosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trauelsen, Anne Marie; Bendall, Sarah; Jansen, Jens Einar

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Reviews conclude that childhood and adolescence sexual, physical, emotional abuse and emotional and physical neglect are all risk factors for psychosis. However, studies suggest only some adversities are associated with psychosis. Dose-response effects of several adversities on risk......% of the control group. Childhood and adolescent sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and physical and emotional neglect, separation and institutionalization were about four to 17 times higher for the FEP group (all p... of psychosis have not been consistently found. The current study aimed to explore adversity specificity and dose-response effects of adversities on risk of psychosis. METHOD: Participants were 101 persons with first-episode psychosis (FEP) diagnosed with ICD-10 F20 - F29 (except F21) and 101 non-clinical...

  19. Adverse Effects of Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronis, Martin J J; Pedersen, Kim B; Watt, James

    2018-01-06

    Over 70% of Americans take some form of dietary supplement every day, and the supplement industry is currently big business, with a gross of over $28 billion. However, unlike either foods or drugs, supplements do not need to be registered or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prior to production or sales. Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, the FDA is restricted to adverse report monitoring postmarketing. Despite widespread consumption, there is limited evidence of health benefits related to nutraceutical or supplement use in well-nourished adults. In contrast, a small number of these products have the potential to produce significant toxicity. In addition, patients often do not disclose supplement use to their physicians. Therefore, the risk of adverse drug-supplement interactions is significant. An overview of the major supplement and nutraceutical classes is presented here, together with known toxic effects and the potential for drug interactions.

  20. The interpersonal adverse effects reported by 1008 users of antidepressants; and the incremental impact of polypharmacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Read, John; Gee, Aimee; Diggle, Jacob; Butler, Helen

    2017-10-01

    Antidepressant drugs are being prescribed at ever increasing rates internationally, despite marginal benefit compared to placebo and a range of adverse effects. Most studies of adverse effects focus on biological phenomena. This article presents the results of an online survey of 1008 self-selected anti-depressant users in Britain, which asked about five adverse effects in the interpersonal domain. The most commonly reported among participants who took only antidepressants were: Sex Life - 43.7%, Work or Study - 27.0% and Social Life - 23.5%. These rates of interpersonal adverse effects were even higher for the 52% of participants who were also taking one or more other psychiatric drugs. Only about a half (48%) felt they had been given enough information about side effects by the prescriber. Those initially prescribed medication by a psychiatrist were more likely to be on several types of drugs and reported more adverse effects than those whose prescriber was a General Practitioner (GP). Researchers and prescribers are encouraged to pay greater attention to interpersonal adverse effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Nivolumab, a new immunomodulatory drug, a new adverse effect; adrenal crisis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Funda Karbek Akarca

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Owing to the advancements in medicine, new information is obtained regarding cancer, new antineoplastic agents are developed. Frequent use of these new pharmacological agents emergency physicians to be vigilant about their side effects. We present a case of adrenal crisis in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, caused by an immunomodulatory drug; nivolumab. While adverse events are related to other immunomodulatory drugs have been reported in literature, our case is the first nivolumab-related adrenal failure to be reported. A patient with lung cancer presented to the emergency room(ER with nausea and vomiting. Hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, persistent hypoglycemia led to the diagnosis of adrenal crisis. Having direct effect on the immune system, these drugs were claimed to be highly reliable. However, there is no reliable data on the side effect profile of these agents. It should be kept in mind that life-threatening auto-immune reactions may occur. Keywords: Nivolumab, Immunomodulation, CTLA 4 antigen, Adrenal crisis

  2. Adverse effects of nickel in transosseous wires and surgical implants: literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nwashindi, A; Dim, E M

    2014-01-01

    Transosseous wires used in the management of fractures are stainless steel alloys which contain nickel 14.5%, chromium 17.6%, iron 62.5% and molybdenum 2.8%. Gradual disintegration of the transosseous wires release nickel into the blood leading to increase nickel concentration in the blood. Nickel has been found to have some adverse systemic effects on the body. The aim of this paper is to discuss the sources of Nickel in the body as well as the systemic adverse effects of Nickel as a degradation product of stainless steel surgical implants. A study of pertinent literature on nickel as a content of stainless steel alloy used in implant surgery was done, taking note also of other sources of nickel in the body, the toxicokinetics of nickel and the related adverse effects of this metal and its compound in humans. As outcome,the sources of human exposure to nickel,distribution and metabolism of nickel in the body, host responseto stainless steel wires and the adverse effects of nickel in the body are presented. It may be necessary to discourage the use of wires or implants containing nickel in the management of fractures.The need for removal of these implants after they have served their purposes is emphasized.

  3. Some effects of favorable and adverse electric fields on pool boiling in dielectric fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masson, Viviana

    2001-01-01

    The effects of the application of an electric field on pool boiling in dielectric fluids were studied in this work.Two different geometries were used: one which is favorable to the bubble detachment (favorable electric field) and other which attract the bubbles toward the heater (adverse electric field).In the favorable electric field experiments, the void fraction and impact rate were calculated from the measured indicator function.Those parameters were obtained varying the probe-heater distance and the power to the heater.The results show a reduction of the void fraction with increasing applied voltage, probably caused by the combination of the dielectrophoretic force and a smaller bubble size due to the electric field application. Also, the impact rate decreases when a voltage is applied and the heat fluxes are close to the critical heat flux (CHF).On the other hand, the impact rate increases with voltage for moderate heat fluxes.Another interesting result is the approximately exponential decay of the void fraction and impact rate with the distance to the heater. Both the void fraction and the impact rate grow with heat flux if the heat fluxes are moderate, with or without applied voltage.For highest heat fluxes the void fraction still grows with heat flux if there are no applied electric fields while decreases with heat flux when there is an applied voltage. Similar behavior is observed in the impact rate.The boiling regimes was measured with adverse electric fields using two techniques.The heat transfer in the nucleate boiling regime was measured on an electrically powered heater.The results in these experiments show a reduction in the CHF of 10 % for saturation conditions and 10 kV of applied voltage, and a reduction of up to 40 % for 20 oC of liquid subcooling.The boiling curve corresponding to the transition and film boiling was performed with quenching experiments.An increase in the heat flux was achieved when an electric field was applied in spite of the

  4. A Cohort Study on Long-Term Adverse Effects of Parental Drinking: Background and Study Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingunn Olea Lund

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Although many studies have addressed adverse outcomes in children of parents with alcohol abuse/dependence, less is known about the possible long-term effects of more normative patterns of parental alcohol consumption, including drinking at lower risk levels and heavy episodic or binge drinking. The extent of harm from parental drinking may therefore be underestimated. With this research proposal, we describe a project that aims to assess possible long-term adverse effects of parental drinking by combining survey and nationwide registry data. Advantages of a longitudinal general population cohort design include that it allows for detailed information on parental drinking through survey data and identification of possible negative long-term health and social outcomes from exposure to parental drinking 1–19 years after exposure through continuously updated nationwide registers. The rich information available from combining survey and registry data allows us to take into account important confounders, mediators, and moderators.

  5. Melatonin for Atypical Antipsychotic-Induced Metabolic Adverse Effects: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashwin Kamath

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of our study was to determine the effect of melatonin administration on atypical antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects in patients with psychiatric disorders. A systematic search was performed in PUBMED, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost electronic databases. Randomized controlled trials studying the effect of melatonin on antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects were identified and subjected to meta-analysis. Four studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 57 patients on melatonin and 61 patients on placebo. Melatonin produced a significant decrease in the diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo (mean difference = −4.44 [95% CI, −7.00 to −1.88]; p=0.0007; I2 = 13%, but not the systolic blood pressure (mean difference = −4.23 [95% CI, −8.11 to −0.36]; p=0.03; I2 = 0%. Although a decrease in the body mass index was seen in the melatonin group, the difference was not significant in the random-effects analysis model. To conclude, in patients on atypical antipsychotics, melatonin at a dose of up to 5 mg/day for a treatment duration of up to 12 weeks attenuated the rise in diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo but had no significant effects on other metabolic parameters.

  6. Melatonin for Atypical Antipsychotic-Induced Metabolic Adverse Effects: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamath, Ashwin; Rather, Zahoor Ahmad

    2018-01-01

    The objective of our study was to determine the effect of melatonin administration on atypical antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects in patients with psychiatric disorders. A systematic search was performed in PUBMED, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost electronic databases. Randomized controlled trials studying the effect of melatonin on antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects were identified and subjected to meta-analysis. Four studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 57 patients on melatonin and 61 patients on placebo. Melatonin produced a significant decrease in the diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo (mean difference = -4.44 [95% CI, -7.00 to -1.88]; p = 0.0007; I 2 = 13%), but not the systolic blood pressure (mean difference = -4.23 [95% CI, -8.11 to -0.36]; p = 0.03; I 2 = 0%). Although a decrease in the body mass index was seen in the melatonin group, the difference was not significant in the random-effects analysis model. To conclude, in patients on atypical antipsychotics, melatonin at a dose of up to 5 mg/day for a treatment duration of up to 12 weeks attenuated the rise in diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo but had no significant effects on other metabolic parameters.

  7. Adulthood Stressors, History of Childhood Adversity, and Risk of Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Andrea L.; McLaughlin, Katie A.; Conron, Kerith J.; Koenen, Karestan C.

    2010-01-01

    Background Over half a million U.S. women and more than 100,000 men are treated for injuries from intimate partner violence (IPV) annually, making IPV perpetration a major public health problem. However, little is known about causes of perpetration across the life course. Purpose This paper examines the role of “stress sensitization,” whereby adult stressors increase risk for IPV perpetration most strongly in people with a history of childhood adversity. Methods The study investigated a possible interaction effect between adulthood stressors and childhood adversities in risk of IPV perpetration, specifically, whether the difference in risk of IPV perpetration associated with past-year stressors varied by history of exposure to childhood adversity. Analyses were conducted in 2010 using de-identified data from 34,653 U.S. adults from the 2004–2005 follow-up wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Results There was a significant stress sensitization effect. For men with high-level childhood adversity, past-year stressors were associated with an 8.8% increased risk of perpetrating compared to a 2.3% increased risk among men with low-level adversity. Women with high-level childhood adversity had a 14.3% increased risk compared with a 2.5% increased risk in the low-level adversity group. Conclusions Individuals with recent stressors and histories of childhood adversity are at particularly elevated risk of IPV perpetration; therefore, prevention efforts should target this population. Treatment programs for IPV perpetrators, which have not been effective in reducing risk of perpetrating, may benefit from further investigating the role of stress and stress reactivity in perpetration. PMID:21238860

  8. Adverse Health Effects and Unhealthy Behaviors among Medical Students Using Facebook

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sami Abdo Radman Al-Dubai

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the relationships between adverse health effects and unhealthy behaviors among medical students using Facebook. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between adverse health effects and unhealthy behaviors with Facebook use. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a private university in Malaysia among 316 medical students. A self-administered questionnaire was used. It included questions on sociodemographics, pattern of Facebook use, social relationship, unhealthy behaviors, and health effects. Mean age was 20.5 (±2.7 years. All students had a Facebook account. The average daily Facebook surfing hours were 2.5 (±1.7. Significant associations were found between average hours of Facebook surfing and the following factors: isolation from family members and community, refusing to answer calls, musculoskeletal pain, headache, and eye irritation (P<0.005. The average hours spent on Facebook were significantly associated with holding urination and defecation while online, surfing Facebook until midnight, and postponing, forgetting, or skipping meals (P<0.005. The average hours spent on Facebook were associated with adverse health effects and unhealthy behaviors among medical students, as well as social isolation from the family and community.

  9. Genetic inhibition of CETP, ischemic vascular disease and mortality, and possible adverse effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johannsen, Trine Holm; Frikke-Schmidt, Ruth; Schou, Jesper

    2012-01-01

    This study tested whether genetic variation in the CETP gene is consistent with a protective effect of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibition on risk of ischemic events and on total mortality, without the adverse effects reported for torcetrapib.......This study tested whether genetic variation in the CETP gene is consistent with a protective effect of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibition on risk of ischemic events and on total mortality, without the adverse effects reported for torcetrapib....

  10. Systematic review of pediatric health outcomes associated with childhood adversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Debora Lee; Jerman, Petra; Silvério Marques, Sara; Koita, Kadiatou; Purewal Boparai, Sukhdip Kaur; Burke Harris, Nadine; Bucci, Monica

    2018-02-23

    Early detection of and intervention in childhood adversity has powerful potential to improve the health and well-being of children. A systematic review was conducted to better understand the pediatric health outcomes associated with childhood adversity. PubMed, PsycArticles, and CINAHL were searched for relevant articles. Longitudinal studies examining various adverse childhood experiences and biological health outcomes occurring prior to age 20 were selected. Mental and behavioral health outcomes were excluded, as were physical health outcomes that were a direct result of adversity (i.e. abusive head trauma). Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed by 2 independent reviewers. After identifying 15940 records, 35 studies were included in this review. Selected studies indicated that exposure to childhood adversity was associated with delays in cognitive development, asthma, infection, somatic complaints, and sleep disruption. Studies on household dysfunction reported an effect on weight during early childhood, and studies on maltreatment reported an effect on weight during adolescence. Maternal mental health issues were associated with elevated cortisol levels, and maltreatment was associated with blunted cortisol levels in childhood. Furthermore, exposure to childhood adversity was associated with alterations of immune and inflammatory response and stress-related accelerated telomere erosion. Childhood adversity affects brain development and multiple body systems, and the physiologic manifestations can be detectable in childhood. A history of childhood adversity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of developmental delay, asthma, recurrent infections requiring hospitalization, somatic complaints, and sleep disruption. The variability in children's response to adversity suggests complex underlying mechanisms and poses a challenge in the development of uniform diagnostic guidelines. More large longitudinal studies are needed to better

  11. The development of search filters for adverse effects of surgical interventions in medline and Embase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golder, Su; Wright, Kath; Loke, Yoon Kong

    2018-03-31

    Search filter development for adverse effects has tended to focus on retrieving studies of drug interventions. However, a different approach is required for surgical interventions. To develop and validate search filters for medline and Embase for the adverse effects of surgical interventions. Systematic reviews of surgical interventions where the primary focus was to evaluate adverse effect(s) were sought. The included studies within these reviews were divided randomly into a development set, evaluation set and validation set. Using word frequency analysis we constructed a sensitivity maximising search strategy and this was tested in the evaluation and validation set. Three hundred and fifty eight papers were included from 19 surgical intervention reviews. Three hundred and fifty two papers were available on medline and 348 were available on Embase. Generic adverse effects search strategies in medline and Embase could achieve approximately 90% relative recall. Recall could be further improved with the addition of specific adverse effects terms to the search strategies. We have derived and validated a novel search filter that has reasonable performance for identifying adverse effects of surgical interventions in medline and Embase. However, we appreciate the limitations of our methods, and recommend further research on larger sample sizes and prospective systematic reviews. © 2018 The Authors Health Information and Libraries Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Health Libraries Group.

