Force-induced tissue compression alters circulating hormone levels and biomarkers of peripheral vascular and sensorineural dysfunction in an animal model of hand-arm vibration syndrome.

Workers regularly using vibrating hand tools may develop a disorder referred to as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). HAVS is characterized by cold-induced vasospasms in the hands and fingers that result in blanching of the skin, loss of sensory function, pain, and reductions in manual dexterity. Exposure to vibration induces some of these symptoms.

Exposure to emissions generated by 3-dimensional printing with polycarbonate: effects on peripheral vascular function, cardiac vascular morphology and expression of markers of oxidative stress in male rat cardiac tissue.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing with polycarbonate (PC) plastic occurs in manufacturing settings, homes, and schools. Emissions generated during printing with PC stock and bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter in PC, may induce adverse health effects. Inhalation of 3D printer emissions, and changes in endocrine function may lead to cardiovascular dysfunction.

Inhalation of polycarbonate emissions generated during 3D printing processes affects neuroendocrine function in male rats.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing of manufactured goods has increased in the last 10 years. The increased use of this technology has resulted in questions regarding the influence of inhaling emissions generated during printing. The goal of this study was to determine if inhalation of particulate and/or toxic chemicals generated during printing with polycarbonate (PC) plastic affected the neuroendocrine system.

Historical shift in pathological type of progressive massive fibrosis among coal miners in the USA.

Background: Pneumoconiosis among coal miners in the USA has been resurgent over the past two decades, despite modern dust controls and regulatory standards. Previously published studies have suggested that respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a contributor to this disease resurgence. However, evidence has been primarily indirect, in the form of radiographic features.

A proposed checklist for climate-friendly sport and exercise programmes.

Background: Fighting the climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our time and will touch all aspects of people's lives. In this context, the United Nations (UN) have called on the sport sector to reduce its negative impacts on the environment and show 'climate leadership'. While some efforts have already been made with regards to mega sport events, there is still a dearth of approaches on limiting the climate impact of recreational sport and exercise programmes.

Evaluation of Pulmonary Effects of 3-D Printer Emissions From Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Using an Air-Liquid Interface Model of Primary Normal Human-Derived Bronchial Epithelial Cells.

This study investigated the inhalation toxicity of the emissions from 3-D printing with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament using an air-liquid interface (ALI) model. Primary normal human-derived bronchial epithelial cells (NHBEs) were exposed to ABS filament emissions in an ALI for 4 hours. The mean and mode diameters of ABS emitted particles in the medium were 175 ± 24 and 153 ± 15 nm, respectively.

Pathology and Mineralogy Demonstrate Respirable Crystalline Silica Is a Major Cause of Severe Pneumoconiosis in U.S. Coal Miners.

The reasons for resurgent coal workers' pneumoconiosis and its most severe forms, rapidly progressive pneumoconiosis and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF), in the United States are not yet fully understood. To compare the pathologic and mineralogic features of contemporary coal miners with severe pneumoconiosis with those of their historical counterparts. Lung pathology specimens from 85 coal miners with PMF were included for evaluation and analysis.

Botulinum Toxin in Restless Legs Syndrome-A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study.

Background: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common movement disorder with an estimated prevalence of up to 12%. Previous small studies with onabotulinumtoxin A (OnaA) for RLS have shown inconsistent results.

Methods: Twenty-four patients with an International RLS score (IRLS) of >11 (moderate-severe) were enrolled in this blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study.

Botulinum toxin in essential hand tremor - A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study with customized injection approach.

Introduction: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of incobotulinumtoxinA (IncoA) injection for treatment of essential hand tremor. In essential tremor and Parkinson's disease tremor, administration of onabotulinumtoxinA via a fixed injection approach improves the tremor but a high percentage of patients (30-70%) develop moderate to severe hand weakness which has limited its use in clinical practice.

Methods: This study was performed from July 2013 to July 2016 on 33 subjects.

Pulmonary toxicity and global gene expression changes in response to sub-chronic inhalation exposure to crystalline silica in rats.

Exposure to crystalline silica results in serious adverse health effects, most notably, silicosis. An understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying silica-induced pulmonary toxicity is critical for the intervention and/or prevention of its adverse health effects. Rats were exposed by inhalation to crystalline silica at a concentration of 15 mg/m, 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 3, 6 or 12 weeks.

Botulinum Toxin in Parkinson Disease Tremor: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study With a Customized Injection Approach.

Background: In essential tremor and Parkinson disease (PD) tremor, administration of onabotulinumtoxinA via a fixed injection approach improves the tremor, but many patients (30%-70%) develop moderate to severe hand weakness, limiting the use of onabotulinumtoxinA in clinical practice.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of incobotulinumtoxinA (IncoA) injection for the treatment of tremor in PD.

Patients And Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, 30 patients each received 7 to 12 (mean, 9) IncoA injections into hand and forearm muscles using a customized approach.

Molecular mechanisms of pulmonary response progression in crystalline silica exposed rats.

An understanding of the mechanisms underlying diseases is critical for their prevention. Excessive exposure to crystalline silica is a risk factor for silicosis, a potentially fatal pulmonary disease. Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed by inhalation to crystalline silica (15 mg/m, six hours/day, five days) and pulmonary response was determined at 44 weeks following termination of silica exposure.

