Ulinastatin suppresses endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in the hippocampus of rats with acute paraquat poisoning

Lung injury is the main manifestation of paraquat poisoning. Few studies have addressed brain damage after paraquat poisoning. Ulinastatin is a protease inhibitor that can effectively stabilize lysosomal membranes, prevent cell damage, and reduce the production of free radicals. This study assumed that ulinastatin would exert these effects on brain tissues that had been poisoned with paraquat. Rat models of paraquat poisoning were intraperitoneally injected with ulinastatin. Simultaneously, rats in the control group were administered normal saline. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that most hippocampal cells were contracted and nucleoli had disappeared in the paraquat group. Fewer cells in the hippocampus were concentrated and nucleoli had dis- appeared in the ulinastatin group. Western blot assay showed that expressions of GRP78 and cleaved-caspase-3 were significantly lower in the ulinastatin group than in the paraquat group. Immunohistochemical findings showed that CHOP immunoreactivity was significantly lower in the ulinastatin group than in the paraquat group. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-medi- ated dUTP nick end labeling staining showed that the number of apoptotic cells was reduced in the paraquat and ulinastatin groups. These data confirmed that endoplasmic reticular stress can be induced by acute paraqnat poisoning. Ulinastatin can effectively inhibit this stress as well as cell apoptosis, thereby exerting a neuroprotective effect.

Nurse’s knowledge, attitude and practice on the initial management of acute poisoning among adult casualties: Study at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to determine nurse’s knowledge, attitude and practice on the initial management of acute poisoning among adult casualties seen at Accident and Emergency Department (AED), Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). The study was cross sectional. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed. The target population were all nurses working at AED, KNH. Purposive sampling was used to select study subjects. Sample size included all Accident and Emergency (A&E) nurses who met subject’s inclusion criteria. Structured questionnaires, observation checklist and interview were used to collect the data. Sixty eight (82%) of A&E nurses participated in this study. The study found out that with higher nursing qualification and training on courses related to emergency care, knowledge and skills of A&E nurses on the initial management of acute poisoning is enhanced. A&E nurses with lower education level had a higher mean score of positive attitude compared with nurses with higher nursing qualification. Majority 60 (88.2%) of the A&E nurses indicated that, they required more training on the initial management of acute poisoning. Study recommends that A&E nurses should be trained on various types of poisoning including;assessment, clinical presentations and management to include gut decontaminations. In addition, refresher courses should be organised for those already trained. Flowcharts that will enhance easy identification and management of poisoned casualties should be put in place and utilized accordingly.

Characterization of Veterans’ Poisoning Events in the State of Florida

Increasing numbers of veterans are returning home with chronic pain and mental health disorders. Pharmacological treatments may be effective, but may also be increasing the incidence of poisonings among younger as well as older veterans, requiring greater resource expenditures at Veterans Administration (VA) facilities. Our objective was to characterize patterns of the poisoning among the veterans in Florida, using data obtained from the Florida Poisoning Control Information Network (FPCIN). We evaluated retrospective cohort data from 2005 to 2009 of 601 poisoning cases treated at Florida VA medical facilities with consultations from FPCIN. Intentional (suspected suicide) was the most common reason. Major adverse clinical outcomes were associated with the use of NSAIDs or alcohol. Antidepressants and anti-anxiolytics had the strongest association with intentional self-poisoning. Since medications are the major substances for the poisoning among the veterans, our study suggests that pharmaceutical treatments of veterans should include stronger prescribing guidelines and consideration of alternative therapies.

