Safety evaluation of metal exposure from commonly used moisturizing and skin-lightening creams in Nigeria

The concentrations of ten metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Zn and Al) were measured in some commonly used moisturizing and skin-lightening creams in Nigeria with a view to providing information on the risk of exposure to metals from the use of these products. The metal concentrations in these products were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry after acid digestion of the samples. The measured concentrations of metals in the skin moisturizing creams ranged from <0.15 to 6.3 μg/g Cd, <0.02 to 17.5 μg/g Cu, 2.25 to 6.25 μg/g Cr, <0.25 to 124.3 μg/g Al, 0.2 to 7.3 μg/g Pb, <0.03 to 10.7 μg/g Ni, 17.3 to 372.0 μg/g Zn, <0.02 to 1.0 μg/g Co, 17.75 to 28.8 μg/g Mn, <0.1 to 89.8 μg/g Fe while the concentrations of metals in the skin-lightening products ranged from <0.15 to 16.5 μg/g Cd, <0.02 to 10.0 μg/g Cu, 4.25 to 8.0 μg/g Cr, <0.25 to 128.0 μg/g Al, 0.5 to 4.5 μg/g Pb, <0.03 to 1.65 μg/g Ni, 24.7 to 267.5 μg/g Zn, <0.02 to 2.5 μg/g for Co, 19.3 to 31.8 μg/g Mn, 9.5 to 211.63 μg/g Fe. In a significant number (>93%) of the samples investigated the concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni and Co were below the specified limit, or the maximal limit for impurities in colour additives in cosmetics for external use. However, Cr was found at concentrations above the allergenic limit of 1 μg/g. The results also showed that skin-lightening creams contained higher concentrations of the studied metals than the moisturizing creams, except for Ni, which indicates that persons who uses skin-lightening creams in preference to moisturizing ones, are exposed to higher concentrations of metals.     

Protective effect of gastrodin on bile duct ligation-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats

Gastrodin has been showed to possess many beneficial physiological functions, including protection against inflammation and oxidation and apoptosis. Studies showed inflammation and oxidation play important roles in producing liver damage and initiating hepatic fibrogenesis. However, it has not been reported whether gastrodin has a protective effect against hepatic fibrosis or not. This is first ever made attempts to test gastrodin against liver fibrosis in bile duct ligation (BDL) rats. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of gastrodin on BDL-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. BDL rats were divided into two groups, BDL alone group, and BDL-gastrodin group treated with gastrodin (5 mg/ml in drinking water). The effects of gastrodin on BDL-induced hepatic injury and fibrosis in rats were estimated by assessing serum, urine, bile and liver tissue biochemistry followed by liver histopathology (using hematoxylin & eosin and sirius red stain) and hydroxyproline content measurement. The results showed that gastrodin treatment significantly reduced collagen content, bile duct proliferation and parenchymal necrosis after BDL. The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) decreased with gastrodin treatment by 15.1 and 23.6 percent respectively in comparison to BDL group did not receive gastrodin. Gastrodin also significantly increased the level of serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) by 62.5 percent and down-regulated the elevated urine total bilirubin (TBIL) by 56.5 percent, but had no effect on total bile acid (TBA) in serum, bile and liver tissues. The immunohistochemical assay showed gastrodin remarkably reduced the expressions of CD68 and NF-κB in BDL rats. Hepatic SOD levels, depressed by BDL, were also increased by gastrodin by 8.4 percent. In addition, the increases of hepatic MDA and NO levels in BDL rats were attenuated by gastrodin by 31.3 and 38.7 percent separately. Our results indicate that gastrodin significantly attenuated the severity of BDL-induced hepatic injury and fibrosis by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation. Taken together, these findings suggest that gastrodin might be an effective antifibrotic drug in cholestatic liver disease.     

藤草煎治疗脑出血卒中后抑郁39例临床观察

目的探讨藤草煎治疗脑出血后抑郁的疗效。方法选取脑出血合并抑郁患者72例,随机分为对照组和治疗组,对照组给予氟哌噻吨美利曲辛治疗,治疗组给予藤草煎汤剂口服,分别于入选时、治疗3个月时采用神经功能缺损评分(NIHSS)和汉密尔顿抑郁量表(HAMD)进行评价。结果治疗3个月时2组患者NIHSS评分和HAMD评分与治疗前比较均明显降低(P<0.05);治疗组NIHSS评分优于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),HAMD评分与对照组比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论藤草煎治疗脑出血后抑郁具有明显的临床疗效。     

Seedless preparation of Au nanorods by hydroquinone assistant and red blood cell membrane camouflage

Au nanorods (AuNRs) have attracted extensive attention in diagnosis and therapy, because of their excellent photothermal effects. Although many of attempts have been employed to prepare AuNRs with a good-size monodispersity, facile and feasible preparation methods are still welcomed in consideration of theranostics-related photothermal applications. In this work, AuNRs are prepared through a seedless method using hydroquinone as the reductant. The longitudinal located surface plasmon resonance peak of the as-prepared AuNRs can be tuned from 650 to 840 nm and the AuNRs indicate a good photothermal conversion efficiency. To lower the toxicity, natural red blood cell membranes are employed to coat the AuNRs. In the primary experiment in vitro, red blood cell membrane-coated AuNRs exhibit good biocompatibility and photothermal treatment effect.

Natural red blood cell membranes camouflaged Au nanorod composites that exhibited an excellent biocompatibility and photothermal ablation effect.     