  12. Childhood adversity, adult socioeconomic status and risk of work disability: a prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halonen, Jaana I; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi; Pentti, Jaana; Virtanen, Marianna; Ervasti, Jenni; Oksanen, Tuula; Lallukka, Tea

    2017-09-01

    To examine the combined effects of childhood adversities and low adult socioeconomic status (SES) on the risk of future work disability. Included were 34 384 employed Finnish Public Sector study participants who responded to questions about childhood adversities (none vs any adversity, eg, parental divorce or financial difficulties) in 2008, and whose adult SES in 2008 was available. We categorised exposure into four groups: neither (reference), childhood adversity only, low SES only or both. Participants were followed from 2009 until the first period of register-based work disability (sickness absence >9 days or disability pension) due to any cause, musculoskeletal or mental disorders; retirement; death or end of follow-up (December 2011). We ran Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for behavioural, health-related and work-related covariates, and calculated synergy indices for the combined effects. When compared with those with neither exposure, HR for work disability from any cause was increased among participants with childhood adversity, with low SES, and those with both exposures. The highest hazard was observed in those with both exposures: HR 2.53, 95% CI 2.29 to 2.79 for musculoskeletal disability, 1.55, 95% CI 1.36 to 1.78 for disability due to mental disorders and 1.29, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.39 for disability due to other reasons. The synergy indices did not indicate synergistic effects. These findings indicate that childhood psychosocial adversity and low adult SES are additive risk factors for work disability. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  13. Acetamiprid Accumulates in Different Amounts in Murine Brain Regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hayato Terayama

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Neonicotinoids such as acetamiprid (ACE belong to a new and widely used single class of pesticides. Neonicotinoids mimic the chemical structure of nicotine and share agonist activity with the nicotine acetylcholine receptor (nAchR. Neonicotinoids are widely considered to be safe in humans; however, they have recently been implicated in a number of human health disorders. A wide range of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders associated with high doses of neonicotinoids administered to animals have also been reported. Consequently, we used a mouse model to investigate the response of the central nervous system to ACE treatment. Our results show that exposure to ACE-containing water for three or seven days (decuple and centuple of no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL/day caused a decrease in body weight in 10-week old A/JJmsSlc (A/J mice. However, the treatments did not affect brain histology or expression of CD34. ACE concentrations were significantly higher in the midbrain of ACE-treated mice than that of the normal and vehicle groups. Expression levels of α7, α4, and β2 nAChRs were found to be low in the olfactory bulb and midbrain of normal mice. Furthermore, in the experimental group (centuple ACE-containing water for seven days, β2 nAChR expression decreased in many brain regions. Information regarding the amount of accumulated ACE and expression levels of the acetylcholine receptor in each region of the brain is important for understanding any clinical symptoms that may be associated with ACE exposure.

  14. Vitamin C: intravenous use by complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and adverse effects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian J Padayatty

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Anecdotal information and case reports suggest that intravenously administered vitamin C is used by Complementary and Alternate Medicine (CAM practitioners. The scale of such use in the U.S. and associated side effects are unknown.We surveyed attendees at annual CAM Conferences in 2006 and 2008, and determined sales of intravenous vitamin C by major U.S. manufacturers/distributors. We also queried practitioners for side effects, compiled published cases, and analyzed FDA's Adverse Events Database. Of 199 survey respondents (out of 550, 172 practitioners administered IV vitamin C to 11,233 patients in 2006 and 8876 patients in 2008. Average dose was 28 grams every 4 days, with 22 total treatments per patient. Estimated yearly doses used (as 25 g/50 ml vials were 318,539 in 2006 and 354,647 in 2008. Manufacturers' yearly sales were 750,000 and 855,000 vials, respectively. Common reasons for treatment included infection, cancer, and fatigue. Of 9,328 patients for whom data is available, 101 had side effects, mostly minor, including lethargy/fatigue in 59 patients, change in mental status in 21 patients and vein irritation/phlebitis in 6 patients. Publications documented serious adverse events, including 2 deaths in patients known to be at risk for IV vitamin C. Due to confounding causes, the FDA Adverse Events Database was uninformative. Total numbers of patients treated in the US with high dose vitamin C cannot be accurately estimated from this study.High dose IV vitamin C is in unexpectedly wide use by CAM practitioners. Other than the known complications of IV vitamin C in those with renal impairment or glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, high dose intravenous vitamin C appears to be remarkably safe. Physicians should inquire about IV vitamin C use in patients with cancer, chronic, untreatable, or intractable conditions and be observant of unexpected harm, drug interactions, or benefit.

  15. Multidisciplinary approach to identification and remedial intervention for adverse late effects of cancer therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCalla, J.L.

    1985-01-01

    Because of advances in surgical technique, radiation therapy, and combined chemotherapy regimens, there has been a dramatic improvement in the survival of children with pediatric malignancies. All treatment modalities are associated with adverse effects that may be manifested months to years after therapy. This article has provided an overview of the physiologic and psychologic adverse effects of antineoplastic therapy and described the multidisciplinary approach used by one institution to identify and initiate appropriate remedial intervention. Nurses can learn to assist in the identification of adverse late effects, provide support to the family, and facilitate appropriate intervention

  16. Linking Adverse Outcome Pathways to Dynamic Energy Budgets: A Conceptual Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murphy, Cheryl [Michigan State University, East Lansing; Nisbet, Roger [University of California Santa Barbara; Antczak, Philipp [University of Liverpool, UK; Reyero, Natalia [Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg; Gergs, Andre [Gaiac; Lika, Dina [University of Crete; Mathews, Teresa J. [ORNL; Muller, Eric [University of California, Santa Barbara; Nacci, Dianne [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Peace, Angela L. [ORNL; Remien, Chris [University of Idaho; Schulz, Irv [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL); Watanabe, Karen [Arizona State University

    2018-02-01

    Ecological risk assessment quantifies the likelihood of undesirable impacts of stressors, primarily at high levels of biological organization. Data used to inform ecological risk assessments come primarily from tests on individual organisms or from suborganismal studies, indicating a disconnect between primary data and protection goals. We know how to relate individual responses to population dynamics using individual-based models, and there are emerging ideas on how to make connections to ecosystem services. However, there is no established methodology to connect effects seen at higher levels of biological organization with suborganismal dynamics, despite progress made in identifying Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) that link molecular initiating events to ecologically relevant key events. This chapter is a product of a working group at the National Center for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) that assessed the feasibility of using dynamic energy budget (DEB) models of individual organisms as a “pivot” connecting suborganismal processes to higher level ecological processes. AOP models quantify explicit molecular, cellular or organ-level processes, but do not offer a route to linking sub-organismal damage to adverse effects on individual growth, reproduction, and survival, which can be propagated to the population level through individual-based models. DEB models describe these processes, but use abstract variables with undetermined connections to suborganismal biology. We propose linking DEB and quantitative AOP models by interpreting AOP key events as measures of damage-inducing processes in a DEB model. Here, we present a conceptual model for linking AOPs to DEB models and review existing modeling tools available for both AOP and DEB.

  17. Agricultural pesticide use and adverse birth outcomes in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Ashley E; Gaines, Steven D; Deschênes, Olivier

    2017-08-29

    Virtually all agricultural communities worldwide are exposed to agricultural pesticides. Yet, the health consequences of such exposure are poorly understood, and the scientific literature remains ambiguous. Using individual birth and demographic characteristics for over 500 000 birth observations between 1997-2011 in the agriculturally dominated San Joaquin Valley, California, we statistically investigate if residential agricultural pesticide exposure during gestation, by trimester, and by toxicity influences birth weight, gestational length, or birth abnormalities. Overall, our analysis indicates that agricultural pesticide exposure increases adverse birth outcomes by 5-9%, but only among the population exposed to very high quantities of pesticides (e.g., top 5th percentile, i.e., ~4200 kg applied over gestation). Thus, policies and interventions targeting the extreme right tail of the pesticide distribution near human habitation could largely eliminate the adverse birth outcomes associated with agricultural pesticide exposure documented in this study.The health consequences of exposure to pesticides are uncertain and subject to much debate. Here, the effect of exposure during pregnancy is investigated in an agriculturally dominated residential area, showing that an increase in adverse birth outcomes is observed with very high levels of pesticide exposure.

  18. Human health no-effect levels of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles as a function of their primary size

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laurent, Alexis, E-mail: alau@dtu.dk [Technical University of Denmark, Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Management Engineering (Denmark); Harkema, Jack R. [Michigan State University, Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine (United States); Andersen, Elisabeth W. [Technical University of Denmark, Statistics and Data Analysis Section, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (Denmark); Owsianiak, Mikołaj; Vea, Eldbjørg B. [Technical University of Denmark, Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Management Engineering (Denmark); Jolliet, Olivier [University of Michigan, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health (United States)

    2017-04-15

    As engineered nanomaterials are increasingly introduced on the market into a broad range of commodities or nanoproducts, there is a need for operational, reliable tool, enabling to consistently assess the risks and impacts associated with the releases of nanoparticles. The lack of a developed metric that accurately represents their toxic effects while capturing the influence of the most relevant physicochemical properties is one of the major impediments. Here, we investigate the relationships between the toxic responses of nano-sized and micro-sized particles in in vivo toxicological studies and their physicochemical properties. Our results for TiO{sub 2} particles indicate statistically significant associations between the primary particle size and their toxicity responses for combined inhalation and ingestion exposure routes, although the numerical values should be considered with care due to the inability to encompass influences from other relevant physicochemical properties like surface coatings. These findings allow for expressing mass-based adverse effect levels as a continuous function of the primary size of particles. This meaningful, exploratory metric can thus be used for screening purposes and pave the way for reaching adaptive, robust risk assessments of nanomaterials, e.g. for setting up consistent threshold levels, as well as consistent life cycle assessments of nanoproducts. We provide examples of such applications.

  19. OBSERVATIONS ON LEVELS OF INTERNAL PARASITES IN FREE ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The purpose of this investigation was to record information on levels of parasitism and to observe any obvious pathogenic effects. METHOD. The majority of the 120 kudu examined were shot during Tsetse Game Control ..... DINNIK et aI. 1963.

  20. Effects of lead nitrate (PbNO3) on the glucose and cortisol hormone levels in common carp, Cyprinus carpio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zare, S; Afaghi, A; Heidari, R; Asadpoor, Y; Shiri, S

    2007-08-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of PbNO3 exposure on variations of glucose and cortisol levels in Cyprinus carpio. Fish were subjected to two sub-lethal concentrations of PbNO3 for 14 days. Blood samples were isolated from the fish following the exposure, to measure the levels of cortisol and glucose compared to the control group. We found significant increases (plead would affect the levels of both glucose and cortisol in Cyprinus carpio.

  1. Biological Sensitivity to the Effects of Childhood Family Adversity on Psychological Well-Being in Young Adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somers, Jennifer A; Ibrahim, Mariam Hanna; Luecken, Linda J

    2017-08-01

    The theory of biological sensitivity to context may inform our understanding of why some children exposed to family adversity develop mental health problems in emerging adulthood whereas others demonstrate resilience. This study investigated the interactive effects of heart rate (HR) reactivity and childhood family adversity (maltreatment and changes in family structure) on depressive symptoms and positive affect among 150 undergraduate students (18-28 years old; 77% White, non-Hispanic; 61% female). Participants reported on childhood parental divorce or death, and child maltreatment, and current depressive symptoms and positive affect. HR reactivity was assessed in response to a laboratory interpersonal stressor. HR reactivity moderated the effects of child maltreatment on depressive symptoms and positive affect; higher maltreatment was associated with more depressive symptoms and less positive affect, but only among those with average and higher levels of HR reactivity. Results suggest that higher physiological reactivity may confer greater susceptibility to environmental contexts.

  2. The Comparison of Intrathecal Morphine and IV Morphine PCA on Pain Control, Patient Satisfaction, Morphine Consumption, and Adverse Effects in Patients Undergoing Reduction Mammoplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karamese, Mehtap; Akdağ, Osman; Kara, İnci; Yıldıran, Gokce Unal; Tosun, Zekeriya

    2015-01-01

    Following breast reduction procedures, the level of postoperative pain can be severe, and sufficient pain control influences a patient's physiological, immunological, and psychological status. The aim of this study was to examine the use of intrathecal morphine (ITM) in breast reduction surgery with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Sixty-two female patients who underwent breast reductions with the same technique participated in this study. The study group (ITM + PCA) included 32 patients; a single shot (0.2 mg) of ITM and intravenous morphine with PCA were administered. In the control group, morphine PCA alone was intravenously administered to 30 patients. Comparisons between the groups of cumulative morphine consumption, visual analog scale scores, and patient satisfaction scores, which were the primary outcome measures, and adverse effects, which were the secondary outcome measures, were conducted. The patients in the 2 groups had similar degrees of pain and satisfaction scores. The study group had lower cumulative morphine consumption (P = .001) than the PCA-only control group; there was no statistically significant difference in adverse effects between the 2 groups. Intrathecal morphine may effectively control pain with lower total morphine consumption following breast reduction surgery.

  3. Energy drinks consumption pattern, perceived benefits and associated adverse effects amongst students of University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsunni, Ahmed A; Badar, Ahmed

    2011-01-01

    There are safety concerns about energy drinks alongside marketing claims of physiological and behavioural benefits. There is no scientific data about usage of energy drinks in Saudi Arabia. This study determined consumption patterns of energy drinks as well as perceived benefits and side effects amongst students at a Saudi university. This study was carried out in students of University of Dammam from October to December 2010. A questionnaire about energy drink use, reasons for use, benefits and side effects experienced was distributed amongst the university students. Frequencies of responses and differences between male and female students were analysed. A total of 412 students (282 males and 130 females) responded, out of whom 54.60% males and 26.15% female students were energy drink users. Mean age at first use was significantly (pcompany of friends, to keep awake, for more energy and for better performance in driving, sports or exams. Amongst many the commonest (p<0.05) benefit reported was ability to stay awake longer. The students reported a number of adverse effects. Increased urination and insomnia were the commonest in males and females respectively. Only 36.70% males and 14.28% females never experienced an adverse effect. A significant proportion of students at university of Dammam use energy drinks, they have reported a number of effects (perceived as benefits) along with a variety of adverse effects.

  4. Effects of social adversity and HIV on subcortical shape and neurocognitive function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thames, April D; Kuhn, Taylor P; Mahmood, Zanjbeel; Bilder, Robert M; Williamson, Timothy J; Singer, Elyse J; Arentoft, Alyssa

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of the current study was to examine the independent and interactive effects of social adversity (SA) and HIV infection on subcortical shape alterations and cognitive functions. Participants included HIV+ (n = 70) and HIV- (n = 23) individuals who underwent MRI, neurocognitive and clinical assessment, in addition to completing questionnaires from which responses were used to create an SA score. Bilateral amygdalae and hippocampi were extracted from T1-weighted images. Parametric statistical analyses were used to compare the radial distance of the structure surface to a median curve to determine the presence of localized shape differences as a function of HIV, SA and their interaction. Next, multiple regression was used to examine the interactive association between HIV and SA with cognitive performance data. An HIV*SA interactive effect was found on the shape of the right amygdala and left hippocampus. Specifically, HIV-infected participants (but not HIV-uninfected controls) who evidenced higher levels of SA displayed an inward deformation of the surface consistent with reduced volume of these structures. We found interactive effects of HIV and SA on learning/memory performance. These results suggest that HIV+ individuals may be more vulnerable to neurological and cognitive changes in the hippocampus and amygdala as a function of SA than HIV- individuals, and that SA indicators of childhood SES and perceived racial discrimination are important components of adversity that are associated with cognitive performance.

