The extractive industry in Latin America and the Caribbean: health impact assessment as an opportunity for the health authority.

Objectives: The extractive industries have contributed to the economic and social development of Latin America and the Caribbean for centuries. We have undertaken a narrative review to assess the role of the health authority in the decision-making process as it relates to extractive industry projects.

Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted with a keyword search conducted using PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online and Google.

Identification of in vivo P-glycoprotein mRNA decay intermediates in normal liver but not in liver tumors.

Post-transcriptional regulation at the level of mRNA stability is one important mechanism for over-expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) genes observed in cultured cells and in animals. A previous study has shown that mRNA half-lives for Pgp genes in normal liver were less than 2 h, in contrast to greater than 12 h measured in a transplantable liver tumor line. This lower turnover rate of Pgp mRNA may, in large part, contribute to the abundance of Pgp mRNA in liver tumors.