Mother gestational exposure to organophosphorus pesticide induces neuron and glia loss in daughter adult brain

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is a widely used organophosphorus pesticide with developmental neurotoxicity such as morphogenesis toxicity. In the present study, we assessed the effects of prenatal CPF exposure on systemic parameters and cytoarchitecture of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in adulthood. Gestational dams were exposed to 5mg/kg/d of CPF during gestational days 13–17, while body weight, organ coefficient, and neuron and glia counts of offspring were determined on postnatal day 60. Our results showed that CPF treatment induced little or no effects on body weight and organ coefficients. There were also no significant pathological changes in mPFC. However, neuron and glia count analysis showed that CPF treatment reduced neuron and glia counts in anterior cingulate, prelimbic, and infralimbic areas of mPFC. The CPF react pattern was similar in both sexes, and there was no statistical difference in most of the sub-regions. Thus, our results revealed an embryonic origin brain deficit induced by gestational mother pesticide exposure.     

Protective action of zinc against lead poisoning in tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

The accumulation of lead (Pb) in tilapias Oreochromis niloticus, acclimatized in cement tanks, and fed once a day with pellets of commercial food with lead nitrate, was investigated by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWV). The head (including head bones, proteins, and brain) was the main target of lead uptake by tilapias, with a small amount in muscle tissue. A high concentration of Pb was found in feces which indicated low absorption by the organism when fed with high Pb concentration. The protective effects of zinc (Zn) against the Pb poisoning, the accumulation of Pb in the heads of the fishes of 107.8?±?3.1?mg?kg^?1 and in the viscera of 57.1?±?2.9?mg?kg^?1 with consequent decrease of calcium (Ca) concentration, were observed. In spite of the experimental time of 16 months and higher Pb concentration in the dietary food of 320?mg?kg^?1, no death of tilapias was observed due to the protective action of Zn.     

苯醚甲环唑对斑马鱼抗氧化酶的影响

以斑马鱼为模式生物研究了三唑类杀菌剂苯醚甲环唑对斑马鱼脑和肝脏中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)和谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)四种抗氧化酶活性的影响.结果发现:苯醚甲环唑暴露后,斑马鱼脑中CAT酶活性随暴露时间延长呈现出先升高后降低的趋势.50μg/L及更高浓度的苯醚甲环唑能够显著抑制斑马鱼脑和肝脏中GPx的活性,且对脑中GPx活性的抑制程度更强.另外,500μg/L苯醚甲环唑处理后,斑马鱼肝脏和脑中GR活性表现出不同的变化趋势,肝脏中GR活性下降,而脑中GR活性升高.上述结果表明50μg/L的苯醚甲环唑即可影响斑马鱼的抗氧化系统,其对农业水域中的鱼类影响值得重视.     

二嗪磷对鸟类脑组织乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的影响

为了初步研究有机磷农药二嗪磷对鸟类的毒性作用,采用室内饲喂染毒的方法,分析了二嗪磷对鹌鹑、鹧鸪及斑鸠3种鸟脑组织乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)活性的影响。鹌鹑、鹧鸪采用经食饲喂,染毒剂量分别为0、40、80、160、320、600mg·kg-1饲料和0、400、800、1600、3200、6000mg·kg-1饲料,试验周期8d;斑鸠采用拌种饲喂(1mL50%二嗪磷乳油拌500g麦种),染毒剂量为0、1.2、2.0、4.0、8.0mg·kg-1体重,一次性染毒后进行常规饲养,试验周期15d。结果表明,二嗪磷对3种鸟脑组织AChE活性均有一定程度的抑制作用:各染毒组死亡鸟AChE活性较对照降低显著(p<0.05,p<0.01),活性抑制率均超过40%;各染毒组存活鸟AChE活性较对照也有所降低,但活性抑制率均未超过20%.以上结果提示,抑制脑组织AChE活性可能是二嗪磷致鸟类死亡的重要原因。     

Racial disparities in parent knowledge of concussion and recognition of signs and symptoms