  5. Mediators and Adverse Effects of Child Poverty in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascoe, John M; Wood, David L; Duffee, James H; Kuo, Alice

    2016-04-01

    The link between poverty and children's health is well recognized. Even temporary poverty may have an adverse effect on children's health, and data consistently support the observation that poverty in childhood continues to have a negative effect on health into adulthood. In addition to childhood morbidity being related to child poverty, epidemiologic studies have documented a mortality gradient for children aged 1 to 15 years (and adults), with poor children experiencing a higher mortality rate than children from higher-income families. The global great recession is only now very slowly abating for millions of America's children and their families. At this difficult time in the history of our nation's families and immediately after the 50th anniversary year of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty, it is particularly germane for the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is "dedicated to the health of all children," to publish a research-supported technical report that examines the mediators associated with the long-recognized adverse effects of child poverty on children and their families. This technical report draws on research from a number of disciplines, including physiology, sociology, psychology, economics, and epidemiology, to describe the present state of knowledge regarding poverty's negative impact on children's health and development. Children inherit not only their parents' genes but also the family ecology and its social milieu. Thus, parenting skills, housing, neighborhood, schools, and other factors (eg, medical care) all have complex relations to each other and influence how each child's genetic canvas is expressed. Accompanying this technical report is a policy statement that describes specific actions that pediatricians and other child advocates can take to attenuate the negative effects of the mediators identified in this technical report and improve the well-being of our nation's children and their families. Copyright © 2016 by the

  6. Childhood adversities and clinical symptomatology in first-episode psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindgren, Maija; Mäntylä, Teemu; Rikandi, Eva; Torniainen-Holm, Minna; Morales-Muñoz, Isabel; Kieseppä, Tuula; Mantere, Outi; Suvisaari, Jaana

    2017-12-01

    In addition to severe traumatic experiences, milder, more common childhood adversities reflecting psychosocial burden may also be common in people with psychotic disorders and have an effect on symptomatology and functioning. We explored eleven negative childhood experiences and their influence on clinical symptoms among young adults with first-episode psychosis (FEP, n = 75) and matched population controls (n = 51). Individuals with FEP reported more adversities than controls. Specifically serious conflicts within the family, bullying at school, maternal mental health problems, and one's own and parents' serious illness during childhood were experienced by the patients more often than by controls. In the FEP group, the severity of adversity was associated with increased anxiety, manic, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but not with the severity of positive psychotic symptoms. Adversity produced a more pronounced effect on symptoms in male patients than in female patients. To conclude, in line with earlier studies of more chronic psychosis, a majority of the participants with FEP reported exposure to childhood adversities, with the FEP group reporting more adversities than controls. High levels of mood and anxiety symptoms in patients with FEP may be related to cumulative exposure to childhood adversities. This should be taken into account in the treatment for FEP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. The adverse effects of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism during pregnancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahnaz Boroumand Rezazadeh

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Due to the important role of thyroid disorders on reproductive health of the women of childbearing age, pregnancy outcome, fetal health, and neurodevelopment of the infant, providing comprehensive assessment of the treatments used for preventing hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism seems to be essential. Therefore, evaluating the efficacy of different treatments of the thyroid disorders would be beneficial in better managing and controlling the disease during pregnancy. Hypothyroidism (a deficiency of thyroid hormone is a common thyroid disorder, which might increase the incidence rate of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, and preterm delivery. Hyperthyroidism, which is not a common disorder during the pregnancy not only leads to similar adverse effects as hypothyroidism but also can result in stillbirth and intrauterine growth restriction. Levothyroxine is the preferred treatment of hypothyroidism and the only drug therapy recommended for treating hyperthyroidism during pregnancy. In this study, we aimed to briefly review the adverse effects of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism during pregnancy and review the effects of recent suggested treatments for controlling thyroid disorders on pregnancy outcomes.

  8. Energy drinks and their adverse health effects: A systematic review of the current evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Fahad; Rehman, Hiba; Babayan, Zaruhi; Stapleton, Dwight; Joshi, Divya-Devi

    2015-04-01

    With the rising consumption of so-called energy drinks over the last few years, there has been a growing body of literature describing significant adverse health events after the ingestion of these beverages. To gain further insight about the clinical spectrum of these adverse events, we conducted a literature review. Using PubMed and Google-Scholar, we searched the literature from January 1980 through May 2014 for articles on the adverse health effects of energy drinks. A total of 2097 publications were found. We then excluded molecular and industry-related studies, popular media reports, and case reports of isolated caffeine toxicity, yielding 43 reports. Energy drink consumption is a health issue primarily of the adolescent and young adult male population. It is linked to increased substance abuse and risk-taking behaviors. The most common adverse events affect the cardiovascular and neurological systems. The most common ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine, and it is believed that the adverse events are related to its effects, as well as potentiating effects of other stimulants in these drinks. Education, regulation, and further studies are required.

  9. Experiencing a probabilistic approach to clarify and disclose uncertainties when setting occupational exposure limits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vernez, David; Fraize-Frontier, Sandrine; Vincent, Raymond; Binet, Stéphane; Rousselle, Christophe

    2018-03-15

    Assessment factors (AFs) are commonly used for deriving reference concentrations for chemicals. These factors take into account variabilities as well as uncertainties in the dataset, such as inter-species and intra-species variabilities or exposure duration extrapolation or extrapolation from the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) to the noobserved- adverse-effect level (NOAEL). In a deterministic approach, the value of an AF is the result of a debate among experts and, often a conservative value is used as a default choice. A probabilistic framework to better take into account uncertainties and/or variability when setting occupational exposure limits (OELs) is presented and discussed in this paper. Each AF is considered as a random variable with a probabilistic distribution. A short literature was conducted before setting default distributions ranges and shapes for each AF commonly used. A random sampling, using Monte Carlo techniques, is then used for propagating the identified uncertainties and computing the final OEL distribution. Starting from the broad default distributions obtained, experts narrow it to its most likely range, according to the scientific knowledge available for a specific chemical. Introducing distribution rather than single deterministic values allows disclosing and clarifying variability and/or uncertainties inherent to the OEL construction process. This probabilistic approach yields quantitative insight into both the possible range and the relative likelihood of values for model outputs. It thereby provides a better support in decision-making and improves transparency. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  10. Adverse Effects of Antidepressants Reported by 1,431 people from 38 Countries: Emotional Blunting, Suicidality, and Withdrawal Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Read, John; Williams, James

    2018-06-04

    Studies of the adverse effects of antidepressants tend to focus on biological symptoms. The prevalence of suicidality and withdrawal effects are currently a source of controversy. To directly ascertain the experiences of an international sample of antidepressant users. An online survey asked adult antidepressant users whether they had experienced 20 adverse effects 'as a result of taking the antidepressant', and if so, to what degree of severity. 1,431 people from 38 countries responded. 61% of the respondents reported at least ten of the 20 effects, most commonly: 'Feeling emotionally numb' (reported by 71%), 'Feeling foggy or detached' (70%); 'Feeling not like myself' (66%), 'Sexual difficulties' (66%), 'Drowsiness' (63%), and 'Reduction in positive feelings' (60%). 'Suicidality' as a result of the drugs was reported by 50%. Withdrawal effects were reported by 59%, and 'Addiction' by 40%. Rates of adverse effects were higher for those prescribed multiple antidepressants and those who also took antipsychotics. Younger age and longer use of ADs were positively related to total adverse effects. One third did not recall being told about any side effects by the prescriber. Less than 5% were told about suicidality, emotional numbing, withdrawal effects or addiction. Asking people directly reveals far higher rates of adverse responses to antidepressants than previously understood, especially in the emotional, psychological and interpersonal domains. Given recent findings that antidepressants are only marginally more effective than placebo, the findings of the current study imply a cost-benefit analysis that cannot justify the extremely high prescription rates for these drugs. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  11. Developmental toxicity studies with 6 forms of titanium dioxide test materials (3 pigment-different grade & 3 nanoscale) demonstrate an absence of effects in orally-exposed rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warheit, D B; Boatman, R; Brown, S C

    2015-12-01

    alterations. There was no evidence of maternal or developmental toxicity at any dose level tested in any of the six studies. Based on these results, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for titanium dioxide was 1000 mg/kg/day, the highest administered dose, in both the Sprague-Dawley (Crl:CD(SD) and Wistar rat strains. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. No psychological effect of color context in a low level vision task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedley, Adam; Wade, Alex R

    2013-01-01

    A remarkable series of recent papers have shown that colour can influence performance in cognitive tasks. In particular, they suggest that viewing a participant number printed in red ink or other red ancillary stimulus elements improves performance in tasks requiring local processing and impedes performance in tasks requiring global processing whilst the reverse is true for the colour blue. The tasks in these experiments require high level cognitive processing such as analogy solving or remote association tests and the chromatic effect on local vs. global processing is presumed to involve widespread activation of the autonomic nervous system. If this is the case, we might expect to see similar effects on all local vs. global task comparisons. To test this hypothesis, we asked whether chromatic cues also influence performance in tasks involving low level visual feature integration. Subjects performed either local (contrast detection) or global (form detection) tasks on achromatic dynamic Glass pattern stimuli. Coloured instructions, target frames and fixation points were used to attempt to bias performance to different task types. Based on previous literature, we hypothesised that red cues would improve performance in the (local) contrast detection task but would impede performance in the (global) form detection task.  A two-way, repeated measures, analysis of covariance (2×2 ANCOVA) with gender as a covariate, revealed no influence of colour on either task, F(1,29) = 0.289, p = 0.595, partial η (2) = 0.002. Additional analysis revealed no significant differences in only the first attempts of the tasks or in the improvement in performance between trials. We conclude that motivational processes elicited by colour perception do not influence neuronal signal processing in the early visual system, in stark contrast to their putative effects on processing in higher areas.

  13. Toxic effects of oral 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene in the Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McFarland, Craig A., E-mail: craig.a.mcfarland@us.army.mi [US Army Public Health Command (Prov), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010 (United States); Quinn, Michael J [US Army Public Health Command (Prov), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010 (United States); Boyce, John [Biotechnics, LLC, Hillsborough, NC 27278 (United States); LaFiandra, Emily M; Bazar, Matthew A [US Army Public Health Command (Prov), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010 (United States); Talent, Larry G [Oklahoma State University, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Stillwater, OK 74078 (United States); Johnson, Mark S [US Army Public Health Command (Prov), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010 (United States)

    2011-02-15

    The compound 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2A-DNT) was evaluated under laboratory conditions in the Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) to assess the potential for reptile toxicity. Oral LD{sub 50} values were 1406 and 1867 mg/kg for male and female lizards, respectively. Based on responses from a 14-day subacute study, a 60-day subchronic experiment followed where lizards were orally dosed at 0, 5, 15, 20, 25, 30 mg/kg-d. At day 60, number of days and survivors, food consumption, and change in body weight were inversely related to dose. Signs of toxicity were characterized by anorexia and generalized cachexia. Significant adverse histopathology was observed in hepatic tissue at {>=}15 mg/kg-d, consistent with hepatocellular transdifferentiation. Based on survival, loss of body weight, diminished food intake, changes in liver, kidney, and testes, and increased blood urea nitrogen, these data suggest a LOAEL of 15 mg/kg-d and a NOAEL of 5 mg/kg-d in S. occidentalis. - Research highlights: Oral LD{sub 50} (mg/kg) values were 1406 for male and 1867 for female lizards. Dose-dependent hepatocellular transdifferentiation was observed at {>=}5 mg/kg-d. Chromaturia in 2A-DNT and the parent TNT suggest biomarkers of exposure and effect. Health effects of metabolites support comprehensive ecological risk assessments. - The Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is a suitable reptile model for assessing the toxicity of energetic compounds and their metabolites.

  14. Toxic effects of oral 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene in the Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McFarland, Craig A.; Quinn, Michael J.; Boyce, John; LaFiandra, Emily M.; Bazar, Matthew A.; Talent, Larry G.; Johnson, Mark S.

    2011-01-01

    The compound 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2A-DNT) was evaluated under laboratory conditions in the Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) to assess the potential for reptile toxicity. Oral LD 50 values were 1406 and 1867 mg/kg for male and female lizards, respectively. Based on responses from a 14-day subacute study, a 60-day subchronic experiment followed where lizards were orally dosed at 0, 5, 15, 20, 25, 30 mg/kg-d. At day 60, number of days and survivors, food consumption, and change in body weight were inversely related to dose. Signs of toxicity were characterized by anorexia and generalized cachexia. Significant adverse histopathology was observed in hepatic tissue at ≥15 mg/kg-d, consistent with hepatocellular transdifferentiation. Based on survival, loss of body weight, diminished food intake, changes in liver, kidney, and testes, and increased blood urea nitrogen, these data suggest a LOAEL of 15 mg/kg-d and a NOAEL of 5 mg/kg-d in S. occidentalis. - Research highlights: → Oral LD 50 (mg/kg) values were 1406 for male and 1867 for female lizards. → Dose-dependent hepatocellular transdifferentiation was observed at ≥5 mg/kg-d. → Chromaturia in 2A-DNT and the parent TNT suggest biomarkers of exposure and effect. → Health effects of metabolites support comprehensive ecological risk assessments. - The Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is a suitable reptile model for assessing the toxicity of energetic compounds and their metabolites.

  15. Effect of Diabetes Mellitus on Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome and Adverse Reactions in Patients Receiving Directly Observed Treatment Strategy in India: A Prospective Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Nasir Siddiqui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite successful implementation of directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS in India, the growing number of diabetes mellitus (DM patients appears to be a cause in the increasing tuberculosis (TB incidence, affecting their management. In this regard, a prospective study was conducted on DOTS patients in three primary health care centers in urban slum region of South Delhi, India, to evaluate the effect of DM on sputum conversion, treatment outcome, and adverse drug reactions (ADR due to anti-TB treatment. Eligible TB patients underwent blood glucose screening at treatment initiation. Disease presentation, clinical outcome, and ADRs were compared between patients of TB with and without DM. Out of 316 patients, the prevalence of DM was found to be 15.8%, in which 19.4% and 9.6% were PTB and EPTB patients, respectively. DM patients have observed higher sputum positivity (OR 1.247 95% CI; 0.539–2.886 at the end of 2-month treatment and poor outcome (OR 1.176 95% CI; 0.310–4.457 at the completion of treatment compared with non DM patients. Presence of DM was significantly associated (OR 3.578 95% CI; 1.114–11.494, p=0.032 with the development of ADRs. DM influences the treatment outcome of PTB patients in our setting and also on the ADR incidence.

  16. Effectiveness and tolerability of parenteral testosterone undecanoate: a post-marketing surveillance study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Jan; Keipert, Dieter; Motazedi, Heiko; Ernst, Michael; Nettleship, Joanne; Gooren, Louis

    2017-12-01

    This observational post-marketing study of parenteral testosterone undecanoate (TU) in a non-selected population aimed to: examine the effectiveness of TU as treatment of hypogonadism; record adverse drug reactions (ADR) quantitatively particularly regarding polycythemia, prostate safety and cardiovascular-related metabolic risk factors; and verify whether recommended injection intervals apply to routine clinical practice. Eight hundred and seventy subjects from 259 outpatient units scheduled to visit the clinic six times were included. Effectiveness and tolerability of TU administration were assessed on a 4-point scale. Body weight, waist girth, blood pressure, hemoglobin levels, hematocrit, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and digital rectal prostate examination were assessed. Over 90% of subjects completed the observational duration of 52.8 ± 9.7 weeks (mean ± SD) and 56% judged effectiveness as very good, 30.8% as good. 63.1% judged tolerability as very good, and 24.4% as good. No adverse effects on indicators of cardiovascular risk were observed. Polycythemia occurred in one subject and a supranormal hematocrit in one subject. Four subjects developed supranormal PSA levels. Prostate carcinoma was found in one subject, one subject had recurrence of a previously surgically treated prostate carcinoma, and the other two showed no indication of malignancy. Parenteral TU is safe, effective, and well-tolerated in clinical practice proving a good therapeutic option for hypogonadism.

