Health behaviours and socio-economic status in Ontario, Canada

Data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey were used to investigate the association of socio-economic status with the likelihood of meeting current recommendations for four health behaviours (smoking, fat intake, alcohol consumption, and physical activity level) in adults living in Ontario (Canada). Health behaviours were categorised as unhealthy if they did not meet current recommendations in Ontario (smoking, fat intake < 30% of dietary energy, alcohol intake < 14 units per week, low level of leisure-time physical activity). Two summary variables based on the number ofÔ unhealthyÕ behaviours were also examined: the crude number of unhealthy behaviours reported and the likelihood of reporting 3 or 4 unhealthy behaviours. Four measures of socio-economic status were used: educational achievement, household income status, source of household income, and occupational prestige. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to explore the association of each unhealthy behaviour and of the summary variables with socio-economic status indicators (taken independently or simultaneously), controlling for demographic characteristics. Except for the positive relationship between income status and high alcohol intake, measures of unhealthy behaviours were inversely associated with the socio-economic indices, suggesting that individuals in lower socio-economic groups are at an increased risk for health problems.     

Toxicity and persistence of low-level PCB in adult wistar rats,fetuses, and young

Aroclor 1254 was fed to female and male rats daily for 9 weeks at a dose of 6.4 mg/kg in their drinking water. Control animals received plain tap water plus the emulsifier (0.15% Tween 80). Elevated mixed function oxidase (MFO) activity appeared to be due to 2,4,5,2,4,5- and 2,4,5,234-hexachlorobiphenyls, since only these compounds were present to any degree in the tissues of the animals when MFO activity persisted after termination of exposure. The placenta apparently is an effective barrier to PCB transfer.We also appreciate the advice, help, and facilities furnished by Dr. Melvin K. Abelseth, Director, Laboratories for Veterinary Science, New York State Department of Health.     

Effect of long-term feeding of DDT to turkeys

Summary Diets containing 264.6 ppm o,p- or p,p-DDT were fed to 6-week-old male and female turkeys for 7 and 15 weeks. Such chronic feeding of DDT did not cause alterations of: Blood pressure; gross structure of body tissues; histology of heart, aorta, liver, testes, oviduct, ovary, thyroid, or kidney; plasma cholesterol or calcium levels; albumin-globulin ratio; or plasma lipoprotein patterns. The residue of DDT in body fat was determined. Trace amounts were found in birds fed the control diet. Minute quantities of o,p-DDT and large amounts of p,p-DDT were found in fat of turkeys fed p,p-DDT, and the converse was true of turkeys fed o,p-DDT.     

Toxicity of explosives and related compounds to the luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri NRRL-B-11177

Aqueous samples containing various explosives, their reduced metabolites, as well as related compounds were subjected to the luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri NRRL-B-11177 to determine their ecotoxicological potential. As the most important parameter, the EC₅₀ values of 24 test compounds were calculated. The EC₅₀ value means the concentration of a chemical compound that is needed to reduce bacterial luminescence by 50%. According to the widely accepted classification scheme of Strupp et al. (1990) and in consideration of an incubation period of 30 min (Deutsche Einheits verfahren zur Wasser-, Abwasser-, und Schlammuntersuchung-Testverfahren mit Wasserorganismen; Gruppe L; DIN 38412, L34; DEV 1991) TNT, 26DNT, 2A6NT, 4A2NT, 34DNT, TNB, TNBA, TETRYL and HEXYL must be classified in the category very toxic to aquatic organisms; 2A46DNT, 4A26DNT, 24DA6NT, 24DNT, 2A4NT, RDX, HMX and PETN must be classified in the category toxic to aquatic organisms; and 26DA4NT, TAT, TNPh, 26DAT, 24DAT, HMT and NQ can be classified in the category less toxic to aquatic organisms. EC₅₀ values after 30, 60, and 90 min of incubation of the test compounds are presented and discussed. For many of the compounds tested in this study, there are no, or only a few, toxicological data in the literature available.Abbreviations TNT 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene - 2A46DNT 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene - 4A26DNT 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene - 24DA6NT 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene - 26DA4NT 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene - TAT 2,4,6-triaminotoluene - TNBA 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid - TNPh 2,4,6-trinitrophenol; picric acid - TNB 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene - 26DNT 2,6-dinitrotoluene - 2A6NT 2-amino-6-nitrotoluene - 26DAT 2,6-diaminotoluene - 24DNT 2,4-dinitrotoluene - 2A4NT 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene - 4A2NT 4-amino-2-nitrotoluene - 24DAT 2,4-diaminotoluene - 34DNT 3,4-dinitrotoluene - RDX hexogen; cyclo-1,3,5-trimethylene-2,4,6-trinitramine - HMX octogen;cyclo-1,3,5,7-tetramethylene-2,4,6,8-tetranitramine - HMT hexamethylenetetramine - PETN pentaerythritol tetranitrate - NQ nitroguanidine - TETRYL 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-N-methylnitramine - HEXYL 2,2,4,4,6,6-hexanitrodiphenylamine     

