Evaluación de la frecuencia de espina bífida oculta y su posible relación con el arsénico ambiental en una muestra prehispánica de la Quebrada de Camarones, norte de Chile / Spina bifida occulta associated with environmental arsenic exposure in a prehispanic sample from northern Chile

Background: The Camarones River Valley, located in the extreme north of Chile, is characterized by high environmental arsenic levels and an arid desert. It has been inhabited by humans for the past 7,000 years. Evidence exists for chronic arsenic poisoning in both prehispanic and present populations residing in the area. Chronic arsenic exposure causes multi-systemic problems and can induce congenital malformations, in particular neural tube development defects such as spina bifda. Aim: To study the prevalence of spina bifda among prehispanic mummies of the area. Material and Methods: Onehundred and twenty prehistoric adult individuals were analyzed for evidence of spina bifda occulta of the sacrum in skeletal samples from the sites of Camarones 8, Camarones 9, Azapa 140 and Lluta 54, held in repository at the Museo Universidad de Tarapacá de Arica- San Miguel de Azapa. A diagnosis was considered positive when at least S1, S2 or S3 were affected. As controls, mummies of individuals that resided in Lluta and Azapa valley, with a low arsenic exposure, were analyzed. Results: The frequency of spina bifda occulta among samples from the Camarones coast and Lluta and Azapa Valley were 13.5 and 2.4 percent respectively. Conclusions: Considering these were contemporaneous samples, and are believed to have had no other differences in diet or other factors, the differential exposures to arsenic could have produced the observed differences in spina bifda frequencies.

Dom João VI's death: convulsions and coma

Dom João VI's death occurred in adverse political conditions that led to the regicide hypothesis. The main aim of this paper is to mention life style and conditions of the death of the king by means of narrative review based on primary and secondary sources. Dom João VI died in the way of convulsions and gastrointestinal symptoms. This could be the result of the pathological chain of genetic determination, accentuated by the inappropriate life style, obesity and sedentary habits, and/or poisoning. The finding of arsenic in high doses in his viscera favors the last hypothesis as the basic cause of death, but one can not discard the atherosclerosis predisposing risk factors for a final stroke.

A morte de Dom João VI aconteceu em condições políticas adversas que conduziram à hipótese de regicídio. O objetivo principal deste artigo é mencionar o estilo de vida e condições da morte do rei por meio de revisão narrativa baseada em fontes primárias e secundárias. Dom João VI morreu apresentando convulsões e sintomas gastrointestinais. Esse poderia ser o resultado da cadeia patológica de determinação genética, acentuada pelo estilo de vida inapropriado, obesidade e/ou envenenamento. O achado de arsênico em doses altas nas suas vísceras aponta a última hipótese como a causa básica da morte, mas não se pode descartar a aterosclerose como fator de risco predisponente para um acidente vascular cerebral final.