  17. Comparative Rates of Mortality and Serious Adverse Effects Among Commonly Prescribed Opioid Analgesics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, David L; Lebin, Jacob A; Severtson, Stevan G; Olsen, Heather A; Dasgupta, Nabarun; Dart, Richard C

    2018-03-26

    The epidemic of prescription opioid overdose and mortality parallels the dispensing rates of prescription opioids, and the availability of increasingly potent opioid analgesics. The common assumption that more potent opioid analgesics are associated with higher rates of adverse outcomes has not been adequately substantiated. We compared the rate of serious adverse events among commonly prescribed opioid analgesics of varying potency. Serious adverse events (SAEs; defined as death, major medical effect, or hospitalization) resulting from exposure to tablets containing seven opioid analgesics (oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, tapentadol, and tramadol) captured by the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS ® ) System Poison Center Program were evaluated from 2010 through 2016. Rates of SAEs were adjusted for availability through outpatient dispensing data and regressed on morphine milligram equivalents (MME). There were 19,480 cases of SAE during the 7-year study period. Hydrocodone and oxycodone contributed to 77% of SAE cases. Comparing rates of outcome by relative potency, a hierarchy was observed with hydromorphone (8.02 SAEs/100 kg) and tapentadol (0.27 SAE/100 kg) as the highest and lowest rates, reflecting a 30-fold difference among individual opioid products. SAE rate and potency were related linearly-SAEs increased 2.04 per 100 kg drug dispensed for each 1-unit rise in MME (p = 0.004). Linear regression of SAE/100 kg drug dispensed and drug potency identified that MME comprised 96% of the variation observed. In contrast, potency did not explain variation seen using other study denominators (prescriptions dispensed, dosage units dispensed, and the number of individuals filling a prescription). Potency of a prescription opioid analgesic demonstrates a significant, highly positive linear relationship with exposures resulting in SAEs per 100 kg drug dispensed reported to poison centers

  18. An observational feasibility study to assess the safety and effectiveness of intranasal fentanyl for radiofrequency ablations of the lumbar facet joints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bartoszek MW

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Michael W Bartoszek,1 Amy McCoart,2 Kyung-soo Jason Hong,3 Chelsey Haley,2 Krista Beth Highland,4 Anthony R Plunkett1 1Department of Anesthesiology, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC, 2Clinical Investigations, Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC, 3Research Department, The Center for Clinical Research, Sceptor Pain Foundation, Winston Salem, NC, 4Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA Purpose: The purpose of the present observational, feasibility study is to assess the preliminary safety and effectiveness of intranasal fentanyl for lumbar facet radiofrequency ablation procedures.Patients and methods: This cohort observational study included 23 adult patients. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rate, oxygen saturation percent, Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation Scale score, and the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale pain score were assessed prior to the procedure and intranasal fentanyl (100 μg administration and every 15 minutes after administration, up to 60 minutes post administration. Follow-up of patient satisfaction with pain control and treatment was assessed 24 hours after discharge. The primary outcome was safety as evidenced by adverse events. Secondary outcomes included the above-mentioned vital signs and pain ratings.Results: No adverse events occurred in the present study and all participants maintained an acceptable level of awareness throughout the assessment period. One-way repeated measures analyses of covariance tests with Bonferroni-adjusted means indicated that oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and heart rate changed from baseline, whereas pain scores were lower at post-administration levels compared with baseline. Finally, the majority of participants reported being satisfied with pain control and treatment

  19. Adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegrist, J

    1996-01-01

    In addition to the person-environment fit model (J. R. French, R. D. Caplan, & R. V. Harrison, 1982) and the demand-control model (R. A. Karasek & T. Theorell, 1990), a third theoretical concept is proposed to assess adverse health effects of stressful experience at work: the effort-reward imbalance model. The focus of this model is on reciprocity of exchange in occupational life where high-cost/low-gain conditions are considered particularly stressful. Variables measuring low reward in terms of low status control (e.g., lack of promotion prospects, job insecurity) in association with high extrinsic (e.g., work pressure) or intrinsic (personal coping pattern, e.g., high need for control) effort independently predict new cardiovascular events in a prospective study on blue-collar men. Furthermore, these variables partly explain prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, atherogenic lipids) in 2 independent studies. Studying adverse health effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions seems well justified, especially in view of recent developments of the labor market.

  20. Circulating Angiogenic Factors and the Risk of Adverse Outcomes among Haitian Women with Preeclampsia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa I March

    Full Text Available Angiogenic factors are strongly associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes among women with preterm preeclampsia (PE in developed countries. We evaluated the role of angiogenic factors and their relationship to adverse outcomes among Haitian women with PE.We measured plasma antiangiogenic soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1 and proangiogenic placental growth factor (PlGF levels in women with PE (n=35 compared to controls with no hypertensive disorders (NHD (n=43 among subjects with singleton pregnancies that delivered at Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS in Haiti. We divided the preeclamptic women into two groups, early onset (≤ 34 weeks and late onset (>34 weeks and examined relationships between sFlt1/PlGF ratios on admission and adverse outcomes (abruption, respiratory complications, stroke, renal insufficiency, eclampsia, maternal death, birth weight 34 weeks with no adverse outcome.PE-related adverse outcomes are common in women in Haiti and are associated with profound angiogenic imbalance regardless of gestational age at presentation.

  1. Potential Adverse Effects of Violent Video Gaming: Interpersonal- Affective Traits Are Rather Impaired Than Disinhibition in Young Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ann-Christin S. Kimmig

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The increasing trend of mass shootings, which were associated with excessive use of violent video games, fueled the debate of possible effects violent video games may have on adolescents and young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible link between violent video gaming effects and the disposition of adverse behavior traits such as interpersonal-affective deficits and disinhibition. Data of 167 young adults, collected by an online questionnaire battery, were analyzed for lifetime video game exposure differences (i.e., non-gamers, non-violent video gamers, stopped violent video game users, and ongoing violent video game users as well as for recent exposure effects on adverse behavior traits (Levenson’s Psychopathy Scale, while controlling for other potentially confounding lifestyle factors. While interpersonal-affective deficits were significantly higher in participants with ongoing violent video game exposure compared to non-gamers and non-violent video gamers, disinhibition was significantly higher in both – stopped and ongoing – violent video game exposure groups compared to non-gamers. Recent violent video game exposure was a stronger predictor for interpersonal-affective deficits, but was also significant for disinhibition. Considering that we observed small to medium effects in a sample of young adults with little to moderate use of violent video games highlights the importance of further investigating the potential adverse effects of violent video games on quality of social relationships.

  2. Potential Adverse Effects of Violent Video Gaming: Interpersonal- Affective Traits Are Rather Impaired Than Disinhibition in Young Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimmig, Ann-Christin S; Andringa, Gerda; Derntl, Birgit

    2018-01-01

    The increasing trend of mass shootings, which were associated with excessive use of violent video games, fueled the debate of possible effects violent video games may have on adolescents and young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible link between violent video gaming effects and the disposition of adverse behavior traits such as interpersonal-affective deficits and disinhibition. Data of 167 young adults, collected by an online questionnaire battery, were analyzed for lifetime video game exposure differences (i.e., non-gamers, non-violent video gamers, stopped violent video game users, and ongoing violent video game users) as well as for recent exposure effects on adverse behavior traits (Levenson's Psychopathy Scale), while controlling for other potentially confounding lifestyle factors. While interpersonal-affective deficits were significantly higher in participants with ongoing violent video game exposure compared to non-gamers and non-violent video gamers, disinhibition was significantly higher in both - stopped and ongoing - violent video game exposure groups compared to non-gamers. Recent violent video game exposure was a stronger predictor for interpersonal-affective deficits, but was also significant for disinhibition. Considering that we observed small to medium effects in a sample of young adults with little to moderate use of violent video games highlights the importance of further investigating the potential adverse effects of violent video games on quality of social relationships.

  3. Effects of dexmedetomidine on H-FABP, CK-MB, cTnI levels, neurological function and near-term prognosis in patients undergoing heart valve replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhi; Chen, Qiang; Guo, Hao; Li, Zhishan; Zhang, Jinfeng; Lv, Lei; Guo, Yongqing

    2017-12-01

    This study investigated the effects of dexmedetomidine on heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB), and troponin I (cTnI) levels, neurological function and near-term prognosis in patients undergoing heart valve replacement. Patients undergoing heart valve replacement were randomly allocated to remifentanil anesthesia (control group, n=48) or dexmedetomidine anesthesia (observation group, n=48). Hemodynamic parameters were measured before anesthesia induction (T1), 1 min after intubation (T2), 10 min after start of surgery (T3), and on completion of surgery (T4). Levels of plasma H-FABP, CK-MB and cTnI were measured 10 min before anesthesia induction (C1), 10 min after start of surgery (C2), on completion of surgery (C3), 6 h after surgery (C4), and 24 h after surgery (C5). S100β protein and serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were detected 10 min before anesthesia induction (C1), and 24 h after surgery (C5). Neurological and cardiac function was evaluated 24 h after surgery. Incidence of cardiovascular adverse events was recorded for 1 year of follow-up. There were no significant differences in the average heart rate between the two groups during the perioperative period. The mean arterial pressure in the observation group was significantly lower than control group (PH-FABP, CK-MB and cTnI at C2, C3, C4 and C5, were significantly higher than C1, but significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05). Twenty-four hours after surgery, levels of S100β and NSE in both groups were higher than those before induction (P<0.05), but significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05). Twenty-four hours after surgery, neurological function scores were better, and myocardial contractility and arrhythmia scores significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05 for all). After follow-up for 1 year, incidence of cardiovascular adverse events was significantly lower in the observation

  4. Effect of Prometheus liver assist system on systemic hemodynamics in patients with cirrhosis: a randomized controlled study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dethloff, T.; Tofteng, F.; Frederiksen, H.J.

    2008-01-01

    .008). No adverse effects were observed in any of the groups. Creatinine levels significantly decreased in the MARS group (P = 0.03) and hemodialysis group (P = 0.04). Platelet count deceased in the Prometheus group (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Extra-corporal liver support with Prometheus is proven to be safe...

  5. Ameliorating the emergency department workflow by involving the observation unit: effects on crowding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Primiano Iannone

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Crowding adversely affects the performance of emergency departments (EDs by worsening efficiency, timeliness of care, clinical outcomes and patients’ satisfaction. We describe in this study our attempt at improving crowding by modifying the roles and workflow of the ED physicians. The observation unit physician was given the additional duty of prioritizing admissions and managing unclear, complex cases, which were previously under the responsibility of front line emergency physicians. We analyzed two corresponding periods, both before the intervention (9897 ED attendances in 2012 and after the intervention (10,297 attendances in 2013. Most of the crowding indices improved significantly, including timeliness of triage, of first medical contact, access to resus area, and overall length of stay in ED. Also, emergency hospital admissions, average specialist consultations and imaging studies per patient decreased significantly. The observation unit workload increased. There was no significant excess of adverse events.

  6. Early life adversity and telomere length: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridout, K K; Levandowski, M; Ridout, S J; Gantz, L; Goonan, K; Palermo, D; Price, L H; Tyrka, A R

    2018-04-01

    Early adversity, in the form of abuse, neglect, socioeconomic status and other adverse experiences, is associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. To understand the biologic mechanisms underlying these associations, studies have evaluated the relationship between early adversity and telomere length, a marker of cellular senescence. Such results have varied in regard to the size and significance of this relationship. Using meta-analytic techniques, we aimed to clarify the relationship between early adversity and telomere length while exploring factors affecting the association, including adversity type, timing and study design. A comprehensive search in July 2016 of PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science identified 2462 studies. Multiple reviewers appraised studies for inclusion or exclusion using a priori criteria; 3.9% met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted into a structured form; the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessed study quality, validity and bias. Forty-one studies (N=30 773) met inclusion criteria. Early adversity and telomere length were significantly associated (Cohen's d effect size=-0.35; 95% CI, -0.46 to -0.24; P<0.0001). Sensitivity analyses revealed no outlier effects. Adversity type and timing significantly impacted the association with telomere length (P<0.0001 and P=0.0025, respectively). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses revealed that medication use, medical or psychiatric conditions, case-control vs longitudinal study design, methodological factors, age and smoking significantly affected the relationship. Comprehensive evaluations of adversity demonstrated more extensive telomere length changes. These results suggest that early adversity may have long-lasting physiological consequences contributing to disease risk and biological aging.

  7. Observation of physiological changes after Detomidine administration in Pateri goat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Tunio

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the physiological effects of detomidine on Pateri goats. A total of six female Pateri goats were randomly treated with three different dose rates of Detomidine at 40 μg, 50 μg and 60 μg/kg body weights. The effects of Detomidine on respiratory and heart rate, rectal temperature and serum glucose level were investigated. Following detomidine intravenous administration in goats, it produced dose dependent effect on physiological parameters. Respiratory and heart rate decreased after intravenous administration in all goats. The heart rate decreased at 5 min with all dose rates and returned to the base line at 60 min. This change in heart rate was dose dependent and there was no significant (P>0.05 change observed with 40 μg and 50 μg/kg of Detomidine. However, there was significant difference (P<0.05 at 75 min between the 40 μg and 60 μg/kg of Detomidine in all goats. However, significant (P<0.01 increase in serum glucose level occurred with all dose rates at 30 min compared with control groups. It is concluded that Detomidine has produced no adverse effect on physiological parameters.

  8. [Changes of menstruation patterns and adverse effects during the treatment of LNG-IUS for symptomatic adenomyosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, L; Leng, J H; Zhang, J J; Jia, S Z; Li, X Y; Shi, J H; Dai, Y; Zhang, J R; Li, T; Xu, X X; Liu, Z Z; You, S S; Chang, X Y; Lang, J H

    2016-09-25

    Objective: To investigate the changes of mestruation patterns and adverse effects during the treatment of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system(LNG-IUS)for symptomatic adenomyosis in a prospective cohort study. Methods: From December, 2006 to December, 2014, patients of symptomatic adenomyosis diagnosed by transvaginal ultrasound in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were given LNG-IUS. Before and after placement of IUS, all patients' parameters were recorded, including carrying status of IUS, symptoms and scores of dysmenorrhea, menstruation scores, biochemical indicators, physical parameters, menstruation patterns and adverse effects. Risk factors for changes of menstruation patterns and adverse effects, and their impact on treatment effects were analyzed. Results: Totally 1 100 cases met inclusion criteria, with median age 36 years(range 20-44 years), median follow-up 35 months(range 1 -108 months). During follow-up changes of menstruation patterns increased significantly with amenorrhea and shortened-menstruation being the most common manifestations. On 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months after the placement of LNG-IUS, 0, 5.8%(43/744), 6.9%(47/682), 10.1%(60/595), 17.3%(87/502), 27.2%(104/383)and 29.6%(82/277)patients achieved amenorrhea respectively( P 12 months after placement, abdominal pain and body weight increasing ≥5 kg/year were the most common adverse effects. Changes of menstruation patterns, total and subclassifications of adverse effects were neither dependent on patient parameters, treatment modes and treatment effects, nor could predict future LNG-IUS carrying status(all P > 0.05). After taking out of LNG-IUS, most changes of menstruation and adverse effects disappeared. Conclusions: During the treatment of LNG-IUS for symptomatic adenomyosis, changes of menstruation patterns increase gradually with amenorrhea and shortened-menstruation being the most common manifestations, while adverse effects decrease significantly. Changes of

  9. Mild perinatal adversities moderate the association between maternal harsh parenting and hair cortisol: Evidence for differential susceptibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Windhorst, Dafna A; Rippe, Ralph C A; Mileva-Seitz, Viara R; Verhulst, Frank C; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Noppe, Gerard; van Rossum, Elisabeth F C; van den Akker, Erica L T; Tiemeier, Henning; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J

    2017-04-01

    It has been shown that following exposure to mild perinatal adversity, children have greater susceptibility to both the negative and positive aspects of their subsequent environment. In a large population-based cohort study (N = 1,776), we investigated whether mild perinatal adversity moderated the association between maternal harsh parenting and children's hair cortisol levels, a biomarker of chronic stress. Mild perinatal adversity was defined as late preterm birth (gestational age at birth of 34-37 weeks, 6 days) or small for gestational age (birth weight between the 2.5th and 10th percentile for full term gestational age). Harsh parenting was assessed by maternal self-report at 3 years. Children's hair cortisol concentrations were measured from hair samples collected at age 6. There were no significant bivariate associations between mild perinatal adversities and harsh parenting and hair cortisol. However, mild perinatal adversities moderated the association between maternal harsh parenting and hair cortisol levels. Children with mild perinatal adversity had lower cortisol levels if parented more harshly and higher cortisol levels in the absence of harsh parenting than children who did not experience mild perinatal adversity. These results provide further evidence that mild perinatal adversity is a potential marker of differential susceptibility to environmental influences. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. A critical assessment of adverse pregnancy outcome and periodontal disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wimmer, Gernot; Pihlstrom, Bruce L

    2008-09-01

    Pre-term birth is a major cause of infant mortality and morbidity that has considerable societal, medical, and economic costs. The rate of pre-term birth appears to be increasing world-wide and efforts to prevent or reduce its prevalence have been largely unsuccessful. To review the literature for studies investigating periodontal disease as a possible risk factor for pre-term birth and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Variability among studies in definitions of periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as widespread inadequate control for confounding factors and possible effect modification make it difficult to base meaningful conclusions on published data. However, while there are indications of an association between periodontal disease and increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome in some populations, there is no conclusive evidence that treating periodontal disease improves birth outcome. Based on a critical qualitative review, available evidence from clinical trials indicates that, although non-surgical mechanical periodontal treatment in the second trimester of pregnancy is safe and effective in reducing signs of maternal periodontal disease, it does not reduce the rate of pre-term birth. Clinical trials currently underway will further clarify the potential role of periodontal therapy in preventing adverse birth outcomes. Regardless of the outcomes of these trials, it is recommended that large, prospective cohort studies be conducted to assess risk for adverse pregnancy outcome in populations with periodontal disease. It is critical that periodontal exposure and adverse birth outcomes be clearly defined and the many potential confounding factors and possible effect modifiers for adverse pregnancy outcome be controlled in these studies. If periodontal disease is associated with higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcome in these specific populations, large multicenter randomized-controlled trials will be needed to determine if prevention or

  11. Examining the effect of adverse geological conditions on jamming of a single shielded TBM in Uluabat tunnel using numerical modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rohola Hasanpour

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Severe shield jamming events have been reported during excavation of Uluabat tunnel through adverse geological conditions, which resulted in several stoppages at advancing a single shielded tunnel boring machine (TBM. To study the jamming mechanism, three-dimensional (3D simulation of the machine and surrounding ground was implemented using the finite difference code FLAC3D. Numerical analyses were performed for three sections along the tunnel with a higher risk for entrapment due to the combination of overburden and geological conditions. The computational results including longitudinal displacement contours and ground pressure profiles around the shield allow a better understanding of ground behavior within the excavation. Furthermore, they allow realistically assessing the impact of adverse geological conditions on shield jamming. The calculated thrust forces, which are required to move the machine forward, are in good agreement with field observations and measurements. It also proves that the numerical analysis can effectively be used for evaluating the effect of adverse geological environment on TBM entrapments and can be applied to prediction of loads on the shield and pre-estimating of the required thrust force during excavation through adverse ground conditions.