A new look at osteomyelitis development – Focus on CCR5delta32. Study in patients from Northeast Brazil

IntroductionCCR5 receptor exerts an important role in the host immune response. Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory process and Staphylococcus aureus is the principal causative agent of this bone injury complication. A deletion of 32 bp (CCR5Δ32) in the CCR5 gene seems to protect against HIV-1, S. aureus and other infections. However, the CCR5Δ32 allele has been associated with an increased risk for other diseases.ObjectiveTo investigate the function of CCR5 and to gather data about the relationship of the CCR5Δ32 mutation and the risk of developing osteomyelitis as a complication in patients with bone traumas.MethodsIn a study of 153 patients with bone traumas the presence of the CCRΔ32 mutation was determined by PCR.ResultsIn this study, the CCR5Δ32 allele was present only in the heterozygous form. Osteomyelitis was more frequent in the wild type carriers (94.87%; 37/39) and most of the CCR5Δ32 carriers (87.5%; 14/16) did not present with osteomyelitis.ConclusionThe CCR5Δ32 could be associated with protection against osteomyelitis caused by S. aureus, corroborating the data from Alonzo & Torres study, in which CCR5 receptor is required for S. aureus leukotoxin ED (LukED) cytotoxicity.     

Antithrombotic effect of a novel tissue plasminogen activator from the venom of Gloydius brevicaudus viper

OBJECTIVE To investigate the thrombolytic and antiplatelet effects of a novel plasminogen activator from the venom of Gloydius brevicaudus viper(GBV-PA)in vitro and in vivo.METHODS Thrombolytic experiments were performed in rabbit models of ear vein thrombosis and carotid artery thrombosis,and in dog model of acute cerebral infarction.Inhibition of thrombus formation was evaluated in rat inferior vena cava thrombosis model and ferric chloride-induced arterial thrombosis.In vitro,we assayed the antithrombotic effect of GBV-PA on rabbit blood clots,euglobulin lysis time(ELT)of rabbit plasma,and on ADP-induced platelet aggregation.RESULTS GBV-PA intravenous administ ration significantly reduced vascular recanalization times of rabbit ear veins thrombosis and thrombus weight of rabbit carotid artery thrombosis.The arterial recanalization rates were dose-and time-dependently improved after administration of GBV-PA in canine acute cerebral infarction model.Thrombus length and weight was significantly reduced by GBV-PA both in rat inferior vena cava and ferric chloride-induced arterial thrombosis models.Thrombus formation of blood of rabbits they were administrated with GBV-PA was also inhibited.GBV-PA radically reduced plasma ELT of rabbit′s blood clots.ADP-induced platelet aggregation was inhibited by GBV-PA in a dose-dependent manner with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 19.9μg·mL-1.CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that GBV-PA is a thrombolytic and antiplatelet agent.It has significant antithrombotic effects on various in vitro and in vivo experimental models of thrombosis.The mechanisms that underline its antithrombotic effects were related to GBV-PA′s capabilities of increasing fibrinolytic activities and inhibition of platelet aggregation.     

头孢唑林注射剂致不良反应377例文献分析

目的:探讨头孢唑林注射剂致不良反应(ADR)的一般规律及特点,为临床合理用药提供参考。方法:检索1990-2013年国内发表的有关头孢唑林注射剂致ADR的相关文献,并就收集到的377例ADR信息进行统计与分析。结果:头孢唑林注射剂致ADR与性别无关,多发生于18岁以下患者;用药30 min内可发生ADR,以全身性损害和泌尿系统损害为主,临床表现主要为肾损害、过敏反应及双硫仑样反应;有11例患者死亡,其余患者经对症处理后均恢复正常。结论:头孢唑林注射剂可致严重ADR发生,应加强临床用药监测,完善药品说明书,以提高临床合理用药水平,减少ADR的发生。     

Impact of serum uric acid on subclinical myocardial injury in general population

Background and aimsHyperuricemia is widely thought as a risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI) and all-cause mortality; however, the relation of serum uric acid (sUA) and subclinical myocardial injury (SCeMI) remains unclear. We hypothesize that sUA is associated with subclinical myocardial injury.Methods and resultsA total of 5880 adult individuals (57.9 ± 13.0 years, 54.23% women) without known cardiovascular disease from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III were included. Determined by Cardiac Infarction Injury Score (CIIS) from 12-lead electrocardiogram, SCeMI was defined by CIIS ≥10 units. The relationship between sUA and SCeMI was analyzed by using logistic regression models and the smooth curve fitting. Subgroup analyses were conducted. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the smooth curve fitting revealed a non-linear relationship between sUA level and SCeMI. When sUA was above the inflection point 266.5 μmol/L, each 100 unit increase in sUA increase the risk of SCeMI by 15%. In women group, when sUA>340.3 μmol/L, each 100 unit increase in sUA increase the risk of SCeMI by 71%, but no significant correlation was observed in men group.ConclusionsOur findings confirm that sUA is an independent risk factor for subclinical myocardial injury after adjusting for potential confounding variables, and existence of such an association in women only, which require more random control trials to confirm the strategy of cardiovascular disease prevention based on sUA reduction in female.     

Three new inflammatory markers C reactive protein to albumin ratio,neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio,and platelet to lymphocyte ratio correlated with relapsing polychondritis disease activity index

Clinical Rheumatology - The novel inflammatory markers C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were associated with...     

Myocardial involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a multi-center cross-sectional study in the CRDC-MYO Registry

Clinical Rheumatology - This study aimed to investigate the associated factors of myocardial involvements (MIs) in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). In this multi-center...