Lead intoxication: A summary of the clinical presentation among Thai patients

Lead is an important toxic metal found in industrial communities. Due to the industrialization in the recent decade in Thailand, lead intoxication as a toxicant-related disorder becomes a new public health problem. A retrospective study on clinical presentation of hospitalized patients with diagnosis of lead intoxication during year 1990–1999 in King Chulalongkorn Memorial hospital, the largest Thai Red Cross Society Hospital, was performed. All 14 cases diagnosed with lead intoxication were identified in our series. Average age of the subjects was 25.55 ± 21.93 years old. Male predominance was detected in our series (male:female = 12:2). Two main groups of subjects as; (1) childhood aged below 10 years old (male:female = 4:2) and (2) adult aged between 24 and 60 years old (n = 8, all male), can be identified. For the first group, the clinical presentations were convulsion (n = 3), unexplained anemia (n = 1), attention deficit (n = 1) and asymptomatic (n = 1), respectively. All of the subjects in this group presented the history of living at the old battery plant area. Five of the six cases came from the same village. For the second group, the clinical presentations were unexplained abdominal pain (n = 5), chronic renal failure (n = 1), unexplained anemia (n = 1) and asymptomatic (n = 1), respectively. Most of the subjects (75%) in this group presented the history of working in the battery plant for more than 10 years. Another case presented the history of gunshot and residual bullet in the bone marrow. The other one left is an interesting case with the history of prolonged usage of ritual pill and holy paper incineration. Like other studies, battery plant had strong relation with the lead intoxication. Although the total identified cases are rather few, there may be more undetected asymptomatic lead intoxication cases in the community. Specific control of lead resulted from battery plant and monitoring of the workers as public health strategies are still recommended. This work was a poster presentation at the IXth International Congress of Toxicology, 8–13 July 2001, Brisbane, Australia and the abstract was published in Toxicology Volume 164 (Abstracts of the IXth International Congress of Toxicology, 8–13 July 2001, Brisbane, Australia).     

Comparison of prostate gene expression and tissue weight changes as monitors of antiandrogen activity in GNRH-inhibited rats

BACKGROUND: The Hershberger assay for antiandrogens and modifiers of steroid biosynthesis uses surgically‐castrated rats. We described an adaptation of the assay using the GnRH inhibitor Antarelix in place of surgical castration [Ashby J, Lefevre PA, Deghenghi R, Wallis N. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 34:188–203, 2001], and concomitantly described changes in expression of the androgen‐dependent prostatic genes PBP C3, TRPM‐2, and ODC as a possible complement to gravimetric analysis of the sex accessory tissues (SAT) [Nellemann C, Vinggaard AM, Dalgaard M, Hossaini A, Larsen J‐J. Toxicology 163:29–38, 2001]. METHODS: The present study describes the results of combining these two modifications into a single assay. During the course of these experiments it was shown that SD rats gave similar results to AP rats and that the higher stimulatory dose of testosterone propionate (TP) used in our experiments gave stronger assay responses to FLU than the lower dose of TP used by some earlier investigators. The potent antiandrogen flutamide (FLU) and the weak antiandrogen DDE were used to evaluate this modified assay. RESULTS: For all parameters studied (SAT weights and changes in expression of the 3 prostatic genes) FLU gave the expected positive results. The weak antiandrogen DDE gave variable and mainly non‐reproducible responses. Use of DDE as a weak antiandrogen accelerated assessment of the new assay. CONCLUSIONS: Possible reasons for this failure to detect DDE are discussed, and it is concluded that the modified assay is unsuitable for use in its present form. The use of gene expression analyses together with evaluation of SAT weights is a promising tool as an early and sensitive marker of antiandrogen action, but more work is needed on the choice of time frame as well as the selection of genes to monitor. Birth Defects Res B 68:344–354, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

New achievements in human cell toxicology: the 20th annual workshop on in vitro toxicology

The 20th Annual Workshop on In Vitro Toxicology (Oxford, UK, September 22-24, 2002) was convened as part of a European meeting entitled Human Cell Culture 2002. The meeting was arranged by the Scandinavian Society for Cell Toxicology (SSCT), the European Tissue Culture Society and the British Prostate Group. Two sessions, which are summarised in this report, were devoted to in vitro toxicology: Human Cell Toxicology and The SSCT Free Paper Session. Outstanding experts in the field of toxicology outlined contemporary approaches in toxicity testing in their lectures. Short oral presentations demonstrated a variety of in vitro model systems and methodologies, which can be useful for investigating human toxicity, as well as for studies on mechanisms of toxicity.     