Metal Nano Layer Coating for Improving the Detection and Recognition of Micro-Poisons Using Reflection Spectroscopic Measurement

Metal nano layer coating for increasing the sensitivity of spectroscopic measurements is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper. The metal nano layer will attract the micro-poisons from any measured aqueous sample increasing the concentration of the micro-poison in the vicinity of the surface and significantly improves the sensitivity of the spectroscopic measurement. The demonstration was carried out using Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) operating in the MIR 400 cm-1 - 4000 cm-1 and 5 nm Gold layer which was grown on silicon oxide substrate. In the experimental demonstration Malathion organophosphate pesticide was used as micro-poison. The spectroscopic measurement proves that Malathion was attracted to the metal nano layer. Furthermore, the absorption lines of Malathion were detected and recognized. This proof of principle can be applied to any Internal Reflection Elements (IRE) and it can be used to purify any aqueous solutions and atmosphere from micro-poisons which will be attracted to the metal Nano layer.

Water as a Standard Substance of a Logarithmic Poison Scale

The lethal dose LD50 represents the most important experimental value for acute toxicity. The simple logarithmic calculation of -log10 LD50 = value leads to the possible poison power pLD. As with the pH or pK value, respectively, for acid or the scale of earthquake intensities the logarithm helps making large differences of orders of magnitude easier to understand since they are more comparable. The higher the pLD value, the higher is the power of poison. An increase of the pLD value by 1 stands for a tenfold increase in toxicity. The lethal acute dose for water, one of the most important and at the same time non-toxic substances of all, is about one tenth of the body weight. This leads to a possible pLD value for water of 1, an ideal starting value for a logarithmic poison scale.

Analysis of beryllium poisoning effect on liquid metal reactor with U–Be alloy fuel

A liquid metal reactor(LMR) loaded with a fuel compound of uranium and beryllium(U-Be alloy fuel),which was cooled by a lead-bismuth eutectic alloy(PbBi),has been applied in Russian Alfa-class nuclear submarines.Because of the large amount of beryllium in the core, the reaction between the beryllium atoms and neutrons could result in the accumulation of 3 He and 6 Li, which are called the "poisoned elements" owing to their large thermal neutron capture cross section. The accumulation of neutron absorber can affect the performance of a reactor. In this study, the Super Multi-functional Calculation Program(SuperMC) code, which was developed by Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(INEST, CAS), was adopted to illustrate the influence of beryllium on an LMR.

Blood Chemistry and Major Body Organ Induced-Toxicity by Locally-Made Traditional OMGKRP Karuho Poison in Wistar Albino Rats

OMGKRP is one of various Karuho poison mysteriously used by unscrupulous individuals to kill people during conflict and animals in Goma City, in DRC. The symptoms and signs of most cases are usually confused with many chronic diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS;with renal, hepatic and cardiac manifestations as well as blood chemistry changes. The study investigated the toxic effect of OMGKRP poison on blood chemistry, serum enzymes and organ toxicity including the kidney, lung, liver and heart of Wistar albino rats. A laboratory-based experimental study was conducted. Fifty animals in 5 groups each with 10 animals were dosed daily for 28 days with 1.0 mg, 5.0 mg, 20.0 mg and 5000.0 mg/Kg body weight of OMGKRP and normal saline as control group. International standard guidelines, OECD 407 and NIH 2011 were followed during the study period. The blood chemistry analysis, relative organ weight and histopathological changes in the kidney, lung, liver and heart were performed. The findings showed that OMGKRP was associated with increased blood chemistry parameters including total proteins, creatinine, urea, K+?levels, direct albumin levels, a decrease in Cl−?levels and albumin levels. Histopathological findings showed an increased relative weight and tissue damages of the lung, kidney, liver and heart. Therefore, OMGKRP Karuho poison caused toxicity on blood chemistry, serum enzymes as well as histopathological changes in the lung, renal, hepatic and cardiac tissue damages in Wistar albino rats.

