Early prenatal sonographic diagnosis of neuropathic arthrogryposis multiplex congenita with osseous heterotopia

A prenatal diagnosis of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) has been carried out on a 19-week-old fetus by means of echography. The ultrasonographic characteristics were unnatural position of the four limbs associated with articular anomalies together with absence of active fetal movements. A therapeutic interruption of pregnancy was performed and the diagnosis was confirmed. At autopsy, architectural disorder of the motor neurons of the anterior medullary horn revealed a neuropathic pathogenesis of the arthrogryposis. Moreover, at the lumbar level the spinal cord was progressively replaced by heterotopic bony tissue which caused a more severe deformity of the lower limbs compared with the upper. The aspects of anatomo-pathological, genetic, and differential diagnosis are discussed showing the precocity of the prenatal diagnosis and the peculiarity of the aetiology of our case.     

Menkes X-linked disease: Prenatal diagnosis of hemizygous males and heterozygous females

Menkes X-linked disease, a copper disturbance syndrome, is detectable in cell cultures. Prenatal findings in two at-risk foetuses suggested that prenatal diagnosis was also feasible. In this study, we report substantial evidence that therapeutic abortion can be limited to hemizygous males. Forty-two at-risk pregnancies from 21 European families and 1 Canadian family were monitored with ⁶⁴Cu-uptake into cultured amniotic fluid cells. In 10 pregnancies with a male karyotype an affected foetus was predicted on the basis of the copper studies. The pregnancies were terminated and the diagnosis was in each case confirmed by a markedly increased placenta copper content. Fourteen male foetuses were predicted to be unaffected and none of them has developed signs of Menkes disease after birth. In 6 of these cases the diagnosis was checked in the newborn boy by placenta copper measurements, and they all had copper concentrations within normal limits. Eighteen pregnancies with a female karyotype were also studied. 9 females could be identified as carriers on the basis of the tissue culture studies or raised placenta copper values.     

Heavy Metals in Liver and Muscle of Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Caught in the Straits of Messina (Sicily, Italy)

The present investigation was carried out on the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) collected during the month of April 2003 from the Straits of Messina. The aim of this study is to determine heavy metal levels (Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn) in liver and muscle tissues of 14 Thunnus thynnus of different age and sex and to investigate the relationships between fish sex and size (length and weight and metal concentrations in the tissues. The concentrations of the various metals were determined by a Varian atomic absorption spectroscopy instrument. The results showsignificant variations (p < 0.01) for Hg and Zn concentrations in muscle than in liver samples. Concentrations of Cd and Pb are below the instrumental detection limits in almost all muscle samples. Levels of Hg (3.03 + 0.55 μg/g) are above the MRLs only in muscle (1μg/g) establishing toxicological risks for the consumer. Regression analysis shows a negative correlation between mercury level and weight and length in samples from both female and male. No significant difference between mean heavy metals concentrations and male or female tuna is seen. For greater food safety, it would be advisable to reduce the mercury intake by selecting safer fish, species and size and by the avoidance of tuna fish consumption by pregnant women, young children and old people, who are more sensitive to mercury exposure.     

电子拆解区家禽中溴代阻燃剂的污染特征

对某电子废物拆解区散养草鸡进行了12种多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)和十溴二苯乙烷(DBDPE)的污染水平分析.结果显示,草鸡中PBDEs和DBDPE主要通过土壤途径摄入,各个组织中PBDEs均被检出,肾脏中PBDEs含量最高(2071 ng·g~(-1),以脂重计),肝脏中PBDEs平均含量(550ng·g~(-1),以脂重计)远高于肌肉组织(131 ng·g~(-1)(腿肉)和76 ng·g~(-1)(胸肉),以脂重计),DBDPE主要在肾脏和卵组织中检出.同时,本文对电子拆解区居民通过食用草鸡摄入溴代阻燃剂(BFRs)的健康风险进行了初步评价.结果显示,尽管拆解区居民通过食用草鸡暴露PBDEs和DBDPE的风险处于可接受水平,但综合饮用水、大气呼吸和灰尘摄入等其他暴露途径,BFRs健康风险仍不容忽视.     

