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Upper Gastro-Intestinal Bleeding (UGIB) is one of the common complaints with which patients present to casualty. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aetiological spectrum of UGIB is variable in different geographical regions. Our study aimed to analyse the aetiology, endoscopic profile, mortality, Rockall score and predictors of mortality in patients with UGIB, in North East India. METHODSThis cross-sectional study was conducted at Assam Medical College and Hospital in North East India. We enrolled patients with age 12 years and above, who were admitted between July 2019 and January 2020 with a history suggestive of UGIB. Demographic data of the patients was collected, after which they underwent clinical examination, and upper GI endoscopy. Mean ± standard deviation was used to express continuous variables. Frequency and percentage were used to express categorical variables. Test of significance for qualitative data was assessed by Chi-square test (for 2 x 2 tables). P value less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. RESULTSWe analysed 117 patients diagnosed with UGIB [80.34 % male, 19.60 % female], ratio of male to female of [4.08:1] was seen. The most common symptom was melena 87 patients (74.15 %), endoscopy finding showed that 48.71 % had oesophageal and / or gastric varices, 26.49 % had peptic ulcers, 17.94 % had gastric erosions / duodenal erosions / erosive gastritis, 1.7 % had Mallory-Weiss tear, 1.7 % had gastric malignancy, 1.7 % had GJ stoma bleed, 1.7 % had both oesophageal varices and peptic ulcer disease. Partial gastric outlet obstruction was observed in peptic ulcer disease in 2 patients (6.45 % of total peptic ulcer disease patients). 73.75 % patients had Rockall score < 5 and 26.49 % patients had Rockall score > 6. H. pylori infection (assessed by RUT) was an independent predictor of upper GI bleed in both variceal and non-variceal bleed [p < 0.001]. The mortality in our study was 7.69 %. Predictors of mortality in the study population were, patients with variceal bleed [p = < 0.001], Rockall score > 6 [p = 0.013], and chronic liver disease [p < 0.001]. The average duration of hospital admission of the study population is about 4.6 + / - 0.4 days. CONCLUSIONSThe study reported oesophageal varices was the most common cause of UGIB, followed by peptic ulcer in North East India. H. pylori was an independent predictor of both variceal and non-variceal bleed. Partial gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) was one of the common benign complication of peptic ulcer disease. Variceal bleed, Rockall score > 6, chronic liver disease were predictors of mortality.
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Objective: To establish a method of liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (LC-AFS), and carry out uncertainty analysis of detecting methyl mercury in fish tissue. Methods: LC-AFS method was adopted to determine the content of methyl mercury in fish tissue. And the theory of assessment and expression about uncertainty measurement based on JJF1059.1-2012 of State Administration for Market Regulation was applied to analyze the source of factors that affect its uncertainty. Through evaluated various factors of uncertainty and calculated and combined uncertainty to obtain the extended uncertainty of measurement results. Results: The content of methyl mercury in fish tissue by using LC-AFS wasω=(817.94±105.02)μg/kg (k=2, confidence level was 95%). Conclusion: The measurement uncertainty assessment can be used in the uncertainty analysis that LC-AFS measure content of methyl mercury in fish tissue. Therefore, the results are more reliable.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the net health effect caused by the consumption of specific marine species based on Benefit-Risk Analysis for Foods (BRAFO)-tiered approach.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty species were collected from the Zhoushan Archipelago, China. Concentrations of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, methyl mercury (MeHg), and dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) in the samples were analyzed for benefit risk assessment based on BRAFO-tiered approach.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Based on the BRAFO-tiered approach, reference scenario (no intake) and alternative scenario (intake of specific species of 200 g/week) were determined. The exposure to MeHg/DLCs via alternative scenario of all studied species did not exceed provisional tolerable weekly/monthly intake. However, the adult population with high DLCs exposure in China would significantly exceed the upper limit of DLCs via an additional alternative scenario of some species such as Auxis thazard. The results of deterministic computation showed that alternative scenario of all studied species generated clear net beneficial effects on death prevention and child IQ gain.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The alternative scenario of all studied species could be recommended to population with average DLCs exposure, and the reference scenario of species with relatively high DLCs concentration could be recommended to population exposed to high DLCs.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , China , Dioxins , Environmental Pollutants , Fatty Acids, Omega-3 , Fishes , Methylmercury Compounds , Risk Assessment , Seafood , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
Mercury is one of the ubiquitous environmental neurotoxins which causes adverse effects on the development of children's neural system.Considering the severe neurotoxicity of mercury,finding and minimizing the sources of mercury exposure is essential for children's health.Amongst the mercury compounds,the toxicity of organic mercury is the most severe.Methyl mercury (MeHg) is the most detrimental and represents a major source of human exposure of mercury.Recent studies on molecular mechanisms of MeHg neurotoxicity points out that MeHg mainly mediates its toxic effects through the impairment of intraceilular calcium homeostasis,alteration of glutamate homeostasis,and oxidative stress.These concepts provide the biochemical interpreting of MeHg neurotoxicity.This review provides the current information on mercury,including environmental sources,neurotoxicity,and molecular mechanisms of MeHg-induced neurotoxicity.It will be helpful to find some effective ways of interfering children mercury exposure.