Seasonal variation in consumption and plasma concentrations of fatty acids in Japanese female dietitians

Objective: To study seasonal variation in intake and plasma concentrations of fatty acids (FAs) in Japanese female dietitians. Subjects and methods: We assessed consumption of FAs based on four season 7 consecutive day weighed diet records from 71 Japanese female dietitians in 1996–1997. Using overnight fasting venous blood, plasma concentrations of FAs were analyzed by gas chromatography. Seasonal variation in consumption and plasma concentrations was examined by ANOVA for repeated values, followed by Tukey's multiple t-test. We calculated Spearman's partial rank correlation coefficients (CCs) between intake and plasma concentrations of FAs. Furthermore, we computed inter-seasonal Spearman's partial rank CCs for consumption and plasma concentrations of FAs. Results: Statistically significant seasonal differences were observed in consumption for most FAs, except for myristic acid, monounsaturated FAs, oleic acid, n-6 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs), linoleic acid, -linolenic acid, -linolenic acid, PUFAs/saturated FAs, and n-6 PUFAs/n-3 PUFAs, and for most plasma concentrations, except for stearic acid, -linolenic acid, n-3 PUFAs, -linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and n-3 highly unsaturated FAs (HUFAs). However, statistically significant Spearman's partial rank CCs between intake and plasma concentrations were observed for EPA, DHA, n-3 HUFAs, n-6 PUFAs/n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs/n-3 HUFAs for almost all seasons. Conclusions: Seasonal variation exists in consumption and plasma concentrations of FAs, so that this should be taken into account in epidemiological analyses, including case–control and cohort studies.     

Testicular abnormalities in cod (Gadus morhua) fed Aroclor 1254

Cod were fed herring containing Aroclor 1254^®, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), at diet levels of 0, 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50g/g for a period of 5 1/2 months. Histological examinations of the gonads of surviving male fish revealed various testicular abnormalities in 9 of 17 PCB-fed fish but in none of four experimental control and four stock control fish. The abnormalities were observed in testes that were either at functional maturity or in a stage of rapid spermatogenic proliferation but not in testes that were sexually immature or regressed. The testicular abnormalities included disorganization of lobules and spermatogenic elements, inhibition of spermatogenesis, fibrosis of lobule walls, fatty necrosis, and, in one case, total disintegration of the elements in many lobules. There was a significant uptake of PCB by testicular and liver tissues of fish that were fed the higher levels (> 1g/g) of Aroclor 1254.     