Poisonous Plants of the Karakalpak Part of the Ustyurt Plateau (Uzbekistan)

The article presents the composition and current state of poisonous plants distributed on the Ustyurt plateau. Ustyurt is one of the largest deserts in Central Asia, differing from other deserts of the world in geographical location, relief, flora and fauna and other features. The territory of Ustyurt occupies 21.3 million hectares, of which the Karakalpak part accounts for 7.2 million hectares. Poisonous alkaloid-bearing plants of the Karakalpak part of the Ustyurt plateau Anabasis aphylla, Atriplex flabellum, Kalidium capsicum, Salsola arbusculaeformis, Salsola foliosa, Aellenia subaphylla, Anabasis brachiata, Rheum tataricum, Capparis spinosa, Glycyrrhiza aspera. Alkaloid-bearing plants that are not eaten or poorly eaten by cattle Ephedra distachya, Delphinium songaricum, Anabasis salsa, alkaloid-bearing plants eaten by animals without harm Carex physodes, Eremopyrum orientale, Agrophyllum repens, Astragalus amodendron, Astragalus villosissimus, species of the genera Calligonum, Salsola. Poisonous plants of the Karakalpak part of the Ustyurt plateau. An analysis of the pasture flora of the Karakalpak part of the Ustyurt plateau shows that 62 species of wild poisonous plants belonging to 49 genera and 19 families grow here. Although these plants are considered poisonous, but in modern pharmaceutics and medicine, they are used as medicinal.

A Comparison of Hydrothermal Aging, SO2 and Propene Poisoning Effects on NH3-SCR over Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-SAPO-34 Catalysts

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of hydrothermal aging, propene and SO2 poisoning on the ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) performance of both Cu-SAPO-34 and Cu-ZSM-5. The catalytic activities of fresh, aged and poisoned samples were tested in ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) of NOx conditions. The XRD, TG and N2-desorption results showed that the structures of the Cu-SAPO-34 and Cu-ZSM-5 remained intact after 750˚C hydrothermally aged, SO2 and propene poisoned. After hydrothermal aging at 750˚C for 12 h, the NO reduction performance of Cu-ZSM-5 was significantly reduced at lower temperatures, while that of Cu-SAPO-34 was less affected. Moreover, Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst showed high NO conversion with SO2 or propene compared to Cu-ZSM-5. However, Cu-ZSM-5 showed a larger drop in catalytic activity with SO2 or propene compared to Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst. The H2-TPR results showed that Cu2 ions could be reduced to Cu and Cu0 for Cu-ZSM-5, while no significant transformation of copper species was observed for Cu-SAPO-34. Meanwhile, the UV-vis DRS results showed that CuO species were formed in Cu-ZSM-5, while little changes were observed for the Cu-SAPO-34. Cu-SAPO-34 showed high sulfur and hydrocarbon poison resistance compared to Cu-ZSM-5. In summary, Cu-SAPO-34 with small-pore zeolite showed higher hydrothermal stability and better hydrocarbon and sulfur poison resistant than Cu-ZSM-5 with medium-pore.

Oxidative Stress and Free Radical Damage in Patients With Acute Dipterex Poisoning

Objective To investigate whether acute dipterex poisoning (ADP) may cause oxidative stress and free radical damage in the bodies of acute dipterex poisoning patients (ADPPs), and to explore the mechanisms by which ADP may cause oxidative stress and free radical damage. Methods Fifty ADPPs and fifty healthy adult volunteers (HAVs) whose ages, gender and others were matched with the ADPPs were enrolled in a randomized controlled study, in which concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE) and P-carotene (P-CAR) in plasma as well as concentration of lipoperoxide (LPO), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in erythrocytes were determined by spectrophotometric analytical methods. Results Compared with the average values of experimental parameters in the HAVs group, the average values of plasma NO and erythrocyte LPO in the ADPPs group were significantly increased (P<0.0001), while those of plasma VC, VE and P-CAR as well as erythrocyte SOD, CAT, GPX and AChE in the ADPPs group were significantly decreased (P<0.0001). Bivariate correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis suggested that when NO and LPO values were increased, and VC, VE, β-CAR, SOD, CAT and GPX values were decreased in the ADPPs, AChE value was decreased gradually in the ADPPs (P<0.001-0.0001). Reliability analysis of experimental parameters reflecting oxidative stress and free radical damage in the ADPPs showed that the reliability coefficient (8 items) alpha=0.6909, and the standardized item alpha=0.8574. Conclusion The findings in the present study suggest that ADP can cause oxidative stress and free radical damage, and inhibit markedly erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity in ADPPs.