Pathologic and molecular profiling of rapid-onset fibrosis and inflammation induced by multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are new materials with a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. However, their nano-scaled size and fiber-like shape render them respirable and potentially fibrogenic if inhaled into the lungs. To understand MWCNT fibrogenesis, we analyzed the pathologic and molecular aspects of the early phase response to MWCNT in mouse lungs.

Transcriptomics analysis of lungs and peripheral blood of crystalline silica-exposed rats.

Minimally invasive approaches to detect/predict target organ toxicity have significant practical applications in occupational toxicology. The potential application of peripheral blood transcriptomics as a practical approach to study the mechanisms of silica-induced pulmonary toxicity was investigated. Rats were exposed by inhalation to crystalline silica (15 mg/m(3), 6 h/day, 5 days) and pulmonary toxicity and global gene expression profiles of lungs and peripheral blood were determined at 32 weeks following termination of exposure.

Blood gene expression profiling detects silica exposure and toxicity.

Blood gene expression profiling was investigated as a minimally invasive surrogate approach to detect silica exposure and resulting pulmonary toxicity. Rats were exposed by inhalation to crystalline silica (15 mg/m³, 6 h/day, 5 days), and pulmonary damage and blood gene expression profiles were determined after latency periods (0-16 weeks). Silica exposure resulted in pulmonary toxicity as evidenced by histological and biochemical changes in the lungs.

Botulinum toxin A for treatment of allodynia of complex regional pain syndrome: a pilot study.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) in allodynia of patients with complex regional pain syndrome.

Design: A total of 14 patients were studied. Eight patients were participants of a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled protocol.

CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 gene expression and DNA adduct formation in normal human mammary epithelial cells exposed to benzo[a]pyrene in the absence or presence of chlorophyllin.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BP) is a potent pro-carcinogen and ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Here, we examined the induction and modulation of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 and 10-(deoxyguanosin-N(2)-yl)-7,8,9-trihydroxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPdG) adduct formation in DNA from 20 primary normal human mammary epithelial cell (NHMEC) strains exposed to BP (4muM) in the absence or presence of chlorophyllin (5muM). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed strong induction of both CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 by BP, with high levels of inter-individual variability.

Botulinum neurotoxin-A for treatment of refractory neck pain: a randomized, double-blind study.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of Botulinum neurotoxin-A (BoNT-A) in the patients with refractory neck pain.

Background: An analgesic effect is suggested for BoNT-A by a number of animal studies. Two blinded studies suggested efficacy of BoNT-A in a chronic neck pain.

Immune response signatures of benzo{alpha}pyrene exposure in normal human mammary epithelial cells in the absence or presence of chlorophyllin.

Carcinogenic polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons can alter immune responses. Changes in immune response gene expression profiles in multiple human mammary cell strains exposed to benzo(alpha)pyrene (BP) (4 microM) in vitro, in the presence or absence of chlorophyllin (5 microM), were observed using Affymetrix gene arrays. Expressions of five immune response genes were altered ~3.

Chlorophyllin significantly reduces benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adduct formation and alters cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1B1 expression and EROD activity in normal human mammary epithelial cells.

We hypothesized that chlorophyllin (CHLN) would reduce benzo[a]pyrene-DNA (BP-DNA) adduct levels. Using normal human mammary epithelial cells (NHMECs) exposed to 4 microM BP for 24 hr in the presence or absence of 5 microM CHLN, we measured BP-DNA adducts by chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA). The protocol included the following experimental groups: BP alone, BP given simultaneously with CHLN (BP+CHLN) for 24 hr, CHLN given for 24 hr followed by BP for 24 hr (preCHLN, postBP), and CHLN given for 48 hr with BP added for the last 24 hr (preCHLN, postBP+CHLN).

Transcriptional profiles of benzo(a)pyrene exposure in normal human mammary epithelial cells in the absence or presence of chlorophyllin.

Benzo(a)pyrene (BP) exposure causes alterations in gene expression in normal human mammary epithelial cells (NHMECs). This study used Affymetrix Hu-Gene133A arrays, with 14,500 genes represented, to evaluate modulation of BP-induced gene expression by chlorophyllin in six NHMEC strains derived from different donors. A major goal was to seek potential biomarkers of carcinogen exposure and how they behave in the presence of a chemopreventive agent.

Human inter-individual variability in metabolism and genotoxic response to zidovudine.

A mainstay of the antiretroviral drugs used for therapy of HIV-1, zidovudine (AZT) is genotoxic and becomes incorporated into DNA. Here we explored host inter-individual variability in AZT-DNA incorporation, by AZT radioimmunoassay (RIA), using 19 different strains of normal human mammary epithelial cells (NHMECs) exposed for 24 h to 200 microM AZT. Twelve of the 19 NHMEC strains showed detectable AZT-DNA incorporation levels (16 to 259 molecules of AZT/10(6) nucleotides), while 7 NHMEC strains did not show detectable AZT-DNA incorporation.

Inhalation of toluene diisocyanate vapor induces allergic rhinitis in mice.

Diisocyanates are the leading cause of occupational asthma, and epidemiological evidence suggests that occupational rhinitis is a comorbid and preceding condition in patients who develop asthma. The goal of the present studies was to develop and characterize a murine model of toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-induced rhinitis. Female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to workplace-relevant concentrations of TDI vapor via inhalation for 4 h/day for 12 days with or without a 2-wk rest period and TDI challenge.