Developing korean standard for nanomaterial exposure assessment.

Nanotechnology is now applied to many industries, resulting in wide range of nanomaterial-containing products, such as electronic components, cosmetic, medicines, vehicles, and home appliances. Nanoparticles can be released throughout the life cycle of nanoproducts, including the manufacture, consumer use, and disposal, thereby involving workers, consumers, and the environment in potential exposure. However, there is no current consensus on the best sampling method for characterizing manufactured-nanoparticle exposure.

Organic extracts of urban air pollution particulate matter (PM2.5)-induced genotoxicity and oxidative stress in human lung bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells).

Traffic is a major source of particulate matter (PM), and ultrafine particulates and traffic intensity probably contribute significantly to PM-related health effects. As a strong relationship between air pollution and motor vehicle-originated pollutants has been shown to exist, air pollution genotoxicity studies of urban cities are steadily increasing. In Korea, the death rate caused by lung cancer is the most rapidly increased cancer death rate in the past 10 years.

Metabolism of a new herbicide, [(14)c]pyribenzoxim, in rice.

The in vivo metabolism of a new herbicide pyribenzoxim (benzophenone Ο-[2,6-bis(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzoyl]oxime) in rice was carried out using container trials. Two radiolabeled forms of [carbonyl-(14)C]pyribenzoxim (P1) and [ring-(14)C(U)]pyribenzoxim (P2) were treated separately as formulations for foliar treatment by single applications of 50 g of active ingredient (ai)/ha at the 4-6 leaves stage. At 0, 7, 30, and 60 days after treatment (DAT), samples of panicle, foliage/rest of plant, and roots were taken for analysis.

A survey on microorganisms and their sensitivity by E-test in ventilator-associated pneumonia at Toxicological-Intensive Care Unit of Loghman-Hakim Hospital.

Introduction: Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection at ICUs, with high mortality and morbidity. The diagnostic method for VAP is based on the combination of clinical, radiological, and microbiological criteria. Lower respiratory tract culture results are useful to confirm the etiology of VAP and adjusted antibiotics.

Methemoglobinemia in aluminum phosphide poisoning.

Introduction: Acute aluminum phosphide (AlP) poisoning is one of the most common causes of acute pesticide poisoning in Iran. Hydrogen phosphide or phosphine gas is produced following reaction of AlP with water even at ambient humidity. Methemoglobinemia is a rare finding following phosphine poisoning.

Challenges and perspectives of nanoparticle exposure assessment.

Nanoparticle exposure assessment presents a unique challenge in the field of occupational and environmental health. With the commercialization of nanotechnology, exposure usually starts from the workplace and then spreads to environment and consumer exposure. This report discusses the current trends of nanoparticle exposure assessment, including the definition of nanotechnology relevant terms, essential physicochemical properties for nanomaterial characterization, current international activities related nanomaterial safety, and exposure assessment standard development for nanotechnology.

A retrospective 7-years study of aluminum phosphide poisoning in Tehran: opportunities for prevention.

The objective of this study was to survey aluminum phosphide (AIP) poisoning in a referral poisoning hospital in Tehran servicing an estimation of 10,000,000 populations. Records of all patients admitted and hospitalized during a period of 7 years from January 2000 to January 2007 were collected and analyzed according to gender, age, cause of intoxication, amount of AIP consumed, route of exposure, time between exposure and onset of treatment, signs and symptoms of intoxication at admission, therapeutic intervention, laboratory tests, and outcome. During the studied years, 471 patients were admitted to the hospital with AIP poisoning; 50% of them were men.

Spontaneous ignition due to intentional acute aluminum phosphide poisoning.

Background: Acute aluminum phosphide (AlP) poisoning is one of the most common cause of acute pesticide poisoning in Iran. Spontaneous ignition is a rare finding in AlP poisoning.

Objective: To present two cases of fatal AlP poisoning that involved spontaneous ignition.

Dose-independent occurrence of seizure with tramadol.

Introduction: Tramadol, as a centrally-acting, opioid-like analgesic with serotonin reuptake inhibition property, is one of the most prescribed analgesics in the world. We assessed the incidence of seizure, as it is one of the most important adverse effects.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 215 cases of tramadol users or abusers who were admitted to Loghman-Hakim Hospital Poisoning Center (LHHPC) in Tehran during a 5-month period, from April 2007 to September 2007, were assessed to evaluate the occurrence of seizure.

Inhibition of 6-hydroxydopamine-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress by l-carnosine in SH-SY5Y cells.

Conditions that cause endoplasmic reticulum malfunction (ER stress) play a key role in the development of various human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases. Carnosine is an endogenous peptide, present in excitable tissues such as brain and skeletal muscle. Although there are reports suggesting that carnosine has a biological role independent of its antioxidant activity, there have been no reports of the effects of carnosine on the ER stress response.

Cefepime/clindamycin vs. ceftriaxone/clindamycin for the empiric treatment of poisoned patients with aspiration pneumonia.

Different antimicrobial treatments have proved to be effective in patients with aspiration pneumonia. However, resistant bacterial strains are commonly observed in hospital settings challenging the empirical treatment of these patients. In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of cefepime/clindamycin and ceftriaxone/clindamycin for empiric therapy of poisoned patients with aspiration pneumonia.

Fatal intoxication with imidacloprid insecticide.

Imidacloprid [1-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmethyl)-N-nitroimidazolidin-2-ylideneamine, CAS 138261-41-3] belongs to a relatively new class of insecticidal chemistry, the chloronicotinyl neonicotinoid compounds. Animal studies indicate relatively low toxicity to mammals. Despite wide usage in some countries, the understanding of human poisoning is quite limited.

Unintentional poisoning by phosphine released from aluminum phosphide.