Home first aid applied by the mother for the treatment of food poisoning for children

Objective(s): The objectives of this study are to assess first aid home for the treatment of food poisoning among children by mother and to find out the relationship between first aid home for the treatment of food poisoning and the demographic characteristics including age of mother, level education of mother, mother’s occupation, and family’s income. Methodology: A descriptive analytical study was conducted on mother who applied home first aid for the treatment of food poisoning in her children. The study was conducted at the emergency unit in Children Welfare Teaching Hospital and Child’s Central Teaching Hospital. Starting from 2nd Dec. 2012 up to the 15th Apr. 2013. To achieve the objectives of the study, a non-probability (purposive) sample of (60) mother reviewed the emergency unit for the treatment of food poisoning in her child suffering from food poisoning and according to special criteria. Data were collected by interview with mother of the child suffering from food poisoning. Instrument validity was determined through content validity, by a panel of experts. Reliability of the instrument was determined through the use of Pearson correlation coefficient for the test-retest approach, which was 0.85. Analysis of data was performed through the application of descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, and mean of score) and inferential statistics (correlation coefficient and one-way analysis of variance). Results: The results of the study indicated the level mean of scores related to first aid procedures relating to situations that food poisoning when the poisoning occurs and applied by mother was moderate level on half items and high level on half other from items. Conclusion: The study concluded most of mothers don’t have prior knowledge of the procedures used for ambulance cases of food poisoning in children. Recommendations: The study recommend the need to set up educational sessions for families especially the mother about how to first aid food poisoning in children and guide booklets or information sheet should be printed and distributed to mothers and families about food poisoning and first aid it, and these booklets or information sheet should be written in a simple style and handed out freely.

Cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac arrest related to mushroom poisoning: A case report

BACKGROUND Mushroom exposure is a global health issue.The manifestations of mushroom poisoning (MP) may vary.Some species have been reported as rhabdomyolytic,hallucinogenic,or gastrointestinal poisons.Critical or even fatal MPs are mostly attributable to Amanita phalloides,with the development of severe liver or renal failure.Myocardial injury and even cases mimicking ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been previously reported,while cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrest is not commonly seen.CASE SUMMARY We report a 68-year-old woman with MP who suffered from delirium,seizure,long QT syndrome on electrocardiogram (ECG),severe cardiac arrhythmias of multiple origins,and cardiac arrest.She was intubated and put on blood perfusion.Her kidney and liver functions were intact;creatine kinase-MB was mildly elevated,and then fell within normal range during her hospital stay.We sent the mushrooms she left for translation elongation factor subunit 1α,ribosomal RNA gene sequence,and internal transcribed spacer sequence analyses.There were four kinds of mushrooms identified,two of which were found to be toxic.CONCLUSION This is the first time that we found cardiac toxicity caused by Panaeolus subbalteatus and Conocybe lactea,which were believed to be toxic to the liver,kidney,and brain.We suggest that intensive monitoring and ECG follow-up are essential to diagnose prolonged QT interval and different forms of tachycardia in MP patients,even without the development of severe liver or renal failure.The mechanisms need to be further investigated and clarified based on animal experiments and molecular signal pathways.

Crystallography of Zr poisoning of Al-Ti-B grain refinement using edge-to-edge matching model

The mechanism of zirconium poisoning on the grain-refining efficiency of an Al-Ti-B based grain refiner was studied. The experiment was conducted by melting Al-5Ti-1B and Al-3Zr master alloys together. The edge-to-edge matching model was used to investigate and compare the orientation relationships between the binary intermetallic compounds present in the Al-Ti-B-Zr system. The results show that the poisoning effect probably results from the combination of Al3 Zr with Al3 Ti and the decreased amount of Ti solute, for Al3 Ti particles have good crystallographic relationships with Al3 Zr. Totally six orientation relationships may present between them, while they play vital roles in grain refinement. TiB2 particles appear to remain unchanged because of a bit large misfit. Only one orientation relationship may present between them to prevent Al3 Zr phase from forming on the surface of TiB2, though TiB2 is agglomerated. The theoretical calculation agrees well with the experimental results. The edge-to-edge matching model is proved to be a useful tool for discovering the orientation relationships between phases.