Toxicity of mercury,copper, nickel,lead, and cobalt to embryos and larvae of zebrafish,Brachydanio rerio

The toxicity of mercury (HgCl₂), copper (CuCl₂: 5 H₂O), nickel (NiSO₄: 6 H₂O), lead (Pb(CH₃COO)₂: 3 H₂O) and cobalt (CoCl₂: 6 H₂O) was studied under standardized conditions in embryos and larvae of the zebrafish,Brachydanio rerio. Exposures were started at the blastula stage (2–4 h after spawning) and the effects on hatching and survival were monitored daily for 16 days. Copper and nickel were more specific inhibitors of hatching than cobalt, lead, and mercury. Nominal no effect concentrations determined from the dose-response relationships (ZEPs, Zero Equivalent Points) for effect on hatching time were 0.05 g Cu/L, 10 g Hg/L, 20 g Pb/L, 40 g Ni/L and 3,840 g Co/L, and those for effect on survival time were 0.25 g Cu/L, 1.2 g Hg/L, 30 g Pb/L, 80 g Ni/L, and 60 g Co/L. The no effect concentrations for Ni, Hg and Pb are consistent with previously reported MATC values for sensitive species of fish. The no effect concentrations for copper are 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than previously reported values. The major reason for the latter discrepancy was considered to be the absence of organics that can complex copper ions in the reconstituted water that we used, which had a hardness of 100 mg/L (as CaCO₃) and a pH of 7.5–7.7. Unexposed controls were started with embryos from different parental zebrafishes and the parental-caused variability in early embryo mortality, median hatching time and median survival time were estimated.     

Congener-specific data on polychlorinated biphenyls in tissues of common porpoise from Puck Bay,Baltic Sea

Individual congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including the highly toxic non-ortho coplanar 3,3,4,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 77), 3,3,4,4,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 126), and 3,3,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 169), and their mono- and di-ortho analogs, have been identified and quantified in the blubber, liver, and muscles of three female common porpoise Phocoena phocoena collected from the Puck Bay (inner Gulf of Gdask, Poland) in 1989–1990, to elucidate actual concentrations and toxic potential. The total 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalent for 13 coplanar PCBs in blubber was 1,500±470 pg/g wet wt. 2,3,4,4,5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 118) was the most contributing individual and occupied between 57 and 67% in total toxic equivalent of coplanar PCBs in blubber, while 2,2,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 153), 2,3,3,4,4-pentachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 105) and 2,2,3,4,4,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 138) comprised between 9.5–14, 7.6–11.5, and 7.2–11.0%, respectively (totally 82–95%), and 2,3,3,4,4,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 156) was absent. A potentially most toxic non-ortho PCB members such as 3,3,4,4,5-pentachlorobiphenyl, 3,3,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl and 3,3,4,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl were only minor contributors, altogether occupying between 1.0 and 14.5% in total TEQ of coplanar PCBs. Concentrations of total PCBs in lipids of the blubber ranged from 26 to 47 g/g and were comparable or lower than reported earlier for common porpoises from the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and North Atlantic by other authors.     

The effects of poly chlorinated biphenyls and methylmercury,singly and in combination on mink. II: Reproduction and kit development

Adult ranch-bred mink (Mustela vison) were fed diets containing either 0, 1.0 g/g polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) (Aroclor^® 1254), 1.0 g/g methylmercury (MeHg), a combination of 1.0 g/g PCB plus 1.0 g/g MeHg, or 0.5 g/g PCB plus 0.5 g/g MeHg. Fertility of adult male mink, percentage of females whelped or number of kits born per female were not affected by the treatments. However, growth rate of kits nursed by mothers exposed to 1.0 g/g PCB was significantly reduced. There was a synergistic effect of PCB and MeHg which reduced kit survival in groups receiving both chemicals simultaneously. Kit survival to weaning in the control, 0.5 g/g PCB/MeHg, and 1.0 g/g PCB/MeHg groups was 72.0%, 62.7% and 35.8%, respectively. The results suggest that growth and survival of mink kits are adversely affected at dietary levels of PCB and MeHg currently present in some environments.     