Novel paradigms of macrophage biology and function: identification of disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets

Cell Biology and Toxicology -     

Novel paradigms of mitochondrial biology and function: potential clinical significance in the era of precision medicine

Cell Biology and Toxicology -     

Correction to: Novel biphenyl diester derivative AB-38b inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome through Nrf2 activation in diabetic nephropathy

Cell Biology and Toxicology -     

Correction to: Mitochondrial dynamics regulators: implications for therapeutic intervention in cancer

Cell Biology and Toxicology -     

A statistical evaluation of the fixed dose procedure

The Fixed Dose Procedure (FDP) was first proposed in 1984 by the British Toxicology Society, as an alternative to the conventional LD50 test (OECD Test Guideline 401), for determining acute oral toxicity. The FDP used fewer animals and caused less suffering than the LD50 test, and provided information on acute toxicity which allowed substances to be classified according to the European Union hazard classification system. In 1992, the FDP was introduced as OECD Test Guideline 420. In 1999, as part of an initiative to phase out Test Guideline 401, a review of the FDP was undertaken. The aim of the review was to provide further reductions and refinements, and classification according to the criteria of the Globally Harmonised Hazard Classification and Labelling Scheme. The revised FDP was adopted by the OECD in 2001. This article concerns the development and revision of the FDP. It illustrates how statistical modelling and simulation can be used to increase the efficiency of a test procedure and reduce the number of animals needed for an in vivo validation of the procedure.     

INVITOX 2004: 13th Workshop of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro, organised in cooperation with the Scandinavian Society for Cell Toxicology

INVITOX 2004, the 13th Workshop of the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro, was held on 8-11 September 2004, in Zegrze, Poland, in cooperation with the Scandinavian Society for Cell Toxicology. The workshop was attended by 112 participants from 19 countries. The programme included 11 main sessions and two round table discussions. The lectures of the invited speakers, together with short oral presentations and posters, covered the most important aspects of current research in the field of in vitro toxicology. ECVAM's strategies for the replacement of animal testing for toxic chemicals by alternative test systems were discussed.     

Polystyrene microplastics induce an immunometabolic active state in macrophages

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory responses in macrophages are influenced by cellular metabolism. Macrophages are the primary phagocyte in mucosal environments...     

Reprogrammed lung epithelial cells by decrease of miR-451a in extracellular vesicles contribute to aggravation of pulmonary fibrosis

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play novel roles in homeostasis through cell-to-cell communication in human airways via transferring miRNAs. However, the contribution of...     

Mitochondrial dynamics regulators: implications for therapeutic intervention in cancer

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Regardless of the recent advances in therapeutic developments, cancer is still among the primary causes of death globally, indicating the need for alternative...     

Programming changes of hippocampal miR-134-5p/SOX2 signal mediate the susceptibility to depression in prenatal dexamethasone-exposed female offspring

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Depression is a neuropsychiatric disorder and has intrauterine developmental origins. This study aimed to confirm the depression susceptibility in offspring rats...     

Circular RNA circGLIS3 promotes bladder cancer proliferation via the miR-1273f/SKP1/Cyclin D1 axis

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Extensive research confirmed that circRNA can play a regulatory role in various stages of tumors by interacting with various molecules. Identifying the differentially...     

The aberrant cross-talk of epithelium–macrophages via METTL3-regulated extracellular vesicle miR-93 in smoking-induced emphysema

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Cigarette smoke (CS), a complex chemical indoor air pollutant, induces degradation of elastin, resulting in emphysema. Aberrant cross-talk between macrophages and...     

ZNF471 modulates EMT and functions as methylation regulated tumor suppressor with diagnostic and prognostic significance in cervical cancer

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women in developing countries. However, the underlying mechanisms and molecular targets for...     

Folic acid alleviates jaundice of phenylhydrazine (PHA)-induced neonatal rats by reducing Lys-homocysteinylation of albumin

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Neonatal jaundice is a common symptom that occurs in neonates during the first month of their life and is generally divided into physiological and pathological...     

Advanced single-cell pooled CRISPR screening identifies C19orf53 required for cell proliferation based on mTORC1 regulators

Cell Biology and Toxicology - Multiplexed single-cell CRISPR screening has accelerated the systematic dissection of biological discoveries; however, the efficiency of CRISPR-based gene knockout has...