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OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to evaluate the critical role of glutathione(GSH) in methyl mercury chloride(MeHgCl)induced cell apoptosis. METHODS: The effect of GSH in MeHgCl induced cell apoptosis was observed in mouse macrophage-derived RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. The cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium(DMEM). RESULTS: MeHgCl exerted a dose dependent cytotoxicity,as demonstrated by the MTT assay, which is an assay dependent partially on the mitochondrial function. Moreover, in the presence of NAC, a GSH precursor, the MeHgCl induced cytotoxicity was significantly decreased whereas BSO, a specific GSH synthesis inhibitor,increased the MeHgCl induced cytotoxicity.The MeHgCl induced DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation was consistent with the morphological alterations. The MeHgCl treated cells exhibited increasing annexin V-FITC binding to the phos-phatidylserine(PS)translocated from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane and those cells with NAC pretreatment significantly exhibited decreasing annexin V-FITC binding compared to the cells treated with MeHgCl only. However BSO pretreatment markedly exhibited the increasing annexin V-FITC binding. The MeHgCl treated cells generated ROS, which was evidenced by the oxidation of dihydroethidine and the generation of the fluorescent product, ethidium. In addition, BSO pretreatment further enhanced the extent of ROS generation caused by MeHgCl whereas NAC pretreatment decreased the amount of ROS generation. MeHgCl led to a dose dependent decrease in the GSH content. Although MeHgCl exposure significantly reduced the GSH level, those cells that had a NAC pretreatment contained a higher level of GSH compared to the cells treated with MeHgCl only. In contrast, BSO pretreatment futher enhanced the extent of GSH depletion caused by MeHgCl. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that MeHgCl reduced the GSH content and impaired the defense against oxidative damage caused by ROS formation in RAW 264.7 cells. It is possible that these factors leads to the activation of the apoptosis signaling pathway. Ultimately these results suggest that GSH plays a crucial role in protecting the activity against MeHgCl induced apoptosis.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Antioxidants , Apoptosis , Cell Membrane , Chromatin , DNA Fragmentation , Ethidium , GlutathioneABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of methyl mercury on the development of rat offspring. Methods The male Wistar rats were divided into four groups randomly, each group was administrated methyl mercury by gavage every two days for two months, then, the rats were mated with healthy female rats. The development, growth and behaviors of offspring were investigated. Results Compared with the control, the body weights of offspring in groups of 1.170 mg/kg and 0.580 mg/kg were less and the development was tardy. The indexes that can reflect the level of development showed that the behaviors of offspring in experimental groups were damaged. Conclusion The male rats exposed to methyl mercury may produce an adverse effect on the development, growth and behaviors of their offspring.
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Objective To study the effects and related mechanism of low-dosed methyl-mercury chloride (MMC) on the epithelial apoptosis of fetal mice intestine. Methods Pregnant mice on E12.5 d and E13.5 d were injected with different doses of MMC (0, 1, 2, 4 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. After 48 h, their duodenum and colon were dissected out and sliced into the paraffin sections. Some sections were stained with HE to count the numbers of apoptotic bodies (NAB) with stereological method. The others were stained with the immunohistochemical method to observe the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins Bcl-2, Bax and immediate early gene c-fos. Results ①In all experimental groups, the NAB in the epithelium were higher than that of control groups (P