Introduction: Concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that can be sustained through participation in different sports. It is important that a parent be able to identify common and uncommon symptoms of a concussion to ensure the safety and good health of their child. The purpose of this study was to compare knowledge of concussion scores among White and African American parents and guardians. Methodology: This cross-sectional study consisted of a single survey of 53 questions that was given to parents/guardians of high school athletes at a preseason parent meeting. Parent and guardian knowledge of concussion was assessed through a series of 45 questions. Participants were asked to correctly identify signs and symptoms of concussion, answer questions regarding the anatomy of a concussion (i.e. a concussion is an injury to the brain), answer true/false questions about general concussion knowledge, select from a list the consequences of multiple concussions and select from a list the consequences of returning to play too soon from a concussion. Knowledge of concussion was calculated by summing correct responses for the 45 knowledge questions. Racial differences were calculated using an ANCOVA, controlling for socioeconomic school type. The statistical significance level was set a priori p ≤ 0.05 for all analyses. Results: Participants of this study consisted of 176 [115 (65.3%) White, 61 (34.7%) African American] parents/guardians of high school athletes. Significant differences in knowledge of concussion scores between White parents/guardians [38.50 ± 4.55 (85.6% correct)], and African American parents/guardians [35.15 ± 4.97, 78.1% correct)] were identified (F_(1,172) = 4.82, p = 0.03). Conclusion: Knowledge of concussion disparities exist between African American and White parents/guardians. This disparity could cause complications from concussion to surface among children and adolescents participating in sport as their parents/guardians may not be able to correctly identify the signs and symptoms in order to seek proper medical care. Practical Application: Findings from this study highlight quantitative differences in concussion knowledge of parents from different demographics. These findings underline disparities and inequities in access to concussion-health resources that need to be addressed.     

Impact of helmet use on traumatic brain injury from road traffic accidents in Cambodia

Objective: Rapid urbanization and motorization without corresponding increases in helmet usage have made traumatic brain injury due to road traffic accidents a major public health crisis in Cambodia. This analysis was conducted to quantify the impact of helmets on severity of injury, neurosurgical indication, and functional outcomes at discharge for motorcycle operators who required hospitalization for a traumatic brain injury following a road traffic accident in Cambodia.

Methods: The medical records of 491 motorcycle operators who presented to a major tertiary care center in Cambodia with traumatic brain injury were retrospectively analyzed using multivariate logistic regression.

Results: The most common injuries at presentation were contusions (47.0%), epidural hematomas (30.1%), subdural hematomas (27.9%), subarachnoid hemorrhages (12.4%), skull fractures (21.4%), and facial fractures (18.5%). Moderate-to-severe loss of consciousness was present in 36.3% of patients. Not wearing a helmet was associated with an odds ratio of 2.20 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–4.22) for presenting with moderate to severe loss of consciousness compared to helmeted patients. Craniotomy or craniectomy was indicated for evacuation of hematoma in 20.0% of cases, and nonhelmeted patients had 3.21-fold higher odds of requiring neurosurgical intervention (95% CI, 1.25–8.27). Furthermore, lack of helmet usage was associated with 2.72-fold higher odds of discharge with functional deficits (95% CI, 1.14–6.49). In total, 30.1% of patients were discharged with severe functional deficits.

Conclusions: Helmets demonstrate a protective effect and may be an effective public health intervention to significantly reduce the burden of traumatic brain injury in Cambodia and other developing countries with increasing rates of motorization across the world.     

氟对鲤鱼脑抗氧化系统及细胞凋亡的影响

以鲤鱼为受试材料,研究了氟化钠对其脑组织的抗氧化系统、组织结构和细胞凋亡的影响.结果发现,染毒30 d时,随氟化钠浓度的升高,SOD、GSH活性表现为先诱导后抑制的趋势;暴露60 d与90 d后,SOD、GSH活性主要表现为抑制.而MDA水平在整个暴露实验期间均呈增高趋势.暴露90 d后,脑组织切片的显微观察结果显示,氟化钠能导致鲤鱼脑组织血栓形成及各细胞层结构发生病理学改变,并具有剂效相关性.生物检测结果显示,随着氟化钠暴露剂量增大,鱼脑细胞凋亡率的增加与MDA水平的升高呈正相关关系(r=0.9968),而Bcl-2的表达减弱与SOD、GSH活性呈正相关关系(r=0.9198,0.9889).     

Is fetal gender a risk factor for severe congenital cytomegalovirus infection?

Cytomegalovirus is the main cause of congenital viral infection and amniotic fluid viral load appears to be the single nonclinical prognostic factor. However, as in other infectious diseases, host genetics may influence the severity of the disease. To test this hypothesis, we looked retrospectively at the fetal gender in cases of severe congenital cytomegalovirus infection in our database. We also analyzed the international English literature covering this subject between 1985 and 2003. The proportion of females with brain abnormalities was statistically different from that of males (62/258: 24% vs 30/251: 12%, p = 0.004). The risk of abnormal brain development in infected fetuses was twice as high in females than in males (Chi² = 8.7; OR = 2, IC [1.26–3.21]). In our cases, amniotic fluid CMV DNA load was not significantly higher in males than in females (p = 0.06) and was also similar in severely and non-severely infected fetuses (p = 0.09). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.