Mitochondrial oxidative damage by co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen in rat testes and its amelioration by melatonin / 대한생식의학회지

Objective@#Human exposure to multiple xenobiotics, over various developmental windows, results in adverse health effects arising from these concomitant exposures. Humans are widely exposed to bisphenol A, and acetaminophen is the most commonly used over-the-counter drug worldwide. Bisphenol A is a well-recognized male reproductive toxicant, and increasing evidence suggests that acetaminophen is also detrimental to the male reproductive system. The recent recognition of male reproductive system dysfunction in conditions of suboptimal reproductive outcomes makes it crucial to investigate the contributions of toxicant exposures to infertility and sub-fertility. We aimed to identify toxicity in the male reproductive system at the mitochondrial level in response to co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen, and we investigated whether melatonin ameliorated this toxicity. @*Methods@#Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (n=10 each): a control group and groups that received melatonin, bisphenol A, acetaminophen, bisphenol A and acetaminophen, and bisphenol A and acetaminophen with melatonin treatment. @*Results@#Significantly higher lipid peroxidation was observed in the testicular mitochondria and sperm in the treatment groups than in the control group. Levels of glutathione and the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and manganese superoxide dismutase decreased significantly in response to the toxicant treatments. Likewise, the toxicant treatments significantly decreased the sperm count and motility, while significantly increasing sperm mortality. Melatonin mitigated the adverse effects of bisphenol A and acetaminophen. @*Conclusion@#Co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen elevated oxidative stress in the testicular mitochondria, and this effect was alleviated by melatonin.

Association of serum lactate levels among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus of a tertiary care hospital, Uttar Pradesh

Background: Serum lactate levels are a direct quantification of gap in between energy-expenditure and oxidative capacity. Variation in the lactate levels among the resting individuals could be exigent, requiring attention often and raised lactate levels can be observed among the individuals with mitochondrial impairments in the oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Aim and Objectives: Aim and objectives of the study was to evaluate the association of serum lactate levels among Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Materials and Methods: This present observational cross-sectional study involved 300 diabetic patients who presented to the tertiary care hospital of Uttar Pradesh. The patients were stratified according to their random blood sugar, Glycated hemoglobin and lactate levels. Student t-test was used for assessing the significance, a probability of <0.05 is considered significant. Results: A total of 300 patients have been included in this study, of which 150 are males and 150 are females, the median age was 48 years. The highest age of patient included was 84 years, and the lowest of patient included in the study was 34 years. The patients with high lactate levels are found to have poor glycaemic control, which may further proceed to worst outcome of the disease. Conclusion: Serum lactate levels could be the potential predictor and reliable indicator of poor glycemic control/status of diabetic patients.

Assessing compliance to smoke-free legislation: results of a sub-national survey in Himachal Pradesh, India.

Introduction: Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is a serious public health concern. The Indian smoke-free legislation 'Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008' prohibits smoking in public places, including workplaces. Objective: To measure the status of compliance to legal provisions that protects the public against harms of SHS exposure, identifies the potential areas of violations and informs policy makers for strengthening enforcement measures. Design: A cross-sectional survey in 1401 public places across 11 district headquarters in Himachal Pradesh, India, using a compliance guide developed by partners of the Bloomberg initiatives to reduce tobacco use. Results: In 1401 public places across 11 district headquarters, 42.8% public places had signage; in 84.2% public places, no smoking was observed and in 83.7%, there was absence of smoking accessories such as ashtray, matchbox and lighter . Tobacco litter like cigarette butts was absent in 64.7% of the public places. Overall, at the state level, there was more than 80% compliance on at least three of the five indicators. Among all categories of public places, educational institutions and offices demonstrated highest compliance, whereas most frequently visited public places, eateries and accommodation facilities had least compliance. Conclusions: The compliance to 'Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008' was variable in various district headquarters of Himachal Pradesh. This study identified the potential areas of violations that need attention from enforcement agencies and policymakers.

Promoting tobacco cessation by integrating 'brief advice' in tuberculosis control programme.

Background: There is an enormous health burden caused by the co-prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) and tobacco use in India. This intervention study was undertaken in district Vadodara, Gujarat, India to promote tobacco cessation by integrating 'brief advice' for tobacco cessation in TB patients who were tobacco users and registered for treatment under TB control programme, based on the tested strategies advocated by World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union). Materials and Methods: Brief advice for tobacco cessation based on five A's, advocated by the WHO and the UNION was incorporated into the on-going TB Control programme in India in the year 2010. The tools were developed for education, training and capturing data. All the registered TB patients receiving directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) who used tobacco in any form were offered brief advice during routine interaction for treatment. Results: A total of 46.3% of TB patients, predominantly males (89.6% males and 10.3% females) were current users of tobacco; 39.1% used smokeless tobacco, 35.9% were smokers and 25% were dual users, that is, smoked as well as used smokeless tobacco. At the end of treatment, of the 67.3% patients who were offered brief advice, quit tobacco use, 18.2% re-lapsed while 14.5% were lost to follow-up. Conclusion: A significant numbers of TB patients use tobacco with adverse impact on TB control programmes. Our study shows that it is feasible to introduce 'brief advice' strategy as a cost effective intervention for tobacco cessation among TB patients with careful monitoring.

Second-hand Smoke: A neglected public health challenge.

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) causes an estimated 5% of the global burden of disease, slightly higher than the burden from direct use of tobacco. This review highlights the urgent need to address this ignored public health issue by presenting the evidence and impact of SHS on those exposed using global studies including those from the South-East Asia Region. The burden of morbidity from SHS exposure is higher in low-income countries in Southeast Asia region compared to the rest of the world. SHS exposure affects those most vulnerable, especially women and children. While several countries in the region have enacted legislation which offer protection to those exposed to SHS, most measures are partial and inadequate. As a result, implementation and compliance at national and sub-national level within the countries of the Southeast Asia region is variable. Governments must ensure that legislation mandates comprehensive smoke-free environments in order to provide public health benefit which offers universal protection to everyone and everywhere. Where comprehensive legislation exists, stringent implementation and enforcement, along with awareness building, education and monitoring through regular compliance studies must be done to sustain smokefree status of public places within jurisdictions.

Development of differential tolerance to the sedative and anti-stress effects of benzodiazepines.

Differential degree of tolerance has been reported to develop for anticonvulsant, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant effects of benzodiazepines (BZDs). Acute treatment with BZDs reportedly reduces the formation of gastric stress ulcers and attenuates stress-induced immunosuppression. The present study investigates whether tolerance develops to these antistress effects of BZDs by using diazepam and chlordiazepoxide as representative drugs. A single dose of diazepam (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or chlordiazepoxide (20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a significant reduction in locomotor activity, a measure of sedative effect and antagonized the effect of restraint stress (RS) on gastric mucosal lesions and anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibody titre. With chronic treatment (X 7 d), there was a marked tolerance to the sedative effect of both the studied BZD drugs, while much less tolerance developed to their ulcer protective action. However, no tolerance was observed to the attenuating effect of diazepam and chlordiazepoxide on RS-induced immunosuppression. Thus, the results of the present study indicate that different mechanisms may be involved in the development of tolerance to the sedative, antiulcer and immunomodulatory effects of BZDs.