Titanate nanotubes as an efficient oral detoxifying agent against drug overdose: application in rat acetaminophen poisoning.

Voluntary drug intoxication is mainly due to drug overdose or the interaction of several drugs. Coma and its associated complications such as hypoventilation, aspiration pneumopathy, and heart rhythm disorders are the main hallmarks of drug intoxication. Conventional detoxification treatments, including gastric lavage or vomiting, administration of ipecac or activated charcoal (CH), and the use of antidotes, have proven to be inefficient and are generally associated with severe adverse effects.

The status of chemical elements in the blood plasma of children with autism spectrum disorder in Tunisia: a case-control study.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders defined by a deficit in social interactions and the presence of restricted and stereotypical behaviors or interests. The etiologies of autism remain mostly unknown. Many genetic and environmental factors have been suspected.

Lipid profile in schizophrenia: case control study.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are common co morbidities of schizophrenia and constitute the main factors of high mortality in this pathology. Cardiovascular damages are favored by some risk factors, of which one of the most important is dyslipidemia. In this context, a study of lipid profile in schizophrenia is interesting.

Comparison of Mineral Contents in Three Different Tobacco Formulations.

We identified and quantified a variety of mineral elements in 18 tobacco samples purchased from a Tunisian market. In total, 25 mineral elements have been measured in cigarettes, water pipe tobacco, and smokeless tobacco using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy following microwave-assisted digestion. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSSTM, version 18.

Paraoxonase 1 polymorphisms (L55M and Q192R) as a genetic marker of diabetic nephropathy in youth with type 1 diabetes.

Introduction: Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) polymorphisms have been largely involved in diabetes complications. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of PON1 polymorphisms (L55M and Q192R) on diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Material And Methods: The study involved 116 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 91 healthy subjects.

C3 Polymorphism Influences Circulating Levels of C3, ASP and Lipids in Schizophrenic Patients.

Excessive activation of complement is associated with many diseases including schizophrenia. Investigation of C3 polymorphisms, circulating C3, cleavage product ASP/C3adesArg, and lipid metabolism. Cross-sectional analysis.

Toxic effects of methamidophos on paraoxonase 1 activity and on rat kidney and liver and ameliorating effects of alpha-tocopherol.

The role of alpha-tocopherol on nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by methamidophos (MT) was investigated in wistar rats. Animals were given via gavage, for four weeks, a low dose of MT (MT1), a high dose of MT (MT2), vitamin E (200 mg/kg of bw) or both MT2 plus vitamin E (Vit E) and control group was given distillate water. MT treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the body weight of MT2-treated group.

Paraoxonase 1 activity and lipid profile in schizophrenic patients.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the variations of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and lipid profile in patients with schizophrenia and the association of this activity with the sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutical characteristics of this population.

Patients And Methods: Our cross-sectional study included 140 schizophrenic patients and 119 control subjects aged respectively 37.3±10.

Association between serum cystatin C levels and cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetic patients.

Serum cystatin C concentration was recently reported as a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the present study, we evaluated the association between the increase of serum cystatin C levels and the risk of CVD in type 2 diabetes. 42 patients with type 2 diabetes were included in the present study; 27 of them have CVD.

[Plasma cholinesterase activity in hepatic diseases].

Plasma cholinesterase activity (ChE) may vary in some pathological circumstances. We studied the changes in activity of this enzyme according to the type of liver injury, to assess the interest of this parameter in the diagnosis of liver diseases. Our study was performed on 102 patients with different liver diseases and 53 healthy controls.

LC-ESI-MS quali-quantitative determination of phenolic constituents in different parts of wild and cultivated Astragalus gombiformis.

High-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) profiling of the MeOH extract of Astragalus gombiformis Pomel (Fabaceae) aerial parts guided the isolation of seven phenolic compounds among which 7-methylquercetin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-galactopyranoside (2) and 7-methylquercetin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[6-O-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl)-β-D-galactopyranoside] (7) whose structures were elucidated by NMR and ESI-MS experiments. The radical scavenging activities of isolated compounds were investigated, by using the TEAC assay. Furthermore quantitative analyses were performed by LC-ESI-MS and applied to the comparative profiling of different parts (aerial parts, leaves and stems) of cultivated and wild A.

Association of PON1 and PON2 polymorphisms with PON1 activity and significant coronary stenosis in a Tunisian population.

PON1 and PON2 have attracted considerable attention as candidate genes for coronary heart disease because their enzymes function as key factors in lipoprotein catabolism pathways. We studied the distribution of PON1 and PON2 polymorphisms, including genotyping, lipid profile, and PON1 activity, and their association with PON1 activity and significant coronary stenosis (SCS) in a Tunisian population. PON1 activity was lower in patients with SCS than in controls.

Biological and chemical study of Astragalus gombiformis.

Extracts of aerial parts and roots of wild Astragalus gombiformis Pomel were tested for their antibacterial, antioxidant, and insecticidal activities and contents of phenolic compounds. Antibacterial activity was tested by the paper disk agar diffusion method and determination of the minimal inhibitor concentration. Among the tested extracts, three extracts (methanol, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) from aerial parts and two extracts (water, methanol) from roots exhibited diameters of inhibition zone equal or above 12 mm (at 150 microg/ disk) and minimal inhibitor concentrations ranging between 233 and 1250 microg/ml.

In vitro effects of three antidepressant drugs on plasma paraoxonase activity.

Background: Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is important in organophosphates and xenobiotic metabolism and as an antioxidant bio-scavenger. PON1 activity was shown to significantly decrease in depressed patients after antidepressant treatment instauration. Our aim was to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of three antidepressants (imipramine, amitriptyline and fluoxetine) on PON1 activity.

Interference of tobacco smoke with immunochromatography assay for urinary drug detection.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the interference of tobacco smoke on immunochromatography assay of urinary drug detection.

Methods: Our study included 256 voluntary subjects (143 passive smokers and 113 current smokers). Cotinine was measured by immunoenzymatic method and thiocyanates (SCN(-)) by selective electrode.

[Risk of hyperthyroidism in a Tunisian population of smokers].

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of cigarette smoking on thyroid function especially TSH and FT4 levels and to determine the correlation between these parameters and the biological tobacco markers: plasma thiocyanate and cotininuria.

Methods: The initial study was conducted on 300 voluntary subjects, 162 current smokers, 27 former smokers and 111 nonsmokers aged respectively 35.4±16.

[Cannabis use in a central region of Tunisia].

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of cannabis users, their consumption patterns, and effects.

Methods: Our cross-sectional, descriptive study included 205 subjects (191 men, 14 women, mean age = 25.9 ± 7.

Adverse effects of pesticides on biochemical and haematological parameters in Tunisian agricultural workers.

Biomonitoring of effects in agricultural workers is necessary to assess the individual risk of handling pesticides. In this study, biochemical and haematological parameters were measured to evaluate the effects of exposure to these compounds in agricultural workers. The study was carried out in 110 workers and 97 control subjects.

[Pseudocholinesterase activity in type 1 bipolar patients].

This study aims to investigate the variation of pseudocholinesterase activity (BuChE) in bipolar patients and to explore its relation to the clinical and therapeutic characteristics of this disease. Our study included 105 patients with bipolar disorder and 100 control subjects aged 38.7 ± 12.