  12. Adverse effects of radiotherapy on the central nervous system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mocquard, Y.; Marion, J.L.; Goas, J.Y.

    1985-01-01

    Adverse effects of radiotherapy on the central nervous system are increasingly met with. Both the brain and spinal cord may be involved. Whereas some forms have a favorable outcome, many run a relentlessly progressive course, failing to respond to treatment. Improvement of radiation protocols should achieve a lower complication rate [fr

  13. Perspective on Lithotripsy Adverse Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knoll, Thomas; Wendt-Nordahl, Gunnar

    2008-09-01

    Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is an effective and without any doubt the least invasive procedure to treat upper urinary tract calculi. Acute complications are rarely reported and do not require specific treatment in most cases. However, one should be aware that energy levels sufficient for stone breakage are capable of damaging tissue as well, and significant hematoma—not only in the kidney but as well in surrounding organs—has been observed. Furthermore, only little is known about the long-term effects of SWL. Some authors have reported an increased incidence of hypertension and possibly also diabetes mellitus. Such chronic diseases—if indeed related to prior SWL—may be a late result of acute SWL-related trauma but the discussion on the underlying pathogenesis is controversial. Many factors have to be considered, such as the natural history of recurrent stone formers, technical principles of SWL, and differences in treatment protocols. Promising studies are currently underway to optimize stone breakage while limiting potential collateral damage. With this progress, SWL remains a safe treatment option for most urinary calculi.

  14. Adversity and persecutory ideation: A moderated mediational model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valiente, Carmen; Espinosa, Regina; Villavicencio, Patricia; Cantero, Dolores; Fuentenebro, Filiberto

    2017-12-01

    Adversity has been identified as an important factor in models of psychopathology and can help in understanding persecutory ideation, although potential moderators and mediators for adult psychopathology have not been sufficiently examined. Experiential avoidance (EA) and Self-esteem (SE) are relevant factors to understand how adversity leads to persecutory ideation. This study hypothesized that adversity would be associated with persecutory ideation through heightened EA, and that this association would be strengthened in individuals with a discrepant high SE. Participants with persecutory ideation (n = 52), with depression (n = 35) and healthy controls (n = 51) were assessed with the Trauma History Screen, the Paranoia and Deservedness Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. A SE discrepancy index was calculated subtracting the normalized explicit SE score from the normalized implicit SE score (measured by a version of a Go/No-go association task). Our analysis revealed that adversity was associated with higher levels of paranoia and was mediated by EA. In addition, we found that the relationship between adversity and EA was moderated by SE discrepancy. Identification of moderating and mediating variables allows for increased understanding of persecutory ideation and the processes that should be targeted in the course of recovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of different irrigation regimes and nitrogen levels on yield and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jane

    2011-08-31

    Aug 31, 2011 ... levels on yield and quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) M. Simsek1* and N. ... fertilization have significant adverse effects on water resources ... usage of water to meet the needs of plants (Stewart and. Nielsen, 1990).

  16. The new generation of intravenous iron: chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of ferric carboxymaltose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funk, Felix; Ryle, Peter; Canclini, Camillo; Neiser, Susann; Geisser, Peter

    2010-01-01

    An ideal preparation for intravenous iron replacement therapy should balance effectiveness and safety. Compounds that release iron rapidly tend to cause toxicity, while large molecules can induce antibody formation and cause anaphylactic reactions. There is therefore a need for an intravenous iron preparation that delivers appropriate amounts of iron in a readily available form but with minimal side effects and thus with an excellent safety profile. In this paper, a review is given on the chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM, Ferinject), a stable and robust complex formulated as a colloidal solution with a physiological pH. The complex is gradually taken up mainly from the hepatic reticulo-endothelial system (RES), followed by effective delivery of iron to the endogeneous transport system for the haem synthesis in new erythrocytes, as shown in studies on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics with radio-labelled FCM. Studies with radio-labelled FCM also demonstrated a barrier function of the placenta and a low transfer of iron into the milk of lactating rats. Safety pharmacology studies indicated a favourable profile with regard to cardiovascular, central nervous, respiratory, and renal toxicity. A high maximum non-lethal dose was demonstrated in the single-dose toxicity studies. Furthermore, based on the No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Levels (NOAELs) found in repeated-dose toxicity studies and on the cumulative doses administered, FCM has good safety margins. Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies did not reveal any direct or indirect harmful effects. No genotoxic potential was found in in vitro or in vivo studies. Moreover, antigenicity studies showed no cross-reactivity of FMC with anti-dextran antibodies and also suggested that FCM does not possess sensitizing potential. Lastly, no evidence of irritation was found in local tolerance studies with FCM. This excellent toxicity profile and the high effectiveness of FCM allow

  17. Three-dimensional drip infusion CT cholangiography in patients with suspected obstructive biliary disease: a retrospective analysis of feasibility and adverse reaction to contrast material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Persson, A; Dahlström, N; Smedby, Ö; Brismar, TB

    2006-01-01

    Computed Tomography Cholangiography (CTC) is a fast and widely available alternative technique to visualise hepatobiliary disease in patients with an inconclusive ultrasound when MRI cannot be performed. The method has previously been relatively unknown and sparsely used, due to concerns about adverse reactions and about image quality in patients with impaired hepatic function and thus reduced contrast excretion. In this retrospective study, the feasibility and the frequency of adverse reactions of CTC when using a drip infusion scheme based on bilirubin levels were evaluated. The medical records of patients who had undergone upper abdominal spiral CT with subsequent three-dimensional rendering of the biliary tract by means of CTC during seven years were retrospectively reviewed regarding serum bilirubin concentration, adverse reaction and presence of visible contrast media in the bile ducts at CT examination. In total, 153 consecutive examinations in 142 patients were reviewed. Contrast media was observed in the bile ducts at 144 examinations. In 110 examinations, the infusion time had been recorded in the medical records. Among these, 42 examinations had an elevated bilirubin value (>19 umol/L). There were nine patients without contrast excretion; 3 of which had a normal bilirubin value and 6 had an elevated value (25–133 umol/L). Two of the 153 examinations were inconclusive. One subject (0.7%) experienced a minor adverse reaction – a pricking sensation in the face. No other adverse effects were noted. We conclude that drip infusion CTC with an infusion rate of the biliary contrast agent iotroxate governed by the serum bilirubin value is a feasible and safe alternative to MRC in patients with and without impaired biliary excretion. In this retrospective study the feasibility and the frequency of adverse reactions when using a drip infusion scheme based on bilirubin levels has been evaluated

  18. Review article. Adverse hematological effects of hexavalent chromium: an overview

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ray Rina Rani

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Workers of tanneries, welding industries, factories manufacturing chromate containing paints are exposed to hexavalent chromium that increas¬es the risk of developing serious adverse health effects. This review elucidates the mode of action of hexavalent chromium on blood and its adverse effects. Both leukocyte and erythrocyte counts of blood sharply decreased in Swiss mice after two weeks of intraperitoneal treatment with Cr (VI, with the erythrocytes transforming into echinocytes. The hexavalent chromium in the blood is readily reduced to trivalent form and the reductive capacity of erythrocytes is much greater than that of plasma. Excess Cr (VI, not reduced in plasma, may enter erythrocytes and lymphocytes and in rodents it induces microcytic anemia. The toxic effects of chromium (VI include mitochondrial injury and DNA damage of blood cells that leads to carcinogenicity. Excess Cr (VI increases cytosolic Ca2+ activity and ATP depletion thereby inducing eryptosis. Se, vitamin C, and quercetin are assumed to have some protective effect against hexavalent chromium induced hematological disorders.

  19. Modifying effect of prenatal care on the association between young maternal age and adverse birth outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, C L; Coeli, C M; Pinheiro, R S; Brandão, E R; Camargo, K R; Aguiar, F P

    2012-06-01

    The objectives were to investigate the prevalence of adverse birth outcomes according to maternal age range in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2002, and to evaluate the association between maternal age range and adverse birth outcomes using additive interaction to determine whether adequate prenatal care can attenuate the harmful effect of young age on pregnancy outcomes. A cross-sectional analysis was performed in women up to 24 years of age who gave birth to live children in 2002 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. To evaluate adverse outcomes, the exposure variable was maternal age range, and the outcome variables were very preterm birth, low birth weight, prematurity, and low 5-minute Apgar score. The presence of interaction was investigated with the composite variable maternal age plus prenatal care. The proportions and respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated for adequate schooling, delivery in a public maternity hospital, and adequate prenatal care, and the outcomes according to maternal age range. The chi-square test was used. The association between age range and birth outcomes was evaluated with logistic models adjusted for schooling and type of hospital for each prenatal stratum and outcome. Attributable proportion was calculated in order to measure additive interaction. Of the 40,111 live births in the sample, 1.9% corresponded to children of mothers from 10-14 years of age, 38% from 15-19 years, and 59.9% from 20-24 years. An association between maternal age and adverse outcomes was observed only in adolescent mothers with inadequate prenatal care, and significant additive interaction was observed between prenatal care and maternal age for all the outcomes. Adolescent mothers and their newborns are exposed to greater risk of adverse outcomes when prenatal care fails to comply with current guidelines. Copyright © 2012 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Cumulative Effects of Neighborhood Social Adversity and Personal Crime Victimization on Adolescent Psychotic Experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newbury, Joanne; Arseneault, Louise; Caspi, Avshalom; Moffitt, Terrie E; Odgers, Candice L; Fisher, Helen L

    2018-02-15

    Little is known about the impact of urbanicity, adverse neighborhood conditions and violent crime victimization on the emergence of adolescent psychotic experiences. Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally-representative cohort of 2232 British twins who were interviewed about adolescent psychotic experiences at age 18. Urbanicity, neighborhood characteristics, and personal victimization by violent crime were measured during childhood and adolescence via geocoded census data, surveys of over 5000 immediate neighbors of the E-Risk participants, and interviews with participants themselves. Adolescents raised in urban vs rural neighborhoods were significantly more likely to have psychotic experiences (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.21-2.30, P = .002). This association remained significant after considering potential confounders including family socioeconomic status, family psychiatric history, and adolescent substance problems (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.01-2.03, P = .042), but became nonsignificant after considering adverse social conditions in urban neighborhoods such as low social cohesion and high neighborhood disorder (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 0.94-1.92, P = .102). The combined association of adverse neighborhood social conditions and personal crime victimization with adolescent psychotic experiences (adjusted OR = 4.86, 95% CI = 3.28-7.20, P < .001) was substantially greater than for either exposure alone, highlighting a potential interaction between neighborhood conditions and crime victimization (interaction contrast ratio = 1.81, 95% CI = -0.03 to 3.65) that was significant at the P = .054 level. Cumulative effects of adverse neighborhood social conditions and personal victimization by violent crime during upbringing partly explain why adolescents in urban settings are more likely to report psychotic experiences. Early intervention efforts for psychosis could be targeted towards victimized youth living in urban and socially

  1. Cumulative Effects of Neighborhood Social Adversity and Personal Crime Victimization on Adolescent Psychotic Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newbury, Joanne; Arseneault, Louise; Caspi, Avshalom; Moffitt, Terrie E; Odgers, Candice L

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background: Little is known about the impact of urbanicity, adverse neighborhood conditions and violent crime victimization on the emergence of adolescent psychotic experiences. Methods: Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally-representative cohort of 2232 British twins who were interviewed about adolescent psychotic experiences at age 18. Urbanicity, neighborhood characteristics, and personal victimization by violent crime were measured during childhood and adolescence via geocoded census data, surveys of over 5000 immediate neighbors of the E-Risk participants, and interviews with participants themselves. Results: Adolescents raised in urban vs rural neighborhoods were significantly more likely to have psychotic experiences (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.21–2.30, P = .002). This association remained significant after considering potential confounders including family socioeconomic status, family psychiatric history, and adolescent substance problems (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.01–2.03, P = .042), but became nonsignificant after considering adverse social conditions in urban neighborhoods such as low social cohesion and high neighborhood disorder (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 0.94–1.92, P = .102). The combined association of adverse neighborhood social conditions and personal crime victimization with adolescent psychotic experiences (adjusted OR = 4.86, 95% CI = 3.28–7.20, P crime victimization (interaction contrast ratio = 1.81, 95% CI = −0.03 to 3.65) that was significant at the P = .054 level. Conclusions: Cumulative effects of adverse neighborhood social conditions and personal victimization by violent crime during upbringing partly explain why adolescents in urban settings are more likely to report psychotic experiences. Early intervention efforts for psychosis could be targeted towards victimized youth living in urban and socially adverse neighborhoods. PMID:28535284

  2. Adverse effects of microplastics and oxidative stress-induced MAPK/Nrf2 pathway-mediated defense mechanisms in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Chang-Bum; Kang, Hye-Min; Lee, Min-Chul; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Han, Jeonghoon; Hwang, Dae-Sik; Souissi, Sami; Lee, Su-Jae; Shin, Kyung-Hoon; Park, Heum Gi; Lee, Jae-Seong

    2017-01-01

    Microplastic pollution causes a major concern in the marine environment due to their worldwide distribution, persistence, and adverse effects of these pollutants in the marine ecosystem. Despite its global presence, there is still a lack of information on the effect of microplastics on marine organisms at the molecular level. Herein we demonstrated ingestion and egestion of nano- (0.05 μm) and micro-sized (0.5 and 6 μm) polystyrene microbeads in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana, and examined molecular responses to exposure to microbeads with in vivo endpoints such as growth rate and fecundity. Also, we proposed an adverse outcome pathway for microplastic exposure that covers molecular and individual levels. This study provides the first insight into the mode of action in terms of microplastic-induced oxidative stress and related signaling pathways in P. nana.

