ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES@#To establish a rapid determination method with LC-MS/MS for cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine in hair.@*METHODS@#Deuterated internal standards （cocaine-D₃ and benzoylecgonine-D₈） were added to the decontaminated hair. After the extraction by ultrasonication with methanol, the compounds were separated by the Restek Allure PFP propyl column, and cocaine and benzoylecgonine were simultaneously analysed in multiple reaction monitoring mode.@*RESULTS@#The cocaine and benzoylecgonine in hair showed a good linearity in the range of mass fraction between 0.02 and 10.00 ng/mg with the limits of detection of 0.01 ng/mg.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The developed method is simple and rapid with a good selectivity, which is suitable for the determination of cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine in hair.
Subject(s)
Humans , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Chromatography, Liquid/methods , Cocaine/metabolism , Hair/metabolism , Reference Standards , Reproducibility of Results , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methodsABSTRACT
Objectives: To compare hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients and healthy controls and to investigate the correlations between HCC and psychopathology. Methods: Twenty-four drug-naïve FEP patients and 27 gender- and age-matched healthy control subjects were recruited. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-1) was used to confirm/rule out diagnoses, and the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) was used to assess symptom severity. Hair samples (2-3 cm long) obtained from the posterior vertex region of the scalp were processed in 1-cm segments considering a hair growth rate of 1 cm per month. The 1-cm segments were classified according to their proximity to the scalp: segment A was the closest to the scalp and referred to the month prior to inclusion in the study. Segments B and C referred to the 2nd and 3rd months prior to the time of evaluation respectively. Hair steroid extraction was performed using a known protocol. Results: Two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with gender and age as covariates revealed a group effect (F1.106 = 4.899, p = 0.029) on HCC. Between-segment differences correlated with total PANSS score and with PANSS General Psychopathology subscale and total score. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as assessed by long-term (3-month) cortisol concentration, is abnormal in the early stages of psychosis. The magnitude of changes in HCC over time prior to the FEP correlates to psychopathology. HPA axis abnormalities might begin prior to full-blown clinical presentation requiring hospital admission.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Young Adult , Psychotic Disorders/metabolism , Hydrocortisone/metabolism , Hair/metabolism , Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiopathology , Time Factors , Severity of Illness Index , Cross-Sectional Studies , Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiopathologyABSTRACT
A revisão de estudos baseados em evidências mostra o melhor tratamento hormonal para o hirsutismo. Inicialmente, resumiu-se a fisiologia do pelo, caracterizou-se o hirsutismo, suas variantes e suas causas. Revelou-se que o tratamento hormonal do hirsutismo deve ser complementado pelo tratamento cosmético e não deve ser indicado para mulheres grávidas ou que desejam engravidar. A primeira opção é o contraceptivo hormonal oral, seguro para contracepção e eficaz para tratamento do hirsutismo. Após tempo estipulado, não ocorrendo resposta satisfatória, associar acetato de ciproterona ou espironolactona. A finasterida é indicada para hirsutismo idiopático e a flutamida, devido aos efeitos colaterais, ainda não é opção segura
An evidence-based review shows the best hormonal treatment of hirsutism. This paper summarized the physiology of the hair, characterized the hirsutism, its variants and etiologies. The study revealed that hormonal treatment of hirsutism has to be complemented by esthetic treatment, and it is not recommended for pregnant women or for those who want to get pregnant. The first option is hormonal oral contraceptive, which is safe for contraception and effective for treatment of hirsutism. After a established period of treatment, if good results do not occur, the association of cyproterone or spironolactone is recomended. Finasteride is the treatment of idiopathic hirsutism, and flutamide is not a safe option due to its side effects
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Cyproterone Acetate/administration & dosage , Cyproterone Acetate/therapeutic use , Contraceptives, Oral/therapeutic use , Hair/growth & development , Spironolactone/administration & dosage , Spironolactone/therapeutic use , Finasteride/adverse effects , Flutamide/adverse effects , Hirsutism/drug therapy , Hirsutism/therapy , Cosmetic Techniques , Hair/metabolismABSTRACT
This study was done to investigate the association of zinc status of well nourished Bangladeshi children with Acute Lower Respiratory Infection (ALRI). In this case control study, simultaneous estimation of serum and hair zinc was performed in 35 well nourished children, aged 6-60 months suffering from ALRI and 38 normal matched controls. Serum zinc was low in children suffering from ALRI as compared to control (90 +/- 51 pg/dL vs 176 +/- 98 pg/dL, OR: 6, 95% CI: 1.83, 19.66;P <0.05) children. Hair zinc was also found significantly low in children suffering from ALRI as compared to control (158 + 48 1g/g vs 247 154 pg/g, OR: 3, 95% CI: 1.46, 10.04, P < 0.05). We conclude that Bangladeshi children suffering from pneumonia, have decreased levels of serum and hair zinc.
