Análisis de los efectos del consumo de alcohol en la morbi-mortalidad por trauma craneoencefálico / Analysis of the effects of alcohol consumption in traumatic brain injury´s morbidity and mortality

Resumen La intoxicación con alcohol está frecuentemente asociada con trauma craneoencefálico (TCE), pero el impacto del alcohol en la patogénesis y el pronóstico del TCE sigue siendo poco clara. La literatura actual provee evidencia en términos de datos clínicos y experimentales que respaldan los efectos neuroprotectores del alcohol en pacientes con TCE. Para establecer de manera significativa esta relación es necesario el desarrollo de estudios prospectivos observacionales fuertes, con el fin de comprender los efectos del alcohol en los resultados clínicos a largo plazo (incluyendo el resultado neurológico) en pacientes con TCE con una apropiada selección y ajuste del riesgo basal.

Abstract Alcohol intoxication is often associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), but the impact of alcohol on the pathogenesis and prognosis of TBIs remains unclear. Current literature provides evidence in terms of experimental and clinical data supporting alcohol's neuroprotective effects in patients with TBIs. To establish in a significative way this association, there lies a need for strong prospective observational studies, in order to comprehend the effects of alcohol on the long-term outcomes (including the neurological outcome) in patients with TBI with proper selection and baseline risk adjustment.

C3H/He Mice as an Incompatible Cholangiocarcinoma Model by Clonorchis sinensis, Dicyclanil and N-Nitrosodimethylamine

Clonorchis sinensis is a Group-I bio-carcinogen, associated with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The hamster is the only experimental model of C. sinensis-mediated CCA, but we oblige another animal model. The present study intended to develop a C. sinensis (Cs) mediated CCA model using C3H/He mice, co-stimulated with N-nitrosodimethyl-amine (NDMA) and dicyclanil (DC). The mice were divided into 8 groups with different combinations of Cs, NDMA, and DC. Six months later the mice were sacrificed and subjected to gross and histopathological examination. The body weights were significantly reduced among the groups treated with 2 or more agents (eg. Cs+NDMA, Cs+DC, NDMA+DC, and Cs+NDMA+DC). In contrast, liver weight percentages to body weight were increased in above groups by 4.1% to 4.7%. A Change of the spleen weight was observed only in Cs+NDMA group. Though C. sinensis infection is evident from hyperplastic changes, only 1 worm was recovered. T wo mice, 1 from Cs and the other from Cs+DC group, showed mass forming lesions; 1 (281.2 mm3) from the Cs group was a hepatocellular adenoma and the other (280.6 mm3) from the Cs+DC group was a cystic mass (peliosis). Higher prevalence of gray-white nodules was observed in Cs group (42.9%) followed by Cs+NDMA+DC group (21.4%). The mice of the Cs+NDMA+DC group showed hyper-proliferation of the bile duct with fibrotic changes. No characteristic change for CCA was recognized in any of the groups. In conclusion, C3H/He mice produce no CCA but extensive fibrosis when they are challenged by Cs, NDMA, and DC together.

Ingestion Exposure to Nitrosamines in Chlorinated Drinking Water

OBJECTIVES: N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and is formed during the chlorination of municipal drinking water. In this study, selected nitrosamines were measured in chlorinated drinking water collected from Chuncheon, Kangwon-do, Republic of Korea, and a risk assessment for NDMA was conducted. METHODS: Twelve water samples were collected from 2 treatment plants and 10 household taps. Samples were analyzed for 6 nitrosamines via solid-phase extraction cleanup followed by conversion to dansyl derivatives and high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Considering the dietary patterns of Korean people and the concentration change of NDMA by boiling, a carcinogenic risk assessment from ingestion exposure was conducted following the US EPA guidelines. RESULTS: NDMA concentrations ranged between 26.1 and 112.0 ng/L. NDMA in water was found to be thermally stable, and thus its concentration at the end of boiling was greater than before thermal treatment owing to the decrease in water volume. The estimated excess lifetime carcinogenic risk exceeded the regulatory baseline risk of 10(-5). CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests that more extensive studies need to be conducted on nitrosamine concentration distributions over the country and the source of relatively high nitrosamine concentrations.