  3. Subchronic Toxicities of HZ1006, a Hydroxamate-Based Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, in Beagle Dogs and Sprague-Dawley Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaofang Zhang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs, such as vorinostat and panobinostat, have been shown to have active effects on many hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Hydroxamate-based (Hb HDACIs have very good toxicity profiles and are currently being tested in phases I and II clinical trials with promising results in selected neoplasms, such as bladder carcinoma. One of the Hb-HDACIs, HZ1006, has been demonstrated to be a promising drug for clinical use. The aim of our study was to determine the possible target of toxicity and to identify a non-toxic dose of HZ1006 for clinical use. In our studies, the repeated dosage toxicity of HZ1006 in Beagle dogs and Sprague Dawley (SD rats was identified. Dogs and rats received HZ1006 orally (0–80 and 0–120 mg/kg/day, respectively on a continuous daily dosing agenda for 28 days following a 14-day dosage-free period. HZ1006’s NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level by daily oral administration for dogs and rats was 5 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg, respectively, and the minimum toxic dose was 20 and 120 mg/kg, respectively. All the side effects indicated that the digestive tract, the male reproductive tract, the respiratory tract and the hematological systems might be HZ1006 toxic targets in humans. HZ1006 could be a good candidate or a safe succedaneum to other existing HDACIs for the treatment of some solid tumor and hematologic malignancies.

  4. Effect of methomyl on sex steroid hormone and vitellogenin levels in serum of male tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and recovery pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Shun-Long; Qiu, Li-Ping; Hu, Geng-Dong; Fan, Li-Min; Song, Chao; Zheng, Yao; Wu, Wei; Qu, Jian-Hong; Li, Dan-Dan; Chen, Jia-Zhang; Xu, Pao

    2017-07-01

    Tilapia were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of 0, 0.2, 2, 20 or 200 μg/L for 30 days, then transferred to methomyl-free water for 18 days. E 2 , T, 11-KTand VTG in serum were examined. There were no significant changes in all the parameters in serum of tilapia exposed to 0.2 μg/L and 2 μg/L methomyl compared to the control. However, 20 μg/L and 200 μg/L have the potential to disrupt the endocrine system of male tilapia, as shown by its ability to increase VTG and E 2 and decrease T and 11-KT in serum. Thus it would appear the no observed adverse effect level for sexual steroid hormones of methomyl is lower than 2 μg/L. Recovery data showed that the effects produced by 20μg/L were reversible but not at 200μg/L. Furthermore, the sensitivity of above parameters to methomyl followed the order of VTG>E 2 >11-KT>T>GSI, suggesting VTG being the better biomarkers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Is gender still a predisposing factor in contrast-media associated adverse drug reactions? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and observational studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Heeyoung; Song, Seungyeon; Oh, Yun-Kyoung; Kang, WonKu; Kim, Eunyoung

    2017-04-01

    To evaluate the role of gender as a risk factor for developing contrast media-associated adverse drug reactions (CM-ADRs) by comparing the incidence of CM-ADR between male and female patients according to study design, ADR type, and computed tomography (CT) examination. We systematically searched three electronic databases for eligible studies. In the studies included (n=18), we assessed effect estimates of the relative incidence of CM-ADR, analysed by experimental design, ADR type and CT examination. This was calculated by using a random effects model if clinical conditions showed heterogeneity; otherwise, a fixed effects model was used. We identified 10,776 patients administered CM. According to the designs, studies were classified into randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. Results were as follows: risk ratio (RR)=1.07 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.46, P=0.66) for RCTs, and RR=0.77 (95% CI: 0.58-1.04, P=0.09) for observational studies. The results of analysis according to ADR type and for undergoing CT demonstrated that the incidence of CM-ADR did not differ between males and females. We found no significant difference in the incidence of CM-ADRs between male and female patients according to study design, ADR type, or CT examination. Future studies to determine why gender has shown different roles as a risk factor between CM-ADRs and non-CM ADRs are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Relationship of testis size and LH levels with incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in older men with sexual dysfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rastrelli, Giulia; Corona, Giovanni; Lotti, Francesco; Boddi, Valentina; Mannucci, Edoardo; Maggi, Mario

    2013-11-01

    Measurement of testis volume (TV) is a reliable clinical procedure that predicts reproductive fitness. However, the role of TV in overall and cardiovascular (CV) fitness has never been studied. The study aims to analyze the clinical correlates of TV in patients with sexual dysfunction (SD) and to verify the value of this parameter and its determinants (i.e., luteinizing hormone [LH] levels) in predicting major adverse CV events (MACE). A consecutive series of 2,809 subjects without testiculopathy (age 51.2 ± 13.1) consulting for SD was retrospectively studied. A subset of this sample (n=1,395) was enrolled in a longitudinal study. Several clinical and biochemical parameters were investigated. After adjusting for confounders, TV was negatively associated with both LH (Adj. r=-0.234; PTV (hazard ratio [HR]=1.041 [1.021-1.061], PTV (Adj. r=0.157; PTV were only partially related to changes in gonadotropin levels. In the longitudinal analysis, after adjusting for confounders, TV was associated with a higher incidence of MACE (HR=1.066 [1.013-1.122]; P=0.014), and the stepwise introduction in the Cox model of lifestyle factors, mean blood pressure and body mass index progressively smoothed out the association, which was no longer statistically significant in the fully adjusted model. Conversely, the association of higher LH levels with increased incidence of MACE was not attenuated by the progressive introduction of the aforementioned confounders in the model. Our data show that in SD subjects, TV and LH are associated with an adverse CV risk profile that mediate the higher TV-associated incidence of MACE. High LH levels are an independent marker of CV risk. Further studies are needed for clarifying determinants and mechanisms of testis enlargement that, beyond gonadotropins, could mediate the increased incidence of MACE. © 2013 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

  7. Adverse cardiac events in out-patients initiating clozapine treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rohde, C; Polcwiartek, C; Kragholm, K

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Using national Danish registers, we estimated rates of clozapine-associated cardiac adverse events. Rates of undiagnosed myocarditis were estimated by exploring causes of death after clozapine initiation. METHOD: Through nationwide health registers, we identified all out-patients initi......OBJECTIVE: Using national Danish registers, we estimated rates of clozapine-associated cardiac adverse events. Rates of undiagnosed myocarditis were estimated by exploring causes of death after clozapine initiation. METHOD: Through nationwide health registers, we identified all out...... the maximum rate of clozapine-associated fatal myocarditis to 0.28%. CONCLUSION: Cardiac adverse effects in Danish out-patients initiating clozapine treatment are extremely rare and these rates appear to be comparable to those observed for other antipsychotic drugs....

  8. Adverse Event Rates Associated with Transforaminal and Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections: A Multi-Institutional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Yahchouchi, Christine A; Plastaras, Christopher T; Maus, Timothy P; Carr, Carrie M; McCormick, Zachary L; Geske, Jennifer R; Smuck, Matthew; Pingree, Matthew J; Kennedy, David J

    2016-02-01

    Transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESI) have demonstrated efficacy and effectiveness in treatment of radicular pain. Despite little evidence of efficacy/effectiveness, interlaminar epidural steroid injections (ILESI) are advocated by some as primary therapy for radicular pain due to purported greater safety. To assess immediate and delayed adverse event rates of TFESI and ILESI injections at three academic medical centers utilizing International Spine Intervention Society practice guidelines. Quality assurance databases from a Radiology and two physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) practices were interrogated. Medical records were reviewed, verifying immediate and delayed adverse events. There were no immediate major adverse events of neurologic injury or hemorrhage in 16,638 consecutive procedures in all spine segments (14,956 TFESI; 1,682 ILESI). Vasovagal reactions occurred in 1.2% of procedures, more frequently (P = 0.004) in TFESI (1.3%) than ILESI (0.5%). Dural punctures occurred in 0.06% of procedures, more commonly after ILESI (0.2% vs 0.04%, P = 0.006). Delayed follow up on PM&R patients (92.5% and 78.5, next business day) and radiology patients (63.1%, 2 weeks) identified no major adverse events of neurologic injury, hemorrhage, or infection. There were no significant differences in delayed minor adverse event rates. Central steroid response (sleeplessness, flushing, nonpositional headache) was seen in 2.6% of both TFESI and ILESI patients. 2.1% of TFESI and 1.8% of ILESI patients reported increased pain. No long-term sequelae were seen from any immediate or delayed minor adverse event. Both transforaminal and ILESI are safely performed with low immediate and delayed adverse event rates when informed by evidence-based procedural guidelines. By demonstrating comparable safety, this study suggests that the choice between ILESI and TFESIs can be based on documented efficacy and effectiveness and not driven by safety concerns.

  9. Clinical significance of determination of blood gastro-intestinal hormones levels in small for gestational age newborns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rong Lijun; Chen Yongsheng

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the changes of plasma motilin, plasma somatostatin and serum gastrin levels after beginning oral feeding in 68 small for gestational age neonates (pre-term 36, full-term 32). Methods: Blood levels of somatostatin (SS), motilin and gastrin were determined with RIA before beginning of oral feeding and on 7 th day after birth in 68 small for gestational age neonates and 30 controls. Results: The blood levels of motilin and gastrin before feeding and on 7 th day in the small for gestational age neonates were significantly lower than those in the controls, while the SS levels were significantly higher. The serum levels of the hormones rose gradually after birth and on 7 th day were all significantly higher than those before feeding respectively (P th day levels were positively correlated with gestational age, original levels before feeding and early feeding. For gastrin, the levels were also positively correlated with the amount of feeding. In this study, early oral feeding was practiced in all the neonates without any adverse effect. Conclusion: Although the blood levels of gastro-intestinal hormones were lower in small for gestational age newborns, early oral feeding was practiced in all the neonates with no adverse effect observed and more rapid elevation of the hormone levels. Therefore, early oral feeding should be encouraged. (authors)

  10. The Adverse Effects of Heavy Metals with and without Noise Exposure on the Human Peripheral and Central Auditory System: A Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie-Josée Castellanos

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Exposure to some chemicals in the workplace can lead to occupational chemical-induced hearing loss. Attention has mainly focused on the adverse auditory effects of solvents. However, other chemicals such as heavy metals have been also identified as ototoxic agents. The aim of this work was to review the current scientific knowledge about the adverse auditory effects of heavy metal exposure with and without co-exposure to noise in humans. PubMed and Medline were accessed to find suitable articles. A total of 49 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results from the review showed that no evidence about the ototoxic effects in humans of manganese is available. Contradictory results have been found for arsenic, lead and mercury as well as for the possible interaction between heavy metals and noise. All studies found in this review have found that exposure to cadmium and mixtures of heavy metals induce auditory dysfunction. Most of the studies investigating the adverse auditory effects of heavy metals in humans have investigated human populations exposed to lead. Some of these studies suggest peripheral and central auditory dysfunction induced by lead exposure. It is concluded that further evidence from human studies about the adverse auditory effects of heavy metal exposure is still required. Despite this issue, audiologists and other hearing health care professionals should be aware of the possible auditory effects of heavy metals.

  11. Adiposity moderates links from early adversity and depressive symptoms to inflammatory reactivity to acute stress during late adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Jessica J; Bower, Julienne E; Irwin, Michael R; Taylor, Shelley E; Fuligni, Andrew J

    2017-11-01

    Both early adversity and depression are associated with heightened inflammation. However, few studies have focused on inflammatory reactivity to psychosocial stress and examined adiposity as a potential moderator. Yet, repeated heightened inflammatory reactivity over time is thought to contribute to low-grade chronic inflammation and adipose tissue is a key source of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether early adversity and depressive symptoms were related to stress-induced inflammation and whether these associations varied by total body and abdominal adiposity as measured by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in a sample of late adolescents. Participants reported on their early family environment and current depressive symptoms, had their height, weight, and WC assessed for adiposity markers, and provided blood samples for IL-6 assessment before and after a standardized laboratory stress task. No main effect of early adversity on IL-6 reactivity to acute stress was observed. However, significant interactions between early adversity and BMI and WC emerged. Greater exposure to early adversity was associated with greater IL-6 responses only among adolescents with higher BMI or WC. The same pattern of findings was observed for depressive symptoms. Additionally, moderated mediation analyses indicated that among adolescents with greater adiposity, early adversity indirectly influenced IL-6 reactivity via current depressive symptoms. These findings contribute to our understanding of vulnerability factors that may amplify the associations between early adversity and depressive symptoms and inflammation during relatively early stages of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The Oral Adverse Effects of Isotretinoin Treatment in Acne Vulgaris ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-01-31

    Jan 31, 2016 ... prospective case-control study aimed to evaluate the oral adverse effects of isotretinoin in Turkish patients .... For the control group, the dentists randomly included in the study 12 ..... soft tissue from infections.[9,12,24] Studies ...

  13. Trastuzumab-associated cardiac adverse effects in the herceptin adjuvant trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Suter, Thomas M.; Procter, Marion; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J.; Muscholl, Michael; Bergh, Jonas; Carlomagno, Chiara; Perren, Timothy; Passalacqua, Rodolfo; Bighin, Claudia; Klijn, Jan G. M.; Ageev, Fail T.; Hitre, Erika; Groetz, Juergen; Iwata, Hiroji; Knap, Malgorzata; Gnant, Michael; Muehlbauer, Susanne; Spence, Alison; Gelber, Richard D.; Piccart-Gebhart, Martine J.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this analysis was to investigate trastuzumab- associated cardiac adverse effects in breast cancer patients after completion of ( neo) adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. Patients and Methods The Herceptin Adjuvant ( HERA) trial is a three- group, multicenter,

  14. The effect of prophylactic antipyretic administration on post-vaccination adverse reactions and antibody response in children: a systematic review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rashmi Ranjan Das

    Full Text Available Prophylactic antipyretic administration decreases the post-vaccination adverse reactions. Recent study finds that they may also decrease the antibody responses to several vaccine antigens. This systematic review aimed to assess the evidence for a relationship between prophylactic antipyretic administration, post-vaccination adverse events, and antibody response in children.A systematic search of major databases including MEDLINE and EMBASE was carried out till March 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs comparing prophylactic antipyretic treatment versus placebo post-vaccination in children ≤ 6 years of age were included. Two reviewers independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed the studies for methodological quality, and extracted data [PROSPERO registration: CRD42014009717].Of 2579 citations retrieved, a total of 13 RCTs including 5077 children were included in the review. Prophylactic antipyretic administration significantly reduced the febrile reactions (≥ 38.0 °C after primary and booster vaccinations. Though there were statistically significant differences in the antibody responses between the two groups, the prophylactic PCM group had what would be considered protective levels of antibodies to all of the antigens given after the primary and booster vaccinations. No significant difference in the nasopharyngeal carriage rates (short-term and long-term of H. influenzae or S. pneumoniae serotypes was found between the prophylactic and no prophylactic PCM group. There was a significant reduction in the local and systemic symptoms after primary, but not booster vaccinations.Though prophylactic antipyretic administration leads to relief of the local and systemic symptoms after primary vaccinations, there is a reduction in antibody responses to some vaccine antigens without any effect on the nasopharyngeal carriage rates of S. pneumoniae & H. influenza serotypes. Future trials and surveillance programs should also aim at

  15. A Low-Normal Free Triiodothyronine Level Is Associated with Adverse Prognosis in Euthyroid Patients with Heart Failure Receiving Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yu-Yang; Shu, Xiao-Rong; Su, Zi-Zhuo; Lin, Rong-Jie; Zhang, Hai-Feng; Yuan, Wo-Liang; Wang, Jing-Feng; Xie, Shuang-Lun

    2017-12-12

    Thyroid dysfunction is prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and hypothyroidism is related to the adverse prognosis of HF subjects receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We aim to investigate whether low-normal free triiodothyronine (fT3) level is related to CRT response and the prognosis of euthyroid patients with HF after CRT implantation.One hundred and thirteen euthyroid patients who received CRT therapy without previous thyroid disease and any treatment affecting thyroid hormones were enrolled. All of patients were evaluated for cardiac function and thyroid hormones (serum levels of fT3, free thyroxine [fT4] and thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]). The end points were overall mortality and hospitalization for HF worsening. During a follow-up period of 39 ± 3 weeks, 36 patients (31.9%) died and 45 patients (39.8%) had hospitalization for HF exacerbation. A higher rate of NYHA III/IV class and a lower fT3 level were both observed in death group and HF event group. Multivariate Cox regression analyses disclosed that a lower-normal fT3 level (HR = 0.648, P = 0.009) and CRT response (HR = 0.441, P = 0.001) were both independent predictors of overall mortality. In addition, they were also both related to HF re-hospitalization event (P < 0.01 for both). Patients with fT3 < 3.00 pmol/L had a significantly higher overall mortality than those with fT3 ≥ 3.00 pmol/L (P = 0.027). Meanwhile, a higher HF hospitalization event rate was also found in patients with fT3 < 3.00 pmol/L (P < 0.001).A lower-normal fT3 level is correlated with a worse cardiac function an adverse prognosis in euthyroid patients with HF after CRT implantation.