Subject(s)
Acute Disease , Bangladesh , Case-Control Studies , Child, Preschool , Female , Hair/metabolism , Humans , Infant , Male , Nutritional Status , Respiratory Tract Infections/metabolism , Zinc/metabolismABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To study the distribution and metabolism of methamphetamine in the hair of guinea pig.@*METHODS@#Determination of methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine in hair was performed by GC/MS and GC/NPD. Concentration-time course of methamphetamine and amphetamine in hair of guinea were recorded. Relationship between hair color, administrated dose and drug concentration in hair were also discussed.@*RESULTS@#The concentration of amphetamine is higher than the concentration of methamphetamine in the hair of guinea administrated a single dose or seven doses of methamphetamine. The concentration of methamphetamine and amphetamine were significantly related with administration dose and the incorporation rate into white and brown hair is much poorer than that of black hair.@*CONCLUSION@#Administration methods, dose and the color of hair affect the concentration of methamphetamine and amphetamine.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Amphetamine/metabolism , Guinea Pigs , Hair/metabolism , Hair Color , Methamphetamine/metabolismABSTRACT
The keratinolytic activity of five species of the dermatophytes which include Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, Microsporum audouinii and M. gypseum isolated from school children were tested using human hair as the substrate. M. gypseum was found to possess the highest keratinolytic activity with a net value of released protein being 78.8 ug/ml after five weeks of incubation. Also the net value of released protein for T. tonsurans, T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes and M. audouinii were 55.5 ug/ml, 52.5 ug/ml, 43.8 ug/ml and 26.3 ug/\ml respectively. Only T. mentagrophytes and M. gypseum were able to cause structural damage in form of perforations on the hair shaft. Also during the degradation of the hair, the pH of the basal medium for each dermatophyte increased. The increase in pH was highest in the medium with M. gypseum but lowest in that of M. audouinii.
Subject(s)
Arthrodermataceae/enzymology , Dermatomycoses , Hair/metabolism , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Keratins/metabolism , Microsporum/enzymology , Peptide Hydrolases/metabolism , Substrate Specificity , Trichophyton/enzymologyABSTRACT
We investigated the amount of both zinc and copper in plasma, erythrocytes and hair in 11 patients with hemoglobin H disease, 59 patients with beta-thalassemia/HbE disease and 20 patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia. Plasma and hair zinc levels were found to be much lower, but erythrocyte zinc levels were higher, in thalassemic patients than in controls. The levels of copper in both plasma and erythrocytes were higher in the patients than in the controls. The mechanism with respect to the increase of the amount of both zinc and copper in erythrocytes was not clear; this result may reflect the impairment of zinc and copper utilization in tissues in the pathogenesis of these thalassemic patients.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Case-Control Studies , Child , Child, Preschool , Copper/blood , Erythrocytes/metabolism , Female , Hair/metabolism , Humans , Infant , Male , Zinc/blood , alpha-Thalassemia/blood , beta-Thalassemia/bloodABSTRACT
During hair degradation, majority of organic sulphur was oxidized to inorganic sulphate and thiosulphate by four fungal isolates (Cylindrocarpon lichenicola, Graphium cuneiferum, Microsporum gypseum, and M. fulvum) from gelatin factory soil. Inorganic thiosulphate, an unusual metabolite, was regularly detected in the culture filtrates of all fungi, although in less amounts. Maximum quantity (44 micrograms/ml) was released by G. cuneiferum on 50th day of incubation. All four fungi showed significant extracellular keratinase activity on human hair. Sulphydryl compounds were present in low amounts throughout the experiment. Detection of inorganic sulphate and thiosulphate with significant release of total protein and keratinase and changes in alkalinity, established the role of sulphitolysis and peptidolysis during keratin biodegradation by fungi which ultimately results in complete keratin degradation.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Fungi/metabolism , Gelatin , Hair/metabolism , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Industry , Keratins/metabolism , Peptide Hydrolases/biosynthesisABSTRACT
In a study of 50 tumours of pilar origin, it was observed that tumours arise from each cell type depending upon the phase of the hair cycle. Thus nevoid lesions arise from the pluripotent cells of the early anagen phase; tumours from the hair matrix, outer root sheath and inner root sheath arise during the anagen phase, and the keratoacanthomas during the interphase between anagen and telogen. Basal cell epitheliomas can arise at any phase. It was observed that the tumours arising during the anagen phase from the fully differentiated follicles formed the bulk (88%) and the keratoacanthoma simulating the catagen/telogen phase was rare in consonance with the length of each phase. It is proposed that the inner root sheath tumours be named trichilemmomas and the outer root sheath tumours trichochlamydomas to distinguish them from one another.
Subject(s)
Hair/metabolism , Humans , Skin Neoplasms/etiologyABSTRACT
Zinc levels in serum and hair were estimated in 32 cases of Indian Childhood Cirrhosis (ICC)--14 in Stage II and 18 in Stage III. Levels were compared with 20 cases of age matched healthy controls. Mean serum zinc level in ICC was 62.0 +/- 13.10 micrograms/dl as compared to 115.7 +/- 12.62 micrograms/dl in controls. The difference was statistically significant. Further, mean level of serum zinc (70.78 +/- 12.95 micrograms/dl) in Stage II was significantly higher than the level 55.88 +/- 8.16 micrograms/dl in Stage III, thereby showing an inverse relationship with the severity of the disease. Mean hair zinc level of 144.53 +/- 23.26 micrograms/g in ICC was much lower than that of 172.5 micrograms/g in controls. The study revealed an altered state of zinc nutrition in children with ICC.
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Hair/metabolism , Humans , Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism , Zinc/bloodABSTRACT
Se determinó la concentración de zinc y de cobre en el pelo y plasma de 81 lactantes chilenos, de ambos sexos, de 2 a 36 meses de edad, quienes acudían al control del niño sano en el Consultorio Plaza Acevedo del Servicio de Salud de Concepción (Chile). Se consideraron sólo aquellos cuyo peso al nacer fue mayor de 2.500 g, eutróficos, y sin patología aguda o crónica evidente.El grupo en estudio se dividió en 7 rangos de edad y los valores obtenidos se correlacionaron en función de edad y sexo, principalmente. El contenido de los oligoelementos indicados se determinó por espectrofotometría de absorción atómica con llama