Increase in the amount of erythrocyte δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in workers with moderate lead exposure

Summary The amount of ALA-D in human erythrocytes was determined directly by radioimmunoassay or calculated from the restored activity assayed in the presence of zinc and dithiothreitol, and a good correlation was observed between the RIA-based and the restored activity-based amounts.The RIA-based amount of ALA-D in the blood of 10 normal individuals (blood lead levels of 5.6 ± 2.3 g/100 ml: mean ± SD) and 19 lead-exposed workers (blood lead levels of 41.2 ± 10.2 g/100 ml) was 54.1 ± 11.8 g/ml blood and 92.3 ± 20.6 g/ml blood, respectively, indicating an apparent increase of the enzyme amount in lead-exposed workers.A significant increase in the amount of erythrocyte ALA-D calculated from the restored activity in lead-exposed workers was observed even in the low blood lead level of 10–20 g/100 ml, resulting in the range of blood lead level 20–40 g/100 ml. No significant difference was observed in hematocrit and hemoglobin content between lead-exposed and non-exposed groups. These observations suggested that the increase of erythrocyte ALA-D in lead exposure was not due to anemia, which might result in the increase of young erythrocytes in peripheral blood.This increase in the amount of ALA-D in human erythrocytes might be a result of the function to overcome the inhibition of the enzyme in bone marrow cells during lead exposure, and these findings may throw light on the danger to human health of low-level lead toxicity.Abbreviations ALA-D -Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase or 5-Amnoevulinic acid hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.24 - ALA -Aminolevulinic acid - Rc Reticulocyte - RIA Radioimmunoassay - DTT Dithiothreitol Supported in parts by Science Research Fund of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan and by Research Grant of Fujiwara Foundation of Kyoto University     

Inter and intea-observer variation in ultrasonographic detection of gallstones: The Multicenter Italian Study on Epidemiology of Cholelithiasis (M.I.COL.)

Inter and intea-observer agreement in classifying the presence of gallstones by ultrasonographic images according to established criteria was studied. A film recording of 50 routine ultrasonographic examinations of the gallbladder was read by each of the 46 observers who participated in the Multicenter Italian Study on Epidemiology of Cholelithiasis (M.I.COL.). The overall Kappa score for inter-observer agreement was 0.649, while intea-observer agreement was good or excellent (Kappa scores >0.60) in 75% of the observers. No statistical difference for inter-observer agreement between novices and expert echographers was found in the overall Kappa statistic or in category-specific Kappa scores (gallstone, no gallstone, doubtful and inconclusive examinations) The present study suggests that the development of explicit criteria by a group of trained echographers does not eliminate inter-and intea-observer disagreement in categorizing subjects for gallbladder stones. M.I.COL. (Multicentrica Italiana Colelitiasi).Corresponding author.See appendix.     

Residues of p,p′-DDE and mercury in lake trout as a function of age

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) of known age from 1 to 12 years were taken from Cayuga Lake in central New York State in 1991 and p,p-DDE and mercury were determined in their flesh. The concentrations of p,p-DDE and mercury increased significantly (p<0.001) with increasing age of the fish. The concentration of p,p-DDE also increased significantly (p<0.001) with increasing fat content. The concentrations of p,p-DDE were much lower than those found in Cayuga Lake trout of similar age captured in 1978.     

Symptomatology and psychological aspects of male sexual inadequacy: Results of an experimental study

Forty-two male patients and their sexual partners were studied. Sixteen of the patients had psychogenic erectile failure (eight each with the primary and secondary forms), 16 were premature ejaculators, and 10 had diabetes-related impotence. Because of the higher mean age of the diabetics, two control groups were used, an age-matched older group (eight healthy males and their partners) and an age-matched younger group (16 healthy males and their partners). The results for the various groups on a semistandardized interview about sexual behavior and on five psychological assessment scales were compared. Of the 88 questions on the semi-standardized interview, 11 permitted assignment of the patients to the correct group. The diabetics suffered from prevailing erectile impotence. They viewed themselves as being less disturbed sexually than the other patients did, although on the basis of their symptoms their impotence was actually more severe. The patients with psychogenic erectile impotence had a situational sexual disorder in which sexual anxiety played an important role. They viewed themselves as more insecure than the diabetics and the controls and they overidealized their partners and mothers. There appear to be two subgroups of premature ejaculators: The E₁ group of patients seemed to be less neurotic than the E₂ group. On the psychological measures the latter was quite similar to the group of patients with psychogenic erectile impotence. All patient groups except E₁ were significantly more depressed than the control groups.     