  16. Mobile phone base stations and adverse health effects: phase 1 of a population-based, cross-sectional study in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blettner, M; Schlehofer, B; Breckenkamp, J; Kowall, B; Schmiedel, S; Reis, U; Potthoff, P; Schüz, J; Berg-Beckhoff, G

    2009-02-01

    The aim of this first phase of a cross-sectional study from Germany was to investigate whether proximity of residence to mobile phone base stations as well as risk perception is associated with health complaints. The researchers conducted a population-based, multi-phase, cross-sectional study within the context of a large panel survey regularly carried out by a private research institute in Germany. In the initial phase, reported on in this paper, 30,047 persons from a total of 51,444 who took part in the nationwide survey also answered questions on how mobile phone base stations affected their health. A list of 38 health complaints was used. A multiple linear regression model was used to identify predictors of health complaints including proximity of residence to mobile phone base stations and risk perception. Of the 30,047 participants (response rate 58.6%), 18.7% of participants were concerned about adverse health effects of mobile phone base stations, while an additional 10.3% attributed their personal adverse health effects to the exposure from them. Participants who were concerned about or attributed adverse health effects to mobile phone base stations and those living in the vicinity of a mobile phone base station (500 m) reported slightly more health complaints than others. A substantial proportion of the German population is concerned about adverse health effects caused by exposure from mobile phone base stations. The observed slightly higher prevalence of health complaints near base stations can not however be fully explained by attributions or concerns.

  17. Oral ingestion of transgenic RIDL Ae. aegypti larvae has no negative effect on two predator Toxorhynchites species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oreenaiza Nordin

    Full Text Available Dengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease. No specific treatment or vaccine is currently available; traditional vector control methods can rarely achieve adequate control. Recently, the RIDL (Release of Insect carrying Dominant Lethality approach has been developed, based on the sterile insect technique, in which genetically engineered 'sterile' homozygous RIDL male insects are released to mate wild females; the offspring inherit a copy of the RIDL construct and die. A RIDL strain of the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti, OX513A, expresses a fluorescent marker gene for identification (DsRed2 and a protein (tTAV that causes the offspring to die. We examined whether these proteins could adversely affect predators that may feed on the insect. Aedes aegypti is a peri-domestic mosquito that typically breeds in small, rain-water-filled containers and has no specific predators. Toxorhynchites larvae feed on small aquatic organisms and are easily reared in the laboratory where they can be fed exclusively on mosquito larvae. To evaluate the effect of a predator feeding on a diet of RIDL insects, OX513A Ae. aegypti larvae were fed to two different species of Toxorhynchites (Tx. splendens and Tx. amboinensis and effects on life table parameters of all life stages were compared to being fed on wild type larvae. No significant negative effect was observed on any life table parameter studied; this outcome and the benign nature of the expressed proteins (tTAV and DsRed2 indicate that Ae. aegypti OX513A RIDL strain is unlikely to have any adverse effects on predators in the environment.

  18. Lifestyle guidelines for managing adverse effects on bone health and body composition in men treated with androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: an update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, P J; Daly, R M; Livingston, P M; Fraser, S F

    2017-06-01

    Men treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer are prone to multiple treatment-induced adverse effects, particularly with regard to a deterioration in bone health and altered body composition including decreased lean tissue mass and increased fat mass. These alterations may partially explain the marked increased risk in osteoporosis, falls, fracture and cardiometabolic risk that has been observed in this population. A review was conducted that assessed standard clinical guidelines for the management of ADT-induced adverse effects on bone health and body composition in men with prostate cancer. Currently, standard clinical guidelines exist for the management of various bone and metabolic ADT-induced adverse effects in men with prostate cancer. However, an evaluation of the effectiveness of these guidelines into routine practice revealed that men continued to experience increased central adiposity, and, unless pharmacotherapy was instituted, accelerated bone loss and worsening glycaemia occurred. This review discusses the current guidelines and some of the limitations, and proposes new recommendations based on emerging evidence regarding the efficacy of lifestyle interventions, particularly with regard to exercise and nutritional factors, to manage ADT-related adverse effects on bone health and body composition in men with prostate cancer.

  19. Consequences of emergency contraceptives: the adverse effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomin, Anne; Keller, Valentin; Daraï, Emile; Chabbert-Buffet, Nathalie

    2014-07-01

    Emergency contraception (EC) offers women an important strategy to prevent unintended pregnancy following intercourse. Despite the constant improvement of availability of different molecules and techniques already existing (Yuzpe regimen, levonorgestrel, intrauterine device) and the emergence of ulipristal acetate, the numbers of unintended pregnancies and unplanned births could still be reduced. This review will evaluate all the information about the potential adverse effects and tolerability of each method of EC by putting them in balance with their safety and effectiveness. A literature search until December 2013 was performed to identify all trials studying the safety data available concerning EC. Different means of EC have been demonstrated to be generally safe and well tolerated. These data support women information in order to improve use and efficacy of EC.

  20. Treatment of the adverse effects from acupuncture and their economic impact: a prospective study in 73,406 patients with low back or neck pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witt, Claudia M; Pach, Daniel; Reinhold, Thomas; Wruck, Katja; Brinkhaus, Benno; Mank, Sigrid; Willich, Stefan N

    2011-02-01

    The aim was to investigate the frequency of adverse effects due to acupuncture treatment, the need for treatment and the costs in patients with chronic low back or neck pain. This prospective observational study included patients who received acupuncture for chronic low back pain or chronic neck pain. After treatment all patients documented adverse events associated with acupuncture (defined as adverse effects) and provided details e.g. on treatment. Cost data was provided by the health insurance companies. We used a societal perspective including direct health care costs related to the acupuncture and the indirect costs caused through lost workdays. From 73,406 patients, 5440 patients (7.4% [95% CI 7.2%; 7.6%] reported experiencing at least one adverse effect and 1422 patients (1.9% [1.8%; 2.0%]) required treatment. The subsequent treatments reported were either self-treatment (1.2% [1.09%; 1.25%]), treatment with medication and/or by a physician (0.6% [0.57%; 0.68%]), or treatment in a hospital (0.03% [0.02%; 0.04%]). Patients reporting adverse effects that required treatment had higher costs compared to patients without adverse effects (at 3months €1265 [1179; 1351] vs. €1140 [1128; 1153] and at 12months € 3534 [3256; 3812] vs. € 3249 [3209; 3289]. The difference was caused through the expense of visiting physicians and higher indirect costs (difference at 3months: €125 [38; 211], p=0.005 and at 12months: €285 [4; 566], p=0.047). Adverse effects from acupuncture occur in about 7% of patients and were mainly treated by themselves. When these effects needed treatment by a health professional additional expenses were the consequence. Copyright © 2010 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. No effect of caloric restriction on salivary cortisol levels in overweight men and women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tam, Charmaine S; Frost, Elizabeth A; Xie, Wenting; Rood, Jennifer; Ravussin, Eric; Redman, Leanne M

    2014-02-01

    The effect of weight loss by diet or diet and exercise on salivary cortisol levels, a measure of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal activity, in overweight individuals is not known. The objective was to test the hypothesis that 24 weeks of moderate caloric restriction (CR) (25%) by diet or diet and aerobic exercise would alter morning and diurnal salivary cortisol levels. Randomized control trial in an institutional research center. Thirty-five overweight (BMI: 27.8±0.7 kg/m(2)) but otherwise healthy participants (16 M/19 F). Participants were randomized to either calorie restriction (CR: 25% reduction in energy intake, n=12), calorie restriction+exercise (CR+EX: 12.5% reduction in energy intake+12.5% increase in exercise energy expenditure, n=12) or control (healthy weight-maintenance diet, n=11) for 6 months. Salivary cortisol measured at 8:00, 8:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:30, 13:00, 16:00 and 16:30. Morning cortisol was defined as the mean cortisol concentration at 08:00 and 08:30. Diurnal cortisol was calculated as the mean of the 8 cortisol measures across the day. In the whole cohort, higher morning and diurnal cortisol levels were associated with impaired insulin sensitivity (morning: P=0.004, r(2)=0.24; diurnal: P=0.02, r(2)=0.15). Using mixed model analysis, there was no significant effect of group, time or sex on morning or diurnal cortisol levels. A 10% weight loss with a 25% CR diet alone or with exercise did not impact morning or diurnal salivary cortisol levels. © 2013.

  2. Influence of Malnutrition on Adverse Outcome in Children with Confirmed or Probable Viral Encephalitis: A Prospective Observational Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priyanka Singh

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital from August 2008 to August 2009 to explore the independent predictors of adverse outcome in the patients with confirmed/probable viral encephalitis. The primary outcome variable was the incidence of adverse outcomes defined as death or severe neurological deficit such as loss of speech, motor deficits, behavioural problems, blindness, and cognitive impairment. Patients with confirmed or probable viral encephalitis were classified into two groups based on their Z-score of weight-for-age as per WHO growth charts. Group I. Patients with confirmed or probable viral encephalitis with weight-for-age (W/A Z-scores below −2SD were classified as undernourished. Group II. Patients with confirmed or probable viral encephalitis were classified as having normal nutritional status (weight-for-age Z-score >−2SD. A total of 114 patients were classified as confirmed or probable viral encephalitis based on detailed investigations. On multivariate logistic regression, undernutrition (adjusted OR: 5.05; 95% CI: 1.92 to 13.44 and requirement of ventilation (adjusted OR: 6.75; 95% CI: 3.63 to 77.34 were independent predictors of adverse outcomes in these patients. Thus, the results from our study highlight that the association between undernutrition and adverse outcome could be extended to the patients with confirmed/probable viral encephalitis.

  3. The Adverse Effects of Air Pollution on the Nervous System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genc, Sermin; Zadeoglulari, Zeynep; Fuss, Stefan H.; Genc, Kursad

    2012-01-01

    Exposure to ambient air pollution is a serious and common public health concern associated with growing morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the last decades, the adverse effects of air pollution on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems have been well established in a series of major epidemiological and observational studies. In the recent past, air pollution has also been associated with diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders. It has been demonstrated that various components of air pollution, such as nanosized particles, can easily translocate to the CNS where they can activate innate immune responses. Furthermore, systemic inflammation arising from the pulmonary or cardiovascular system can affect CNS health. Despite intense studies on the health effects of ambient air pollution, the underlying molecular mechanisms of susceptibility and disease remain largely elusive. However, emerging evidence suggests that air pollution-induced neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, microglial activation, cerebrovascular dysfunction, and alterations in the blood-brain barrier contribute to CNS pathology. A better understanding of the mediators and mechanisms will enable the development of new strategies to protect individuals at risk and to reduce detrimental effects of air pollution on the nervous system and mental health. PMID:22523490

  4. A dataset of 200 structured product labels annotated for adverse drug reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demner-Fushman, Dina; Shooshan, Sonya E; Rodriguez, Laritza; Aronson, Alan R; Lang, Francois; Rogers, Willie; Roberts, Kirk; Tonning, Joseph

    2018-01-30

    Adverse drug reactions (ADRs), unintended and sometimes dangerous effects that a drug may have, are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality during medical care. To date, there is no structured machine-readable authoritative source of known ADRs. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) partnered with the National Library of Medicine to create a pilot dataset containing standardised information about known adverse reactions for 200 FDA-approved drugs. The Structured Product Labels (SPLs), the documents FDA uses to exchange information about drugs and other products, were manually annotated for adverse reactions at the mention level to facilitate development and evaluation of text mining tools for extraction of ADRs from all SPLs. The ADRs were then normalised to the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA). We present the curation process and the structure of the publicly available database SPL-ADR-200db containing 5,098 distinct ADRs. The database is available at https://bionlp.nlm.nih.gov/tac2017adversereactions/; the code for preparing and validating the data is available at https://github.com/lhncbc/fda-ars.

  5. A patient case highlighting the myriad of cutaneous adverse effects of prolonged use of hydroxyurea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neill, Brett; Ryser, Ted; Neill, John; Aires, Daniel; Rajpara, Anand

    2017-11-15

    Hydroxyurea is an antimetabolite primarily used to treat myeloproliferative disorders, and chronic treatment is associated with many cutaneous adverse effects ranging in severity from ichthyosis to aggressive nonmelanoma skin cancer. We report a 67-year-oldman with a history of polycythemia vera who was referred for management of progressively worsening dorsal hand lesions. The patient presented withhyperpigmentation, ichthyosis, plantar keratoderma, dermatomyositis-like eruptions, two squamous cell carcinomas, and actinic keratoses. The adversereactions observed were acknowledged to be related to chronic hydroxyurea use. The patient underwent Mohs excision of the squamous cell carcinomas and thehydroxyurea was promptly discontinued; subsequent cutaneous improvement of the dermatomyositislike lesions ensued. Another clinically suspicious aggressive squamous cell carcinoma was suspected and the patient was referred to the plastic surgery department for complete excision because of the size of the lesion. The patient remains on periodic dermatology follow up. We report a case that exemplifies the cutaneous adverse effects of chronic hydroxyurea therapy. Although many cases improve after drug discontinuation, strict photoprotection and ongoing surveillance are indicated given the recently proposed premalignant potential of dermatomyositis-like eruptions and the aggressive nature of hydroxyurea-induced nonmelanoma skin cancer.

  6. Genetic Effects on Longitudinal Changes from Healthy to Adverse Weight and Metabolic Status – The HUNT Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirsti Kvaløy

    Full Text Available The complexity of obesity and onset and susceptibility of cardio-metabolic disorders are still poorly understood and is addressed here through studies of genetic influence on weight gain and increased metabolic risk longitudinally.Twenty seven previously identified obesity, eating disorder or metabolic risk susceptibility SNPs were tested for association with weight or metabolically related traits longitudinally in 3999 adults participating both in the HUNT2 (1995-97 and HUNT3 (2006-08 surveys. Regression analyses were performed with changes from normal weight to overweight/obesity or from metabolically healthy to adverse developments with regards to blood pressure, glucose, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides or metabolic syndrome as outcomes. Additionally, a sub-sample of 1380 adolescents was included for testing association of nine SNPs with longitudinal weight gain into young adulthood.The most substantial effect on BMI-based weight gain from normal to overweight/obesity in adults was observed for the DRD2 variant (rs6277(OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.69-0.90, P = 3.9x10(-4, adj. P = 0.015. DRD2 was not associated with BMI on a cross-sectional level. In the adolescent sample, FTO (rs1121980 was associated with change to overweight at adulthood in the combined male-female sample (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.09-1.49, P = 3.0x10(-3, adj. P = 0.019 and in females (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.23-1.91, P = 1.8x10(-4, adj. P = 0.003. When testing for association to longitudinal adverse developments with regard to blood pressure, blood lipids and glucose, only rs964184 (ZNF259/APOA5 was significantly associated to unfavourable triglyceride changes (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.36-2.03, P = 5.7x10(-7, adj. P = 0.001. Pleiotropic effects on metabolic traits, however, were observed for several genetic loci cross-sectionally, ZNF259/APOA5, LPL and GRB14 being the most important.DRD2 exhibits effects on weight gain from normal weight to overweight/obesity in adults, while, FTO is associated to

  7. Elevated serum osteoprotegerin levels predict in-hospital major adverse cardiac events in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çanga, Aytun; Durakoğlugil, Murtaza Emre; Erdoğan, Turan; Kirbaş, Aynur; Yilmaz, Adnan; Çiçek, Yüksel; Ergül, Elif; Çetin, Mustafa; Kocaman, Sinan Altan

    2012-11-01

    The aim of our study was to investigate whether osteoprotegerin (OPG) is related to in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and reperfusion parameters in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The OPG/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK)/RANK ligand pathway has recently been associated with atherosclerosis. OPG is a predictor of cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome. This study included 96 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Two groups with equal number of patients were formed according to median OPG level. The association of OPG levels on admission with post-procedural reperfusion parameters, and in-hospital MACE were investigated. Patients with higher OPG levels displayed higher neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, admission troponin, admission glucose, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein. Higher OPG levels were associated with increased thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) risk score, TIMI risk index, pain to balloon time, need for inotropic support, shock, and MACE, mainly driven by death. Reperfusion parameters were not different between the two groups. TIMI risk score, TIMI risk index, myocardial blush grade, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), number of obstructed vessels, and OPG significantly predicted adverse cardiac events. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed OPG as an independent predictor of MACE as well as eGFR, number of obstructed vessels, and corrected TIMI frame count. OPG, a bidirectional molecule displaying both atheroprotective and pro-atherosclerotic properties, is currently known as a marker of inflammation and a predictor of cardiovascular mortality. The present study, for the first time, demonstrated that an increased OPG level is related to in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events after primary PCI in patients with STEMI. Copyright © 2012 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd

  8. No correlation was observed between vitamin D levels and disability of patients with multiple sclerosis between latitudes 18° and 30° South

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yara Dadalti Fragoso

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: Vitamin D has taken center stage in research and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS. The objective of the present study was to assess the serum vitamin D levels of a large population of patients with MS and controls living in a restricted tropical area. Methods: Data from 535 patients with MS and 350 control subjects were obtained from 14 cities around the Tropic of Capricorn. Results: The mean serum 25-OH vitamin D level was 26.07 ± 10.27 ng/mL for the control subjects, and 28.03 ± 12.19 ng/mL for patients with MS. No correlation was observed between vitamin D levels and the disability of patients over the disease duration. Conclusion: At least for the region around the Tropic of Capricorn, serum levels of vitamin D typically are within the range of 20 to 30 ng/mL for controls and patients with MS.