Safety of gastric lavage using nasogastric ryle’s tube in pesticide poisoning

Objective: Gastric lavage is mandatory irrespective of nature in all patients with acute poisoning in India. Present study was undertaken with aim whether lavage done using nasogastric Ryle’s tube and small aliquots of water or normal saline is safe. Patients and Methods: All the patients above 12 years of age admitted consecutively with pesticide ingestion or exposure between July 2004 to June 2005 were studied with respect to complications associated with lavage using Ryle’s tube. Forty five patients were admitted directly to our hospital and lavage was undertaken using Ryle’s tube (16F ) with 100 - 200 mL of aliquots till 1 - 1.5 liters of fluid was lavaged, with prophylactic endotracheal intubation in patients with Glasgow coma scale ( GCS) < 10 (group I). The incidence of complications related to lavage in group I was compared to that in 53 patients admitted during same period with pesticide poisoning but lavaged outside using nasogastric Ryle’s tube and referred to our institute (group II). Results: The significant complications observed in group I were significant drop in SaO2 (6 patients) laryngospasm, tachycardia, electrolyte imbalance and tube getting struck in throat (one each). In one patient in group I (had no prophylactic intubation though GCS 3) In group II, 7 had aspiration pneumonia (no prophylactic intubation). Other significant complication was drop in SaO2 during lavage. None of them had any serious life threatening complication. Conclusion: Gastric lavage carried out using nasogastric Ryle’s tube and small aliquots of water or normal saline is relatively safe in patients with pesticide poisoning when combined with prophylactic endotracheal intubation in patients with GCS < 10. In absence of prophylactic intubation, risk of aspiration is there. However aspiration pneumonia is generally mild and not life threatening.

Toxicity Profile of Karuho Poison on the Brain of Wistar Albino Rats

Various forms of Karuho poisoning are a common traditional mystery and a public health challenge in Goma city, North Kivu in DRC practiced by unscrupulous people. Its signs and symptoms are commonly mistaken by local communities and medical world with those of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and typhoid fever;with neurological and psychological symptoms. Study investigated sub-acute toxicity of Karuho poison on brain of Wistar albino rats. Laboratory based experimental study was conducted at Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Makerere University College of Health Sciences. A total of 4 Karuho poisons (OMGKRP, DLNKRP, CHKRP and BHKRP) were screened for acute and sub-acute toxicity. Fifty animals, 10 in each group were daily dosed for 28 days with 1 mg, 5 mg, 20 mg and 5000 mg/kg bwt of OMGKRP (most active following screening) and normal saline for control group using OECD 407 and NIH 2011 guidelines. Behavioral changes were noted. Histopathological changes in brain regions were analyzed. Treated rats by OMGKRP, most active Karuho poison, were associated with sign of depression, piloerection and shortness of breath. Histopathological changes revealed moderate diffuse congestion and mononuclear inflammatory cells infiltration (plasma cells, lymphocytes and macrophage) in cerebral region with severe inflammation observed in meninges of cerebellum. OMGKRP poison induced inflammation of meninges of cerebellar region of brain.

The Role of Abdominal CT in the Assessment of the Effectiveness of Gastric Lavage after Pesticide Poisoning

Pesticide poisoning is one of the most common diseases in the emergency department, characterized by rapid changes in condition, a high misdiagnosis rate, and a poor prognosis. Measures for early removal of poisons are crucial, and gastric lavage is one of the important measures. Regarding the post-gastric lavage effect, abdominal CT scanning has an important application value in the assessment of the gastric lavage effect after pesticide poisoning.

