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Background Previous studies show that aluminum exposure could increase the expression of miRNA-134-3p, which is involved in the mechanism of aluminum induced learning and memory impairment. However, it has not been investigated whether the expression level of miRNA-134-3p in the peripheral blood of occupational aluminum exposed workers is related to the blood aluminum concentration yet. Objective To evaluate a potential correlation between aluminum concentration in peripheral blood and miR-134-3p expression in occupational aluminum exposed workers. Methods A total of 184 male aluminum workers in the electrolytic aluminum workshop, aluminum oxide workshop, and thermal power workshop of an aluminum plant in Shanxi were selected by cluster sampling. They were divided into four groups (Q1-Q4) according to the quartiles of blood aluminum concentration, with 46 workers in each group. The basic information of workers was collected by questionnaire survey, and the cognitive function of workers was evaluated by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The plasma of workers was collected, and the relative expression level of miR-134-3p in plasma was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The plasma aluminum concentration was detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The associations among workers' peripheral blood aluminum concentration, plasma miR-134-3p expression level, and total MoCA score were evaluated by generalized linear models. Results The workers' medians (P25, P75) of blood aluminum concentration, plasma relative expression level of miR-134-3p, and MoCA score were 39.31 (25.30, 57.41) μg·L-1, 2.93 (2.29, 3.74), and 22.0 (20.0, 26.0), respectively. The results of the generalized linear model showed that after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol consumption, compared with the Q1 group, blood aluminum in the Q2, Q3, or Q4 group had an impact on related plasma miR-134-3p expression level and total MoCA score (P<0.05). With increasing blood aluminum concentration, the expression level of miR-134-3p in workers' plasma gradually increased, showing a positive correlation (b>0, Ptrend<0.001), while the total score of MoCA gradually decreased, showing a negative correlation (b<0, Ptrend<0.001). As the expression level of miR-134-3p in plasma increased, the total score of MoCA gradually decreased, showing a negative correlation (b<0, Ptrend<0.001). There was a linear relationship between peripheral blood aluminum concentration and plasma relative expression level of miR-134-3p of the workers in the middle school and below group and the high school group (Ptrend<0.05), b (95%CI)=1.796 (1.248, 2.344) and 1.192 (0.874, 1.510), and no correlation was found in the workers in the college and above group (Ptrend>0.05). Conclusion Occupational aluminum exposure can lead to an increase in the expression level of miR-134-3p in plasma of workers, which may be related to a decrease in cognitive function of workers.
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Background Aluminum and fluoride are neurotoxic, and aluminum exposure alone is closely related to the overall cognitive function of operational workers. It is unclear about the effect of aluminum and fluoride interactions on cognitive function. Objective To evaluate a potential interaction effect of blood aluminum and urinary fluoride on the overall cognitive function of workers working in an aluminum plant. Methods Using cluster sampling, 230 workers in the electrolysis workshop of an aluminum group company in Shanxi Province were selected, and plasma aluminum concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and urinary fluoride by ion-selective electrode. The study participants were divided into a low blood aluminum group and a high blood aluminum group according to the median (M) of blood aluminum concentration, and a low urinary fluoride group and a high urinary fluoride group by a predetermined cutoff point (2.160 mg·L−1). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Beijing (MoCA-BJ) was used to assess overall cognitive function of the workers. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between blood aluminum, urinary fluoride, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), including multiplicative interaction analysis and correlation analysis; R language was used to fit an additive interaction model of blood aluminum and urinary fluoride on MCI and to calculate synergy index (S), relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), and attributable proportion due to interaction (API). Results Among the 230 operational workers, the median blood aluminum concentration (P25, P75) was 40.11 (25.16, 58.89) µg·L−1, and there were 104 cases of abnormal urinary fluoride, with an abnormality rate of 45.2%. There was a multiplicative interaction (OR=7.783, 95%CI: 1.377, 43.991) and no additive interaction (RERI=0.030, 95%CI: −0.498, 0.559; API=0.018, 95%CI: −0.279, 0.316; S=1.049, 95%CI: 0.519, 2.118) for the effect between blood aluminum and urinary fluoride on overall cognitive function of the workers. The logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of MCI was 12.105 (95%CI: 2.802, 52.287) times higher in workers with both high blood aluminum and high urinary fluoride than in those with low blood aluminum and low urinary fluoride, after adjusting for selected influencing factors. Conclusion Occupational exposure related high blood aluminum and high urinary fluoride are risk factors for cognitive dysfunction, and the coexistence of both indicators increases the risk of MCI in workers with occupational aluminum exposure, with a multiplicative interaction.