  9. Effects of persimmon peel supplementation on pork quality, palatability, fatty acid composition, and cholesterol level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sang Moo Lee

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of persimmon peel (PPM supplementation on carcass performance, pork quality, eating quality, fatty acid composition, and cholesterol concentration of the porcine longissimus dorsi muscle. Results No adverse effects of PPM supplementation were observed on carcass and meat quality characteristics among the treatment groups (P > 0.05, whereas pork loins from pigs fed a diet supplemented with 0.9 % persimmon peel (T3 showed more tender meat than did pork loins from pigs fed a control diet (P < 0.01, even though no significant difference was observed between the control and T1 group. The T3 group had higher ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to saturated fatty acids (0.33 vs. 0.28, P < 0.05 and lower total cholesterol concentration (94.4 vs. 99.1 mg/g, P < 0.05 compared to the control group. Persimmon peel appeared to have beneficial effects on fatty acid composition and cholesterol concentration, probably leading to a hypocholesterolemic effect. Conclusions Animal diets fortified with persimmon peel represents an efficient and useful method for improving the nutritional quality of pork without impairing growth performance and eating quality properties.

  10. A 28-day oral gavage toxicity study of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) in CB6F1-non-Tg rasH2 mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Byoung-Seok; Park, Sang-Jin; Kim, Yong-Bum; Han, Ji-Seok; Jeong, Eun-Ju; Moon, Kyoung-Sik; Son, Hwa-Young

    2015-12-01

    3-Monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) is a well-known contaminant of foods containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein. However, limited toxicity data are available for the risk assessment of 3-MCPD and its carcinogenic potential is controversial. To evaluate the potential toxicity and determine the dose levels for a 26-week carcinogenicity test using Tg rasH2 mice, 3-MCPD was administered once daily by oral gavage at doses of 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)/day for 28 days to male and female CB6F1-non-Tg rasH2 mice (N = 5 males and females per dose). The standard toxicological evaluations were conducted during the in-life and post-mortem phase. In the 100 mg/kg b.w./day group, 3 males and 1 female died during the study and showed clinical signs such as thin appearance and subdued behavior accompanied by significant decreases in mean b.w. Microscopy revealed tubular basophilia in the kidneys, exfoliated degenerative germ cells in the lumen of the seminiferous tubule of the testes, vacuolation in the brain, axonal degeneration of the sciatic nerve, and cardiomyopathy in the 100, ≥25, ≥50, 100, and 100 mg/kg b.w./day groups, respectively. In conclusion, 3-MCPD's target organs were the kidneys, testes, brain, sciatic nerve, and heart. The "no-observed-adverse-effect level" (NOAEL) of 3-MCPD was ≤25 and 25 mg/kg b.w./day in males and females, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Risk assessments for exposure of deployed military personnel to insecticides and personal protective measures used for disease-vector management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macedo, Paula A; Peterson, Robert K D; Davis, Ryan S

    2007-10-01

    Infectious diseases are problematic for deployed military forces throughout the world, and, historically, more military service days have been lost to insect-vectored diseases than to combat. Because of the limitations in efficacy and availability of both vaccines and therapeutic drugs, vector management often is the best tool that military personnel have against most vector-borne pathogens. However, the use of insecticides may raise concerns about the safety of their effects on the health of the military personnel exposed to them. Therefore, our objective was to use risk assessment methodologies to evaluate health risks to deployed U.S. military personnel from vector management tactics. Our conservative tier-1, quantitative risk assessment focused on acute, subchronic, and chronic exposures and cancer risks to military personnel after insecticide application and use of personal protective measures in different scenarios. Exposures were estimated for every scenario, chemical, and pathway. Acute, subchronic, and chronic risks were assessed using a margin of exposure (MOE) approach. Our MOE was the ratio of a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) to an estimated exposure. MOEs were greater than the levels of concern (LOCs) for all surface residual and indoor space spraying exposures, except acute dermal exposure to lambda-cyhalothrin. MOEs were greater than the LOCs for all chemicals in the truck-mounted ultra-low-volume (ULV) exposure scenario. The aggregate cancer risk for permethrin exceeded 1 x 10(-6), but more realistic exposure refinements would reduce the cancer risk below that value. Overall, results indicate that health risks from exposures to insecticides and personal protective measures used by military personnel are low.

  12. Childhood adversity and traumatic exposures during deployment as predictors of mental health in Australian military veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Wu Yi; Kanesarajah, Jeeva; Waller, Michael; McGuire, Annabel C; Treloar, Susan A; Dobson, Annette J

    2016-02-01

    To examine whether the relationship between traumatic exposure on deployment and poor mental health varies by the reported level of childhood adversity experienced in Australian military veterans deployed to the Bougainville or East Timor military operations. Cross-sectional self-reported survey data were collected in 2008 from 3,564 Australian military veterans who deployed to East Timor or Bougainville on their deployment experiences, health and recall of childhood events. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the association between childhood adversity, deployment exposures and mental health. The most common childhood adversity reported was 'not having a special teacher, youth worker or family friend who looked out for them while growing up'. On average, responders reported experiencing 3.5 adverse childhood experiences (SD 2.7) and averaged 5.3 (SD 4.9) traumatic exposures on deployment. Both childhood adversity and traumatic exposures on deployment were associated with higher odds of poorer mental health. However, there was no evidence that level of childhood adversity modified the association between traumatic exposure and mental health. These findings suggest that military personnel who recalled a higher level of childhood adversity may need to be monitored for poor mental health and, if required, provided with appropriate support. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

  13. Customized vs population-based growth charts to identify neonates at risk of adverse outcome: systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of observational studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiossi, G; Pedroza, C; Costantine, M M; Truong, V T T; Gargano, G; Saade, G R

    2017-08-01

    To compare the effectiveness of customized vs population-based growth charts for the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes. MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov and The Cochrane Library were searched up to 31 May 2016 to identify interventional and observational studies comparing adverse outcomes among large- (LGA) and small- (SGA) for-gestational-age neonates, when classified according to customized vs population-based growth charts. Perinatal mortality and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of both SGA and LGA neonates, intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) and neonatal mortality of SGA neonates, and neonatal shoulder dystocia and hypoglycemia as well as maternal third- and fourth-degree perineal lacerations in LGA pregnancies were evaluated. The electronic search identified 237 records that were examined based on title and abstract, of which 27 full-text articles were examined for eligibility. After excluding seven articles, 20 observational studies were included in a Bayesian meta-analysis. Neonates classified as SGA according to customized growth charts had higher risks of IUFD (odds ratio (OR), 7.8 (95% CI, 4.2-12.3)), neonatal death (OR, 3.5 (95% CI, 1.1-8.0)), perinatal death (OR, 5.8 (95% CI, 3.8-7.8)) and NICU admission (OR, 3.6 (95% CI, 2.0-5.5)) than did non-SGA cases. Neonates classified as SGA according to population-based growth charts also had increased risk for adverse outcomes, albeit the point estimates of the pooled ORs were smaller: IUFD (OR, 3.3 (95% CI, 1.9-5.0)), neonatal death (OR, 2.9 (95% CI, 1.2-4.5)), perinatal death (OR, 4.0 (95% CI, 2.8-5.1)) and NICU admission (OR, 2.4 (95% CI, 1.7-3.2)). For LGA vs non-LGA, there were no differences in pooled ORs for perinatal death, NICU admission, hypoglycemia and maternal third- and fourth-degree perineal lacerations when classified according to either the customized or the population-based approach. In contrast, both approaches indicated that LGA neonates are at increased risk for

  14. Instrumental variable analysis as a complementary analysis in studies of adverse effects : venous thromboembolism and second-generation versus third-generation oral contraceptives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boef, Anna G C; Souverein, Patrick C|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/243074948; Vandenbroucke, Jan P; van Hylckama Vlieg, Astrid; de Boer, Anthonius|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/075097346; le Cessie, Saskia; Dekkers, Olaf M

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE: A potentially useful role for instrumental variable (IV) analysis may be as a complementary analysis to assess the presence of confounding when studying adverse drug effects. There has been discussion on whether the observed increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) for

  15. Estimation of Missing Observations in Two-Level Split-Plot Designs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Almimi, Ashraf A.; Kulahci, Murat; Montgomery, Douglas C.

    2008-01-01

    Inserting estimates for the missing observations from split-plot designs restores their balanced or orthogonal structure and alleviates the difficulties in the statistical analysis. In this article, we extend a method due to Draper and Stoneman to estimate the missing observations from unreplicated...... two-level factorial and fractional factorial split-plot (FSP and FFSP) designs. The missing observations, which can either be from the same whole plot, from different whole plots, or comprise entire whole plots, are estimated by equating to zero a number of specific contrast columns equal...... to the number of the missing observations. These estimates are inserted into the design table and the estimates for the remaining effects (or alias chains of effects as the case with FFSP designs) are plotted on two half-normal plots: one for the whole-plot effects and the other for the subplot effects...

  16. Prostate cancer outcomes in France: treatments, adverse effects and two-year mortality

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background This very large population-based study investigated outcomes after a diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) in terms of mortality rates, treatments and adverse effects. Methods Among the 11 million men aged 40 years and over covered by the general national health insurance scheme, those with newly managed PCa in 2009 were followed for two years based on data from the national health insurance information system (SNIIRAM). Patients were identified using hospitalisation diagnoses and specific refunds related to PCa and PCa treatments. Adverse effects of PCa treatments were identified by using hospital diagnoses, specific procedures and drug refunds. Results The age-standardised two-year all-cause mortality rate among the 43,460 men included in the study was 8.4%, twice that of all men aged 40 years and over. Among the 36,734 two-year survivors, 38% had undergone prostatectomy, 36% had been treated by hormone therapy, 29% by radiotherapy, 3% by brachytherapy and 20% were not treated. The frequency of treatment-related adverse effects varied according to age and type of treatment. Among men between 50 and 69 years of age treated by prostatectomy alone, 61% were treated for erectile dysfunction and 24% were treated for urinary disorders. The frequency of treatment for these disorders decreased during the second year compared to the first year (erectile dysfunction: 41% vs 53%, urinary disorders: 9% vs 20%). The frequencies of these treatments among men treated by external beam radiotherapy alone were 7% and 14%, respectively. Among men between 50 and 69 years with treated PCa, 46% received treatments for erectile dysfunction and 22% for urinary disorders. For controls without PCa but treated surgically for benign prostatic hyperplasia, these frequencies were 1.5% and 6.0%, respectively. Conclusions We report high survival rates two years after a diagnosis of PCa, but a high frequency of PCa treatment-related adverse effects. These frequencies remain

  17. Effects of interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha on macrophage enzyme levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierangeli, Silvia S.; Sonnenfeld, Gerald

    1989-01-01

    Murine peritoneal macrophages were treated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF). Measurements of changes in acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase levels were made as an indication of activation by cytokine treatment. IFN-gamma or TNF-gamma treatment resulted in a significant increase in the activities of both enzymes measured in the cell lysates. This increase was observable after 6 h of incubation, but reached its maximum level after 24 h of incubation. The effect of the treatment of the cell with both cytokines together was additive. No synergistic effect of addition of both cytokines on the enzyme levels was observed.

  18. The Potential Return on Public Investment in Detecting Adverse Drug Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huybrechts, Krista F; Desai, Rishi J; Park, Moa; Gagne, Joshua J; Najafzadeh, Mehdi; Avorn, Jerry

    2017-06-01

    Many countries lack fully functional pharmacovigilance programs, and public budgets allocated to pharmacovigilance in industrialized countries remain low due to resource constraints and competing priorities. Using 3 case examples, we sought to estimate the public health and economic benefits resulting from public investment in active pharmacovigilance programs to detect adverse drug effects. We assessed 3 examples in which early signals of safety hazards were not adequately recognized, resulting in continued exposure of a large number of patients to these drugs when safer and effective alternative treatments were available. The drug examples studied were rofecoxib, cerivastatin, and troglitazone. Using an individual patient simulation model and the health care system perspective, we estimated the potential costs that could have been averted by early systematic detection of safety hazards through the implementation of active surveillance programs. We found that earlier drug withdrawal made possible by active safety surveillance would most likely have resulted in savings in direct medical costs of $773-$884 million for rofecoxib, $3-$10 million for cerivastatin, and $38-$63 million for troglitazone in the United States through the prevention of adverse events. By contrast, the yearly public investment in Food and Drug Administration initiated population-based pharmacovigilance activities in the United States is about $42.5 million at present. These examples illustrate a critical and economically justifiable role for active adverse effect surveillance in protecting the health of the public.

  19. Social Adversity and Antisocial Behavior: Mediating Effects of Autonomic Nervous System Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fagan, Shawn E; Zhang, Wei; Gao, Yu

    2017-11-01

    The display of antisocial behaviors in children and adolescents has been of interest to criminologists and developmental psychologists for years. Exposure to social adversity is a well-documented predictor of antisocial behavior. Additionally, measures of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, including heart rate variability (HRV), pre-ejection period (PEP), and heart rate, have been associated with antisocial behaviors including rule-breaking and aggression. Social neuroscience research has begun to investigate how neurobiological underpinnings affect the relationship between social adversity and antisocial/psychopathic behavior in children and adolescents. This study investigated the potential mediating effects of ANS activity on the relationship between social adversity and antisocial behavior in a group of 7- to 10-year-old children from the community (N = 339; 48.2% male). Moderated multiple mediation analyses revealed that low resting heart rate, but not PEP or HRV, mediated the relationship between social adversity and antisocial behavior in males only. Social adversity but not ANS measures were associated with antisocial behavior in females. Findings have implications for understanding the neural influences that underlie antisocial behavior, illustrate the importance of the social environment regarding the expression of these behaviors, and highlight essential gender differences.

  20. Low levels of sarin affect the EEG in marmoset monkeys: A pilot study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Helden, H.H.P.M. van; Vanwersch, R.A.P.; Kuijpers, W.C.; Trap, H.C.; Philippens, I.H.C.; Benschop, H.P.

    2004-01-01

    The main purpose of this pilot study was to estimate the lowest observable adverse effect level (LOAEL) for the electroencephalogram (EEG) upon long-term, low-level exposure of vehicle-pretreated and pyridostigmine-pretreated marmoset monkeys to sarin vapour. This is the C·t value (t = 5 h) of