Short-term exposure of zooplankton to the synthetic pyrethroid,fenvalerate, and its effects on rates of filtration and assimilation of the alga,Chlamydomonas reinhardii

In acute tests of toxicity, two cladocerans,Daphnia galeata mendotae andCeriodaphnia lacustris, and the calanoid,Diaptomus oregonensis, were more sensitive to fenvalerate thanDaphnia magna, the organism used in standard laboratory bioassays. The 48-hr EC₅₀s for each species/stage in order of increasing sensitivity were adultD. magna — 2.52 g/L;D. magna (48-hr old) — 0.83 g/L; adultD. galeata mendotae — 0.29 g/L; adultC. lacustris — 0.21 g/L;D. galeata mendotae (48-hr old) — 0.16 g/L; adultDiaptomus oregonensis — –0.12 g/L. No toxicity was observed when these organisms were exposed to a range of concentrations of the emulsifiable concentrate without fenvalerate (the EC blank).Rates of filtration of the¹⁴C-labelled alga,Chlamydomonas reinhardii byD. galeata mendotae, C. lacustris andD. oregonensis were decreased significantly at sublethal concentrations of fenvalerate after only 24-hr exposure.Ceriodaphnia lacustris showed the greatest sensitivity with rates of filtration significantly decreased at 0.01 g fenvalerate/ L. Concentrations of fenvalerate 0.05 g/L resulted in decreased rates of filtration byD. galeata mendotae. A concentration of 0.10 g fenvalerate/ L caused rates of filtration to increase inD. oregonensis. whereas 0.05 and 0.5 g/L resulted in a decrease in these rates.Rates of assimilation of algae byD. galeata mendotae, C. lacustris andD. oregonensis exposed to similar concentrations of fenvalerate were decreased at concentrations 0.05 g fenvalerate/L. Changes in rates of assimilation were not as sensitive a parameter of toxicity as changes in rates of filtration. The EC blank had no significant effects on rates of filtration or assimilation for all three species.     

Lipid, protein, and calorie content of different Atlantic and Mediterranean fish, shellfish, and molluscs commonly eaten in the south of Spain

We undertook a systematic evaluation of the lipid, protein, calorie, and fatty acid composition in 35 species of fish, shellfish and molluscs commonly consumed throughout the four seasons of the year in Andalusia, Spain. Using a portion of muscle tissue the following were measured in each study unit: total lipids (extraction using Folch's method and gravimetry), protein concentration (Kjehldal's method), total calories (direct calorimetry), and composition of fatty acids (gas chromatography). The lipid, protein, and different fatty acid concentrations found are presented in table form. There was a high degree of inter-species variability in the concentration of lipids and the various fatty acids. There was also a high degree of intra-species seasonal variability in some cases. The relative proportion of fatty acids was not independent of the total concentration of lipids, independently of the season studied. This systematic study of a large group of species shows that the cataloguing of fish as white or blue depends especially on the time of year they are captured. For example, in spring the mackerel (Scomber scombrus), a fish considered traditionally to be blue (fatty), has the same lipid concentration as the dover sole (Solea vulgaris), commonly considered to be white (little fat), and the sea pike (Merluccius merluccius) has a higher lipid concentration in autumn than the jack mackerel (Trachurus trachurus). Even greater differences existed when the fish were classified according to their richness in n-3 fatty acids. These differences in the total lipid concentration and the composition of fatty acids, as well as the inter-relations between them, may, under certain circumstances, be important for the calculation of dietary calories and nutritional values, and may explain the differences found between the various tables of food composition, as well as the divergent results in epidemiological studies on the association between fish in diets and various diseases, such as diabetes or ischaemic cardiopathy.     