Aluminum phosphide as a releaser of phosphine gas is used as a grain preservative. In this case report, we describe an accidental severe poisoning in a 35-year-old woman, her 18-year-old daughter, and 6-year-old son caused by inhalation of phosphine gas released from 20 tablets of aluminum phosphide stored in 15 rice bags. The boy died 2 days after exposure before admission to hospital and any special treatment, but the others were admitted 48 h after exposure.

On the mechanisms underlying poisoning-induced rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.

ABSTRACT The clinical syndrome of rhabdomyolysis is caused by injury of skeletal muscles resulting in release of intracellular muscle constituents. Drug poisoning is one of the causes of severe rhabdomyolysis. Severe electrolyte disorders and acute renal failure may occur in rhabdomyolysis, leading to life-threatening situations.

Pattern of acute poisoning in Tehran-Iran in 2003.

To characterize the poisoning cases admitted to the Loghman-Hakim Hospital Poison Center (a teaching reference hospital of poisoning) in Tehran, Iran. All admitted acutely poisoned patients from January to December 2003 were evaluated retrospectively. Information of socio-demographic characteristics, agents and cause of poisoning, and the mortality rate were collected from medical records of the hospital.

Rhabdomyolysis among acute human poisoning cases.

Rhabdomyolysis is a clinical and biochemical syndrome occurring when skeletal muscle cells erupt and result in release of creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and myoglobin into the interstitial space and plasma. Mechanical trauma, compression, excessive muscle activity and ischemia are frequent causes, but non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis is usually caused by a toxic reaction to drugs. In this study, 181 patients suspected of rhabdomyolysis were admitted to the poisoning center of Loghman-Hakim Hospital in Tehran during one year (September 2004 to September 2005) were studied.

A simplified acute physiology score in the prediction of acute organophosphate poisoning outcome in an intensive care unit.

Organophosphate poisoning (OPP) occurs frequently and accounts for a large number of intoxication cases treated in intensive care units (ICU). Poisoning by these agents is a serious public health problem. Among pesticides, OPs are the main cause of poisoning and death in Loghman-Hakim Poison Center of Tehran, Iran.

Lack of carcinogenicity of lyophilized Agaricus blazei Murill in a F344 rat two year bioassay.

The Brazilian mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill has antimutagenic, antioxidant, immunostimulatory and antitumorigenic activities, and is increasingly consumed as a health food worldwide. We undertook the present study to evaluate the chronic toxicity and oncogenicity of A. blazei Murill in F344 rats.

The prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infections in non-IV drug opioid poisoned patients in Tehran-Iran.

The present study intends to look into the prevalence of these infections in the non-IVdrug abusing addicts whom were treated at our center. A pilot study was conducted on 20 patients who were admitted in poisoning center of Loghman-Hakim Hospital in Tehran due to non-IV drug overdose. One positive HIV antibody and one positive HBS antigen cases were found in this group.

Protective Effects of alpha-Tocopherol and N-Acetyl-Cysteine on Diazinon-Induced Oxidative Stress and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition in Rats.

ABSTRACT Diazinon, an organophosphate (OP) insecticide, is widely used in agriculture and domestically. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by OPs are involved in the toxicity of various pesticides. The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of diazinon in inducing oxidative stress in adult male Wistar rats and to evaluate the possible protective effects of alpha-tocopherol (TPH) and the glutathione prodrug N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) after 4 weeks of exposure to a sublethal dose of diazinon.

A case report of opium body packer; review of the treatment protocols and mechanisms of poisoning.

ABSTRACT Body packers are people who illegally carry drugs, mostly cocaine as well as opium and/or heroin, concealed within their bodies. The packets are inserted in the mouth, rectum, or vagina in order to get across borders without being detected. In this presentation we report a case of an opium body packer and review the available scientific literature by focusing on mechanisms of toxicity and treatment approach.

Practical threshold for micronucleated reticulocyte induction observed for low doses of mitomycin C, Ara-C and colchicine.

Micronucleus induction was studied for the DNA target clastogens mitomycin C (MMC) and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (Ara-C), and also the non-DNA target aneugen colchicine (COL) in order to evaluate the dose-response relationship at very low dose levels. The acridine orange (AO) supravital staining method was used for microscopy and the anti-CD71-FITC based method was used for flow cytometric analysis. In the AO method, 2000 reticulocytes were analysed as commonly advised, but in the flow cytometric method, 2000, 20,000, 200,000 and 1,000,000 reticulocytes were analysed for each sample to increase the detecting power (i.

[Effect of recipes replenishing qi and activating blood on cell proliferation and apoptosis in the liver of aging rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of recipes replenishing qi and activating blood on cell proliferation and apoptosis in the liver of natural aging rats.

Methods: Natural aging rats were under administration of recipes replenishing qi or activating blood for 4 months. The liver of the rats was prepared into cell suspension for determination of cell proliferation and apoptosis with PI-staining and flow cytometer.

Effects of a novel organophosphorus pesticide (RPR-V) on extra hepatic detoxifying enzymes after repeated oral doses in rats.

The effects of a novel organophosphorous pesticide, 2-butenoic acid-3-(diethoxy phosphinothionyl) ethyl ester (RPR-V) on glutathione S-transferases (GST), UDP-glucuronyl transferases (UDPGT) and the level of glutathione (GSH) were evaluated in rats after repeated oral administration at 33 microg kg(-1)day(-1) (low), 66 microg kg(-1)day(-1) (mid) and 99 microg kg(-1)day(-1) (high) for 90 days and at 28 days (withdrawal) post-treatment. GSH level and GST in kidney; GSH level in brain decreased significantly at mid and high doses on 45th and 90th day (P < 0.05).