Influence of postnatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure on the neurodevelopment of toddlers at the age of 12 months

ObjectivesTo investigate the possible influence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure on neurodevelopment of toddlers at the age of 12 months.MethodsTotally 306 subjects were recruited from the Qingdao Birth Cohort established in 2014. PAH-DNA adducts in toddlers’ umbilical cord blood samples, hydroxyl-PAH metabolites in their urine samples and the developmental quotients (DQs) were measured. Sex, gestational age, birth weight, and maternal educational background were adjusted to analyze the influence of the PAH exposure on the neurodevelopment of the toddlers using multivariate linear regression model.ResultsPearson correlation test showed that the logarithmic values of hydroxyl-PAH were negatively correlated with the DQs. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that logarithmic concentration of 1(9)- hydroxyphenanthrene was still associated with the DQs of the fine motor behaviors with β and 95% confidential interval (CI) of -1.137 (-2.053, -0.222), together with PAH-DNA adducts [β (95% CI): -0.577 (-0.930, -0.225)]. PAH-DNA adducts presented an independently negative influence on the DQs of the gross motor and personal social behaviors with β (95%CI) of -0.470 (-0.814, -0.126) and -0.526 (-0.859, -0.193), respectively.ConclusionsThe exposure to PAHs in toddlers at 12 months could influence their neurodevelopment. Additionally, prenatal exposure to PAHs should also be considered.     

How Picky Eating Becomes an Illness—Marketing Nutrient-Enriched Formula Milk in a Chinese Society

The essential adaptive food selection behavior of young children has become increasingly medicalized as a kind of disease—the “picky-eating” syndrome in Hong Kong. The researcher used the multiple case studies approach with data collected from in-depth interviews and advertisements to examine the process of the medicalization of picky-eating disorder, which demonstrates how an essential adaptive human behavior can be redefined by the market and medical system as a deviant, abnormal behavior that needs to be eliminated and how the resulting health risks can be resolved by modern medicine produced by this pharmaceutical nexus.     

Occurrence and analysis of aflatoxin M1 in milk produced by Indian dairy species

A total of 600 samples of milk from different species [buffalo (150), cow (150), goat (150), and sheep (150)] were analyzed for aflatoxin M1 (AFM₁) contamination using high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. AFM₁ contamination was found in buffalo (38.6%), cow (45.3%), goat (33.3%), and sheep (36.6%) milk. The mean value of AFM₁ was 0.026?µg?L^?1 in buffalo, 0.018?µg?L^?1 in cow, 0.014?µg?L^?1 in goat, and 0.017?µg?L^?1 in sheep milk. In all types of milks, the level of AFM₁ concentration was higher in milk obtained from urban and semi-urban areas, whereas it was found minimal in milk from rural areas. The results of the analysis of AFM₁ level by the ELISA analysis (ng?L^?1) was observed in 46.5% of all samples. The amount of AFM₁ in 16% buffalo, 44% cow, 10% goat, and 12% sheep milk samples was above the maximum tolerance limit accepted by the European Union.     

Milk derived colloid as a novel drug delivery carrier for breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer has an extremely poor prognosis when chemotherapy is no longer effective. To overcome drug resistance, novel drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles have had remarkable success. We produced a novel nanoparticle component ‘MDC’ from milk-derived colloid. In order to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of MDC, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments on cancer cell lines and a primary tumor derived breast xenograft. Doxorubicin (Dox) conjugated to MDC (MDC-Dox) showed higher cancer cell growth inhibition than MDC alone especially in cell lines with high EGFR expression. In a mouse melanoma model, MDC-Dox significantly suppressed tumor growth when compared with free Dox. Moreover, in a primary tumor derived breast xenograft, one of the mice treated with MDC-Dox showed partial regression, while mice treated with free Dox failed to show any suppression of tumor growth. We have shown that a novel nanoparticle compound made of simple milk-derived colloid has the capability for drug conjugation, and serves as a tumor-specific carrier of anti-cancer drugs. Further research on its safety and ability to carry various anti-cancer drugs into multiple drug-resistant primary breast models is warranted.     

Rising level of arsenic in water and fodder: a growing threat to livestock and human populations in Pakistan

Arsenic (As) is considered to be one of the top environmental contaminants of concern worldwide. In many regions in Pakistan, there are reports of increased levels of As in the environment, and this metalloid remains a major source of contamination of soil, water and fodder. This pathway of exposure has emerged as a new threat for both wildlife and the surrounding human communities because of the mobilization and accumulation of As via the food chain. The objective of this critical review is to synthesize historical information about As levels in the environmental resources of Pakistan to better characterize the risk to livestock and humans in the region. The South Punjab and Sindh are the dominant areas which are reported to contain the highest As contamination compared to other regions. This is a concern as millions of animals as well as the human population are facing significant health issues due to As. For example, some of the population of Sindh province are potentially faced with As levels ～10–50?μg/L in drinking water, which is well above safe drinking limits of 10?μg/L outlined by the World Health Organization. These collective data on As are anticipated to be a useful source of information for decisions by the environmental protection agency in Pakistan regarding the adoption of preventive measures against its adverse impacts and toxicity.