Levels and congener distributions of PCDDs,PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in environmental and human samples: a review

The term “dioxins” is often used in a confusing way. In toxicological considerations—and also in the present report—the term is used to designate the PCDDs, the PCDFs and the coplanar (“dioxin-like”) PCBs, since these classes of compounds show the same type of toxicity. Because of the large number of congeners, relevant individual congeners are assigned with a toxic equivalency factor (TEF) that relate their toxicity to that of tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and are to be evaluated as dioxins. Each concentration of an individual congener in a mixture is multiplied with its TEF, and the resulting TCDD equivalents are added up and expressed as WHO-endorsed toxic equivalents (WHO-TEQ). Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are mainly the by-products of industrial processes (such as metallurgical processing, bleaching of paper pulp, and the manufacturing of some herbicides and pesticides) but they can also result from natural processes like volcanic eruptions and forest fires. Waste incineration, particularly if combustion is incomplete, is among the largest contributors to the release of PCDDs and PCDFs into the environment. Due to their persistence, PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs are part of the so-called persistent organic pollutants group of compounds that also include some chlorinated pesticides. Since they have a high lipophilicity and resist transformation, they bio-accumulate in animal and human adipose tissues. Consumption of food is considered as the major source of non-occupational human exposure to PCDD/Fs with foodstuffs from animal origin accounting for more than 90% of the human body burden. With meat, dairy, and fish products being the main contributors. The aim of the present review was to summarize experimental data regarding dioxin emissions from contaminated and uncontaminated biological and environmental samples, from the available literature. The information will be presented chronologically with respect to distribution in human milk, serum; food, water, air, soils and sediments.     

SBR法处理合成洗涤剂废水的研究

在本文中,作者通过对ＳＢＲ工艺以及合成洗涤剂工业废水水质的介绍,经过一系列的实例,得到了使用ＳＢＲ法对合成洗涤剂工业废水进行处理的各种参数,如进水时间,如进水时间、曝气时间、搅拌时间、静沉时间、排水时间、进水水比例、实验流流程顺序等。     

Determination of nephrotoxicity and genotoxic potential of silver nanoparticles in Swiss albino mice

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) possess properties that are important for industrial and medical applications. This study is aimed to investigate intra-peritoneal toxicity of AgNPs at 26, 52 or 78 mg/kg/day for 5 days in mice Swiss albino mice. The effects on oxidative stress markers activities of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), levels of serum glutathione (GSH), apoptosis (TUNEL assay), DNA strand breaks (comet assay) in lymphocytes, as well as histopathological of kidney tissue were determined. AgNPs significantly increased SOD and CAT activities reduced GSH levels. In kidney apoptosis (TUNEL assay) while DNA strand breaks (comet assay) in lymphocytes revealed that AgNPs at concentration 78 mg/kg produced significant apoptosis and DNA damage. AgNPs also produced associated histological renal tissue damage. Evidence suggests that AgNPs-mediated alterations may be attributed to oxidative stress.     

双酚AF胁迫对雄性斑马鱼成鱼甲状腺组织及激素水平的影响

为评价双酚AF(BPAF)的甲状腺毒性,以雄性斑马鱼成鱼为受试模式生物,采用半静态染毒的方式对雄性斑马鱼成鱼染毒14 d(0、5、50和500μg·L~(-1)),分别设置7 d、14 d 2个时间节点,通过酶联免疫法(ELISA)分别检测斑马鱼血浆中总三碘甲腺原氨酸(TT3)、总甲状腺素(TT4)、游离三碘甲腺原氨酸(FT3)、游离甲状腺素(FT4)的含量水平,并对14 d暴露后斑马鱼甲状腺进行组织学检测分析。结果显示随着暴露浓度的提高,出现甲状腺滤泡上皮细胞增生,滤泡组织变形明显,细胞胶质缺失等病理学变化。雄性斑马鱼在BPAF暴露情况下,血浆中TT3、TT4、FT3、FT4含量随着暴露浓度的提升和时间的延长出现显著上升,呈现出甲状腺功能亢奋的干扰效应。     

Qualitative structure residue relationship analysis in the determination of the maximum residue limit of veterinary drugs

Aim of the present study was an attempt to find a correlation between physicochemical structure of veterinary drugs and the maximum residue limit (MRL) for muscle tissue of food producing animals. Direct correlation and analysis in quintile groups for 52 physicochemical parameters were performed. An internal validation using leave-one-out cross-validation was performed. In the quintile groups, there were 11 arithmetic expressions created for the limited group of individual parameters (13 from 52 analyzed), which showed a significant linear or quadratic correlation between the number of quintile group and the mean value of MRL within the quintile. The results obtained suggest that there is no direct correlation between individual physicochemical parameters and MRL value in muscle tissue; however, such correlation can be determined for arithmetic expressions created on the basis of several physicochemical parameters, using quintile group analysis.