Immunological Manifestations in Paraphenylene Diamine Poisoning

Objective: Our aim is to establish the immunologic profile of PPD-intoxicated persons based on monitoring of the inflammatory reaction. Methods and patients: A prospective study of 21 patients hospitalized in a medical ICU with PPD intoxication during 2010. A follow-up of demographic, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutive parameters as well as evaluation of the scores of gravity (SAPS II, APACHE II, OSF) was carried out in all our patients, and an inflammatory check-up (white blood cell, Creactive protein, C3 and C4 fractions of complement and lymphocyte subpopulations CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD19) was realized for all patients. The kinetic of these parameters was compared with clinical and paraclinical evolution. Results: The monitoring of the inflammatory reaction in our patients shows an evolution at three times for this reaction, with the first time of inflammatory stress during the first 3 days after the intoxication characterized by a relative immunodepression, the second time from the third day when the rhabdomyolysis exerts its pro-inflammatory power and the third time (from the sixth day) corresponds to the immunomodulative action of PPD and to its oxidative metabolism. It’s a systemic and specific inflammatory reaction to a cytotoxic cell support, which would explain the secondary worsening of the clinical and paraclinical parameters of our patients (hemodynamic shock, multivisceral failure, etc.). Conclusion: It seems that the immunological aspect may present the answer to several questions that rhabdomyolysis alone could not answer during PPD-poisoning. This study tried to establish a first immunologic profile of PPD-intoxicated persons, and to correlate it with their evolution.

Adult Poisoning Cases in Ankara: Capital City of Turkey

Poisoning is the disruption of functions of a living organism by any agent. The aim of this study is to identify the clinical and demographic characteristics of intoxication cases admitted to the Numune Training and Research Hospital emergency department. Characteristics such as age and gender of the patients, intoxication agents, and the results (discharge, forwarding, hospitalization, death etc.) were recorded to the prepared form. Data were assessed with the SPSS 15.0 software package and expressed. Quantitative variables were summarised as mean ± standard deviation. Frequency and percent distribution were used for the evaluation of data. The chi-squared test was used for comparison of the quailtative variables. p 0.05 was accepted significant. The mean age of the receiving 651 poisoned patients was 32.04 ± 12.24 years. Of them, 67.7% were female. The most causes of poisoning agents were a pharmaceuticals (79.4%), carbonmonoxide (8.9%) and alcohols (7.1%). Gastric lavage was performed in 76% patients. Activated charcoal was administered in 81% patients. Antidotes treatment was applied in 7.4% patients. Most patients were evaluated and then treated and discharged from the ED (91.9%).

Mothers’ Knowledge Regarding Preventive Measures of Food Poisoning in Yemen

Background: The WHO considers food poisoning the main cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, and the responsible for high levels of loss of productivity in developed countries. Objective: The study aims to assess the mothers’ knowledge about preventive measures of food poisoning in Sharaab, Taiz, Yemen. Method: This is a descriptive study. It was conducted in Sharaab, Yemen during period extended from April to November 2014. It involved 180 mothers selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected by using designed structured and pre-tested questionnaire and then were analyzed by (SPSS) Version 20. Result: The findings showed that 60% of mothers have heard about food poisoning. The mothers’ knowledge about transmission of diseases by food was acceptable;68.9% knew. When they were asked to detail the diseases, cholera was the most reported by about 84.4%, diarrhea 50%, and food poisoning 22.2% only. Regarding the mothers’ knowledge about causes of food poisoning, about 65.5% of them mentioned contaminated food, and 49.4% mentioned contaminated hands while 37.2% of them mentioned contaminated utensils. The total knowledge was calculated;it was about 40.72%. Conclusion: It was found that, mothers’ knowledge about preventive measures of food poisoning is not satisfactory concerning most items including: food related diseases, causes of food poisoning and preventive measures for food poisoning such as hand washing, washing vegetables and cooking appropriately. The mothers in Yemen, Taiz, Sharaab have low level of knowledge about food poisoning prevention. There is a need for strengthening the situation through educational sessions.