Long chain polyunsaturate supplementation does not induce excess lipid peroxidation of piglet tissues

Summary. Background: Addition of highly polyunsaturated fatty acids to infant formulas raises the possibility of increased lipid peroxidation. Aim of the study: We determined the effects of increasing levels of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) on lipid peroxidation and peroxidative potential in piglet tissues. Methods: Four groups of piglets (n = 6) were bottle-fed a formula containing one of four treatments: no long chain fatty acid (Diet 0) and three different levels of DHA/AA at 1-fold (0.3 %/0.6% FA; Diet 1) 2-fold (0.6 %/1.2% FA; Diet 2) and 5-fold (1.5%/3% FA; Diet 5) concentration used in some human infant formulas, and all with equal amount of vitamin E (5.7 IU/ 100 kcal formula) for four weeks. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in conjugated diene and glutathione (GSH) levels in the liver, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) in plasma. TBARS levels of the erythrocyte membranes increased in a dose-dependent manner when in vitro oxidation was induced with 10 mM hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) for 30 minutes. The TBARS levels of the liver homogenates of the Diet 5 and Diet 2 groups were significantly different than those of the membranes of the Diet 0 group when the in vitro oxidation was induced with H₂O₂. Conclusion: The results show that dietary vitamin E effectively prevented lipid peroxidation at the LCP concentrations investigated and suggest that levels presently in infant formulas are sufficient.AA arachidonic acid - DHA docosahexaenoic acid - EPA eicosapentaenoic acid - GSH glutathione - LCP (C 20) long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids - PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acid - RBC red blood cells - SCO single-cell oil - TBARS thiobarbituric acid reactive substances     

Toxicity of seleno-L-methionine, seleno-DL-methionine, high selenium wheat, and selenized yeast to mallard ducklings

The toxicity of four chemical forms of selenium (seleno-L-methionine, seleno-DL-methionine, selenized yeast, and high selenium wheat) was compared in day-old mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos). In the first experiment, in which the basal diet was 75% wheat, survival after 2 weeks was lower for ducklings fed 30 g/g selenium as seleno-L-methionine (36%) than for ducklings fed 30 g/g selenium as seleno-DL-methionine (100%) or 30 g/g selenium from high selenium yeast (88%). The concentration of selenium at 2 weeks in the livers of survivors was similar for ducklings fed 15 g/g selenium as seleno-DL-methionine (12 g/g, wet weight), seleno-L-methionine (11 g/g), and high selenium wheat (11 g/g), but was lower when the selenium came from selenized yeast (6.2 g/g). When fed 30 g/g selenium from the various sources, the selenium concentrations in liver were 20 g/g for seleno-DL-methionine, 19 g/g for seleno-L-methionine, and 9.9 g/g for selenized yeast. In a second experiment, in which the basal diet was a commercial duck feed, survival after 2 weeks was 100% in ducklings fed 30 g/g selenium as seleno-DL-methionine, seleno-L-methionine, or selenized yeast. Selenium concentrations in liver were similar for ducklings fed the 30-g/g selenium diets as the DL or L forms of selenomethionine (27 and 25 g/g), but lower for ducklings fed selenized yeast (13 g/g). The greater toxicity of the L form of selenomethionine was probably related to the palatability or nutritional nature of the wheat-based diet used in experiment 1, but the exact reason for the difference between the DL and L forms is unknown. Biologically incorporated selenium, derived from high selenium wheat, was no more toxic than selenium derived from the two purified forms of selenomethionine, and the selenium in selenized yeast was not as toxic as that in the two forms of selenomethionine.     

Cardiovascular prevention in the community: the plurisectorial program of the canton of Tessin

Summary It describes the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases carried out in Tessin (Italian-speaking Switzerland). Every single action is adressed to the entire population, activelyinvolving professional associations (doctors), pharmacists, nurses, shop-keepers, etc.) and making use in particular of the collaboration of the mass-media (daily press, radio, television). The described actions concern the struggle against the cardiovascular risk factors through the daily diffusion of tv advertisements, free measurement of arterial pressure, and the possibility of disposing in the majority of regional restaurants of a Health menu with a low content of saturated fats and cholesterol. In 1984 every citizen of Tessin has been reached by an average of 24 preventive messages.