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Background; Sucralfate is a commonly used gastric mucosal protector in clinical practice. It can be dissociated into aluminum hydroxide and sucrose sulfate under the action of gastric acid. As a topical agent, sucralfate is mainly excreted with feces, and the tiny amount of sucralfate absorbed in gastrointestinal tract is excreted with urine in the form of disaccharide sulfate. Aims; To study the effect and safety of a domestic made oral sucralfate suspensoid gel on blood aluminum concentration. Methods; Twenty-three healthy volunteers participated in this study from June 2021 to September 2021 at the Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. All subjects received sucralfate suspensoid gel daily (1 h before breakfast in the morning, and before bedtime in the evening, 1 g each time) for 2 weeks. Blood samples were collected on day 1 (before sucralfate administration) and day 15 (after medication completion) for determination of blood aluminum concentration. Any adverse events (including abnormal laboratory indicators) were recorded. Results: No significant difference was existed in mean blood aluminum concentration of the healthy subjects between time points before and after sucralfate administration [(47. 66 ± 15. 64) μg/L vs. (39. 12 ± 2 0. 42) μg/L, P > 0. 0 5]. All the blood aluminum values after medication were within the reference range (70 μ g/L), so did the blood routine, urine routine and blood biochemical indicators before and after medication. No severe adverse events were reported. Conclusions; The domestic made sucralfate suspensoid gel used in this study for 2 weeks has no adverse effect on blood aluminum concentration in healthy subjects. It is considered to be safe and reliable, and is worthy for clinical application.
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OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between occupational aluminum exposure and fasting blood glucose level in workers. METHODS: A cluster sampling method was used to select 178 occupational aluminum-exposed workers as the exposure group, and 178 workers without occupational aluminum exposure as the control group in a large aluminum factory in Shanxi Province. Glucose oxidase method was used to measure the fasting blood glucose level, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure the plasma aluminum level in these workers. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the correlation between plasma aluminum exposure level and fasting blood glucose in these workers. RESULTS: The blood aluminum level of workers in the exposure group was higher than that of the control group [median: 39.58 vs 16.67 μg/L, P<0.01]. The fasting blood glucose level of workers in the exposure group was higher than that of the control group [(5.33±0.79) vs(5.15±0.41) mmol/L, P<0.01]. The results of the generalized linear model analysis showed that the blood aluminum level of workers was positively correlated with their fasting blood glucose level after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, drinking, exercise, family history of diabetes, and incidence of diabetes(P<0.05). There was a dose-response relationship between the blood aluminum level and fasting blood glucose level of workers in the groups of junior high school and below and high school(all P_(trend)<0.01). There was no correlation found between blood aluminum level and fasting blood glucose level in the group of college and above(P_(trend)>0.05). There was a dose-response relationship between the blood aluminum level and the fasting blood glucose level in the workers in the non-exercise group(P_(trend)<0.01). There was no correlation found between the blood aluminum level and the fasting blood glucose level in the exercise group(P_(trend)>0.05). CONCLUSION: The blood aluminum level of workers exposed to occupational aluminum is positively correlated with their fasting blood glucose level. Higher education level or exercise can moderately reduce the effect of blood aluminum level on fasting blood glucose.