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Riassunto E' descritto il programma di prevenzione primaria contro le malattie cardiovascolari attuata nel Canton Ticino (Svizzera). Le singole azioni si rivolgono a tutta la popolazione, coinvolgendo attivamente associazioni professionali (medici, farmacisti, infermieri, esercenti, ecc.) e si avvalgono soprattutto della collaborazione dei mass-media (stampa quotidiana, radio, e televisione). Le azioni descritte concernono la lotta ai fattori di rischio cardiovascolari tramite la diffusione quotidiana di spots pubblicitari televisivi, la misurazione gratuita della pressione arteriosa e la possibilità di disporre nel più gran numero di ristoranti del Cantone di un Piatto della Salute con un basso contenuto di grassi saturi e di colesterolo. Ogni abitante del Cantone é stato in media raggiunto nel corso del 1984 da 24 messaggi preventivi.

     

Effect of fatty acids on expression of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules

Summary.Background: With respect to linoleic acid both beneficial and proatherogenic effects have been described. However, the effect on expression of cell adhesion molecules on human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) is not yet established. The aim of the experiments was to evaluate the influence of linoleic acid in comparison with palmitic acid regarding the cytokine-induced expression of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules (intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 ICAM-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 VCAM-1, E-selectin).Methods: HCAEC were cultured in microvascular endothelial cell growth medium. In the experiments, the cells were preincubated with linoleic acid and palmitic acid, respectively (10 µmol/l, 2 days) or under control conditions, after which interleukin- 1 (IL-1, 10 ng/ml in the test medium) was added for 1 day. The monoclonal antibodies used were fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)- labeled anti-ICAM-1, FITC-labeled anti-VCAM-1, and FITC-labeled anti-E-selectin. Expression was analyzed by flow cytofluorimetry. Next, to examine the effects of fatty acids on adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells, adhesion experiments with the monocytic U 937 cell line were performed.Results and conclusions: IL-1 increased ICAM-1,VCAM-1, and E-selectin expression compared to controls. Incubation with IL-1 together with linoleic acid reduced the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in contrast to palmitic acid. Furthermore, in the presence of linoleic acid a tendency of diminished adhesion of monocytes is seen.The results indicate that a reduced expression of cell adhesion molecules may be relevant to the antiatherogenic effects of linoleic acid. This is in contrast to the properties of palmitic acid.     

Occupational exposure to hexachlorocyclohexane

Summary In a lindane (-hexachlorocyclohexane =-benzenehexachloride)-producing factory 57 workers were studied with regard to their blood levels of the three hexachlorocyclohexane isomers:-, -, and-HCH. The TLV-TWA (MAK value 1979) for-HCH of 0.5 mg/m³ was not exceeded at any of the workplaces where HCH is synthesized and purified to lindane. Additionally, in some of the workers samples of s.c. adipose tissue were taken for determination of HCH-isomer content. An external group of 20 clerks was examined in the same way for control purposes.In contrast to the control persons, none of whom had HCH-concentrations in serum above the respective detection limits, the values determined in serum of the exposed workers were in the following ranges:-HCH: 10–273 g/l,-HCH: 17–760 g/l, and-HCH: 5-188 g/l. Of special interest is the observation of a significant increase of-HCH-concentration in serum with the time of employment in lindane production, indicating a pronounced accumulation of this substance in the human organism. Concentrations of this isomer in s.c. adipose tissues were about 300-fold higher than in serum. A significant correlation between both parameters could be established.The results of this study show that adherence to the TLV-TWA of-HCH is not sufficient for control of HCH-exposure. Furthermore, biological monitoring of exposed workers is necessary taking into account the three more important isomers-, -, and-HCH.